reFort the Third Business Investment of the CSD Social Venture Fund
-At the end of every semester, students generate tons of waste when they move out of residences. Have you ever wondered exactly how much waste is generated? It’s clearly enough to be a problem. Students leave colleges and universities with the expense of picking up after them and properly disposing of their waste. What can be done about this?
Enter reFort, a startup concept that is led by Myles Goldberg, Ethan Kramer, and Sean Maiwald. It all started as an idea for a contest, and through pitch after pitch became more refined, and now is a business venture on the verge of breaking out.
Kramer said, “reFort picks up durable goods otherwise intended for disposal, and refurbishes and resells them at lower cost to those moving into residences. We want to show that ‘going green’ can be beneficial for people and make good business sense, too.”
Originally composed of Maiwald, Goldberg, and Zohaib Qureshi, reFort won second place in the final round at Climathon in October 2016, a 24-hour hack-a-thon hosted at the George Washington University. Many of the judges were themselves from the D.C. area and loved the idea. Ethan Kramer came aboard during the second round of this contest to fill out the team. They pressed onward, placing third at the Gallaudet University Business Pitch Competition in February 2017, and began piloting the project a few months later at Gallaudet.
Ethan Kramer, Founder
Myles Goldberg, Founder
Sean Maiwald, Founder
It was then they decided to apply for the CSD SVF, and are now the third recipient of SVF support. “We knew reFort was perfect for the SVF incubator program, CSD CEO Christopher Soukup said. “The reFort partners are representing the Deaf community as leaders in tackling the problem of waste, an issue that affects everyone on the planet.” Their focus right now is in the Washington, D.C. area, at Gallaudet University. They will be testing their model, and refining it, while building their brand and marketing through CSD Creative, which will help develop their logo and build their website. Eventually reFort wants to develop a mobile app to make their service even more accessible.
“Based on the amazing community response we’ve had so far, we’d love if the community wants to support us. People can donate items, buy the items we have for sale, and help spread the word about our business. That’s the proven Deaf ecosystem that we want to tap into, and we’re very excited about partnering with CSD,” said Goldberg.
Soukup added, “We’re very keen about advising this young and enthusiastic team and providing the essential resources for a strong business infrastructure.” The reFort team never expected to get this far this quickly, and want you to know that you, too, can grow an idea to fruition. As Sean Maiwald says, “I can, you can, we all can!”
Visit the reFort SVF Partner
Come and Meet CSD’s Newest Chief Innovation Officer: Dominic Lacy
-Dominic (Dom) Lacy was raised by Deaf parents who established high expectations in his studies, and he witnessed their dedication to ensure that access to education and sign language was provided him. That experience forever shaped him, and is why he is passionate about education because it “opens new doors and opportunities,” which lead to a more visible Deaf workforce that can “help shift limiting beliefs about Deaf and hard of hearing people.”
Dom discovered his zeal for activism as he joined the workforce after graduating from Southern Methodist University as a double major in finance and political science. He’s well-known in the Dallas community for his leadership on the Deaf Action Center (DAC) board, where he spent 10 years as a member, and was DAC’s first Deaf board president. During his time at DAC, Dom focused on developing the organization’s capacity and steering capital development to establish facilities, including Martha’s Vineyard Place, an affordable and accessible housing project. He also served as a commissioner on the City of Dallas Community Development Commission.
Prior to coming to CSD, Dom worked 14 years at Accenture Strategy as a Senior Manager. In this role, he worked with Fortune 500 companies, guiding them in achieving strategic objectives such as streamlining business operations, developing a vision for business models and implementing technology to achieve this.
“The CSD SVF needs the right leader to ensure that it achieves its full potential, and Dominic Lacy is that person,” CSD CEO Christopher Soukup said.
In his new position at the CSD Social Venture Fund (SVF), Dom will focus primarily on the further developing the SVF and its offerings. He will work with Mozzeria and DeafTax to help achieve their goals, and help develop the SVF’s incubator and mentoring programs. On top of all this he will also provide day-to-day support to all of CSD’s programs, investments, and partners.
“I love CSD’s vision of creating success stories while combating the unemployment and underemployment rate among Deaf people. It feels like a perfect fit,” said Lacy.
Soukup added, “Dominic will be integral to our work to create meaningful change for Deaf people and will be contributing broadly to all of the initiatives in our company portfolio. We’re fortunate to have him.”
