Successful Nonprofits Podcast · The Goldenburg Group, LLC

Inspiring Nonprofit Leadership with Jake Krotonsky and Alec Bansal

·33 min·3 clips

Souls to Souls landed a $25,000 sponsorship from the Arizona Lottery after a news feature.

This episode of the Successful Nonprofits Podcast features host Dolph Goldenberg interviewing Jake Grotonski and Alec Bansal, two high school seniors who co-founded the nonprofit Souls to Souls as sophomores. Jake and Alec share their journey from a simple act of kindness to building a sustainable organization that has distributed over 1,700 pairs of shoes. The conversation focuses on the practical steps and leadership challenges involved in launching and growing a nonprofit from a young age. The initial inspiration came when the friends, both sneaker enthusiasts, bought shoes for a homeless man named Sean after seeing his worn-out footwear. They first organized a shoe drive for refugee students from Afghanistan at a local high school before deciding to formally incorporate rather than operate as a school club. Their entrepreneurial mindset led them to establish a board, initially composed of friends with complementary skills, and they managed simple finances with help from a family member who is a CPA. A significant breakthrough was securing a $25,000 sponsorship from the Arizona Lottery after appearing on local news. They leverage discounts at stores like a Nike Unite outlet and Famous Footwear to maximize their budget, and fundraise through methods like garage sales, restaurant partnerships, and selling branded merchandise. A key insight is their approach to board management, where they reassign underperforming members to tasks that better match their interests rather than immediately dismissing them. They emphasize the importance of sticking strictly to their core mission of providing shoes, even when presented with related ideas like distributing socks or cleats. The founders detail a clear succession plan for after they graduate, including establishing a school club chapter and having remaining board members at Arizona State University manage distributions. An interesting moment reveals Jake owns only about 20 pairs of shoes despite being a "sneakerhead," contrary to the host's assumption. The tone is conversational, educational, and inspirational, blending a casual interview with practical advice for nonprofit founders. Listeners interested in youth entrepreneurship, nonprofit startup logistics, or grassroots community projects would find this episode highly engaging. Individuals seeking highly technical or advanced nonprofit management strategies might find the content too foundational.

As heard by us

A teenage startup story that stays grounded in the nonprofit work behind it.

The episode follows Jake Grotonski and Alec Bansal as they explain how Souls to Souls was built from scratch, and that practical angle is the main appeal.

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Why you'd press play

Listen if you want a nonprofit startup story with real numbers, not slogans.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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