Kirk Brown, CEO, Handy Inc.

Invest: spoke with Kirk Brown, CEO of the nonprofit Handy, Inc, about its successes and the challenges of helping at-promise youth in Broward County. He said that building up youth through education, affordable housing, and career development can help lift them and their communities.

What have been some key achievements and milestones at Handy, Inc. over the last 12 to 18 months?

We’ve seen growth of 18% financially, and 27% in the number of clients served. Almost 100% of our seniors have moved on to post-secondary education. Seventy-nine percent of our post-secondary students have graduated on time. We’ve also seen more of our alumni return and participate in designing the fabric of the future for our current students. We’ve also started the process of purchasing our own building. 

What trends are you seeing regarding the affordability and demand for housing and homeownership assistance?

I’d score our economy at about a 4, and the reason is lack of affordable housing. We’ve priced a certain income out of our economy in our area. Anyone who makes below $80,000 is likely to struggle to afford to live here. Handy tries to help place people into affordable housing. Insurance costs on the properties have risen, which in turn drives up rent. It places a strain on both the landlord and tenants. This creates affordability struggles for many of our clients. 

What do you see as a potential solution to the housing affordability problem?

We look at the income ratio of the service industry. Corporations receive tax credits to move into an economy. If those same tax credits and special funding structures could be applied to the teachers, social workers, and police officers who have been priced out of our economy, we believe it would aid in encouraging more sustainable participation in our community’s economy. 

How has Handy, Inc. adapted its educational and career development programs to meet the needs of the job market?

We focus on staying ahead of industry trends. We analyze industry data from the Florida Department of Labor. As we see that data, we identify high-demand industries and work them into our workforce development planning. We are currently focused on technology, manufacturing, healthcare, construction, education, hospitality, and the marine industry. We encourage our young people to do internships and get work experience. If they show interest, we can use a career path-based methodology to place them into the industry by way of certifications, academics, or apprenticeships. On the industry side, we make sure we’re in the same room as the industry leaders. We engage our corporate partners like Moss, DPR, and Lennar, so they can make room for our young people to be onboarded into their companies. 

One of the unique aspects of our program is that young people get the chance to know CEOs on a first-name basis. Using music as an example, they get to learn about the different layers of the music industry. Being an artist isn’t the only important job in a studio. The kids get to learn about producing, engineering, mastering, and other aspects that build the music industry. By age 16, our students can get a job in the industry, then by age 18 they’re ready to make an informed choice about their education and future. We want to help young people see the value in higher education and breaking out of cycles of poverty.

How important is financial literacy and wealth building education?

Over the years, we have evolved from financial literacy to also teaching wealth management. Phones give people access to become financially literate, but we want to go beyond that and show our youth how to create and navigate wealth. Our partnership with Bank of America has helped us elevate young people to think about this different level. 

What are some of the unique challenges that at-promise youth are facing today, and how has Handy tailored its support to address these challenges?

We worry about young people being isolated by technology and social media. Those are common challenges of their age group, but they also struggle with poverty, abuse, neglect, and even homelessness. Additionally, these issues are rarely seen from the eyes of the child. The voice of the youth is overlooked in community planning discussions. Young people are some of the most informed in our society. We fear they will think of themselves as being seen as unnecessary in our social economy. We want to amplify their voice in the community and in the economy.

How does mental health come into play in all of this?

We are deliberate in our mental health approach that addresses the needs of young people, while being careful not to exhaust with an “over-therapized” setting. We have to meet them where they are. We have casual mental health sessions like our “Taco Tuesdays,” or we pick a topic out of a bowl, so that young people can discuss issues in a more relaxed, informal setting. The factors that negatively impact youth mental health in large metropolitan areas are increasing. We are seeing more depression, anxiety, and isolation. Social media connections from across the world can lead to negative mental health effects. We want to build our young people up beyond the scope of social media for them to be able to navigate their self esteem, self awareness, and to self-actualize their success through mental health practices and case management. Sometimes, it’s as simple as starting with a hug and a smile.

What is the impact of Handy’s onsite holistic services and the outcomes that you are seeing?

Since 2002, we have utilized 57 customized individualized services, falling under five pillars: youth development, workforce development, mental health services, low and affordable housing, and educational transitions. A lot of young people are excelling and learning to believe in themselves. We’re seeing more young people interested in entrepreneurship, who want to be the CEOs of their own lives. We are supporting more homeless youth, foster-care kids, and young people being raised by older relatives. We’re partnering with healthcare providers to make sure these groups have access to healthcare.

How has the economic landscape affected both Handy’s operations and goals, and the clients that you serve?

We have seen a 23% rise in operational costs. Food, transportation, and insurance costs have all risen. Building a strategy to earn money is a priority to continue to keep our doors open. 

What are your primary goals for Handy, Inc. over the next couple of years?

Our top priority is to pay our staff a liveable wage so they can live, work, and play in Broward County. Also, acquiring our new building and adding healthcare partners in the building to make sure every young person and caregiver has open access to healthcare. Finally, we want to build an endowment sustainability plan for the organization’s future. 

Are there any additional things you’d like to mention?

I’m a data-driven person, and when I look at income disparity in our community, I see that the bottom 20% of income feeds the upper layers of income. Our service economy directly affects the revenue growth and structure of the whole economy. We have a unique blend of cultures in Broward County, and we should be investing from a perspective that includes a diverse population. All the cents make up a dollar. We need to invest in all layers of the economy to make our communities successful.