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DeafTax.com Is Selected as CSD’s Second Social Venture Fund Partner
-A second notable business has been selected to become part of the CSD Social Venture Fund, DeafTax.com. “We are very pleased to be recognized by CSD,” said owner Joshua R. Beal. “This support will allow us to expand our services to better serve more Deaf individuals and Deaf-owned businesses throughout the United States. This investment from the CSD SVF will help the Deaf community become more self-reliant through a greater understanding of taxes and procedures. In turn, this will create additional jobs, such as expanded availability of Deaf tax experts and ultimately help strengthen the Deaf community’s economic standing.”
CSD CEO Christopher Soukup says that this is exactly what CSD wants to happen. “The central purpose of CSD SVF’s investment in DeafTax is to support their vision for growth and their commitment to creating employment opportunities for deaf professionals in the areas of finance and accounting.”
Joshua Hawaii Business Magazine (photog. Kevin Blitz)
DeafTax.com was founded in 2007 and is currently managed by Beal and Charles L. Sterling. The company, a spin-off from Schwarz Financial Services, provides tax preparation services to individuals, non-profits, trusts, and small businesses throughout the nation. With offices in Washington, D.C., and Hawaii, DeafTax.com works primarily with clients through videophone and email.
Soukup added that another goal of the SVF is the creation of jobs in as many sectors as possible. “Expanding DeafTax’s services can lead to other professional opportunities within financial services such as financial advising, accounting, and so on. By partnering with DeafTax.com, we will improve the quality of information available to Deaf people regarding income tax and tax preparation.”
With this investment, DeafTax.com plans on developing an app for mobile devices, providing bookkeeping services for Deaf-owned businesses, nonprofits, and organizations, and establishing a third office.
Soukup noted that Beal is an ideal choice for increasing the Deaf community’s access to information. “Beal’s commitment to supporting the Deaf community is clear and he has served hundreds of clients over the course of his career. Joshua has compelling ideas for evolving and scaling DeafTax, and CSD is excited and proud to be a partner in helping the entire DeafTax team convert their vision into reality.”
To learn more about DeafTax.com please visit www.deaftax.com. More information on the CSD Social Venture Fund is available at www.csdsvf.com.
Interview with Forbes; Leading a 1,000-Employee Nonprofit Serving Deaf Community
-Chris Soukup, 38, is a third-generation member of the deaf community. As a child, he remembers his paternal grandparents visiting each week with a list of phone calls to be made by his mother, who could hear. In those days, before the relay services offered by companies like Communication Service for the Deaf, or CSD, the nonprofit that Soukup now runs, members of the deaf community were effectively prevented from communicating by phone.
23 Daily Habits Which Separate High Achievers From Everyone Else
-“Authenticity is powerful. I made the mistake of trying to be the leader that I thought people expected me to be. Over time, I got more comfortable with responsibility and became less afraid to be myself and to create my own personal brand of leadership. This brand is unique, not replicable, and has appreciated in value over time. It belongs to me. All young leaders should gravitate to their strengths and build their brand around qualities that they are proudest of.” –Chris Soukup, CEO of Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD)
This Agency Helps Marketers Reach Deaf Consumers
-There are agencies that specialize in targeting women, various ethnic cohorts and demographic segments, but there is one group that has been largely ignored: the Deaf, a community of more than 30 million people in the U.S. and about 360 million worldwide. An agency called CSD Creative is looking to change that.
Mozzeria the First Business Partner of the CSD Social Venture Fund
-CSD is especially excited and proud to name Mozzeria – a Deaf-owned Neapolitan pizzeria based in San Francisco – as the first-ever business partner of the CSD Social Venture Fund (CSD SVF). Mozzeria and CSD will use this partnership to model the success of the Mozzeria brand and restaurant and foster the opening of a series of franchise locations across the United States.
“I can think of no better investment for our first than Mozzeria,” said Christopher Soukup, the CEO of CSD. “[Mozzeria founders] Melody and Russ [Stein] are two of the most visible people who exemplify the entrepreneurial spirit that we know is already there in the Deaf community, just waiting to be revealed.”
Melody and Russ in front of the Mozzeria Trolley. (Photo: Behind The Food Carts)
Melody Stein is no stranger to the restaurant business, learning the ropes from her parents who owned restaurants in Hong Kong and San Francisco. Melody and her husband, Russ, met at Gallaudet University, where they bonded over a common love of food. They soon moved to San Francisco, when Russ, who is a native New Yorker, realized how much he missed the Italian restaurants and pizzerias of his hometown, which provided the drive to for them to create Mozzeria. “It was always our dream to open a restaurant,” said Melody.
Mozzeria shares with CSD the same commitment to prosperity among Deaf people everywhere. Mozzeria has an all Deaf staff and nearly everything in the restaurant is designed or built by Deaf people, including all the artwork on the walls. Russ and Melody Stein, both of them former employees at CSD, said, “Mozzeria’s values and goals so completely line up with CSD’s, there was no question about setting up this partnership. I feel like we have just come full circle.”
Outside the Mission District San Francisco Restaurant. (Photo: Small Business Revolution)The CSD SVF was created earlier in 2017 to address the employment crisis among Deaf Americans with the goal of supporting the development of Deaf-owned businesses. Soukup said that the best way to “combat the unacceptable and massive employment gap for Deaf Americans is to showcase the exceptional talents and successes of people who are Deaf.”
Mozzeria, through the support of the CSD fund and incubator program, will receive capital funding and resources, as well as develop training materials in ASL to support the growth of new franchise locations. Melody has her sights set on uplifting the community, “With CSD’s support we will now have the opportunity to significantly grow and expand our business and create more opportunities for Deaf individuals, workers and business owners alike.”
“Without question, Melody and Russ are an extraordinary success story and an inspiration to all of us.” said Soukup.
Any way you slice it, this is a milestone for the Deaf community.
For more information on the CSD Social Venture Fund please visit www.CSDSVF.com.
To learn more about Mozzeria and the business, visit www.Mozzeria.com.
For inquiries about the Mozzeria franchise, please email franchise@mozzeria.com.
Partnership between CSD Learns and Wells Fargo Educates Deaf Community in ASL
-Access to education and information in American Sign Language (ASL) is crucial for the Deaf community’s success. CSD Learns recently received a valuable grant from Wells Fargo to support the creation of classes on financial education — presented in ASL. Launching in January, topics will include dealing with debt and starting to invest. Each course is self-paced, and works to provide each student basic financial education.
“Wells Fargo strongly believes that people with disabilities should have the same opportunities to improve their financial health and well-being as anyone else,” said Kathy Martinez, head of disability and accessibility strategy at Wells Fargo. “We are proud to collaborate with CSD Learns to make our Hands on Banking program accessible to this community and help them succeed financially.”
Program Manager Joseph Santini on location filming with Wells Fargo.Start Learning in ASL Today
To find out when the financial classes open, sign up for the CSD Learns email list here. If you’re ready to start learning today, it’s easy to sign up!
You can learn from classes such as:
Banking Basics – Take a deep dive into banking fundamentals.
Privilege and Intersectionality – Learn about these concepts to better engage in online conversations and real-life situations.
Just go to CSD Learns and subscribe.
Want to know more? Watch this video for CSD Learns.
This commercial was created with #DeafTalent.
CSD Public Policy Internship Program Provides Hands-On Training and Experience
-Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD) launched its first public policy internship program with Gallaudet University student Jacob Salem, who is a student in the university’s master in public administration program. CSD will have three public policy interns each year, working closely with Director of Public Policy David Bahar.
“We work heavily in public policy, especially matters that affect the Deaf community such as emergency access for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, employment matters, domestic violence services access, and much more,” Bahar said. “It’s been a great benefit to CSD to have interns specializing in public administration, which then creates a pipeline for public policy professionals who are deaf.”
Salem noted that he particularly wanted to intern at CSD because of CSD’s reputation for excelling in leadership and teamwork. “At CSD, I felt a true sense of self-sufficiency because I worked on projects that create a positive impact on our community,” he said. “It was amazing to be part of an environment where every deaf person is given a fair chance at every opportunity, just like CSD’s vision.”
Bahar emphasized his belief in the importance of understanding how the government functions, how to approach policy work to receive the desired results, and understanding what action steps to take to accomplish the end goals. “This was what I focused on during Jacob’s time with CSD, and then I made sure he had the opportunity to do some hands-on work.”
Salem said, “Being able to talk with people working in the very industry I want to work in was priceless. By interacting with public policy professionals and governmental officials at meetings and events, I acquired so much data and experience that will serve me well in my career.”
Salem also gained crucial knowledge about topics that he hadn’t considered previously. “Before I began my internship, I had somewhat limited knowledge about public policies concerning the Deaf community. It all changed after I began working on exciting projects involving the Federal Communication Commission, telemedicine, direct video communication, interpreting, Small Business Administration, video relay services, and much more. I never realized the lack of accessibility in rural areas and it was meaningful for me as I can relate to this issue.”
This led Salem to consider accessibility for underserved populations such as the Deaf immigrant community. “With this new knowledge and on-the-job experience, I now realize the significance of universal design and advocacy. These create a master key to unlock so many doors for our community.”
Persons interested in interning with the public policy program at CSD should contact David Bahar at dbahar@csd.org.
What Challenges Still Exist for the Deaf Community?
-What life is like for the deaf and hard of hearing (HOH) has changed significantly in the past half century. Policy changes and new technologies have provided solutions for many, and yet some hurdles have stayed the same.
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