1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:05,560 Speaker 1: Our car was worth less than a thousand dollars. 2 00:00:05,640 --> 00:00:08,800 Speaker 2: We were in public housing, food stamps with I was 3 00:00:08,800 --> 00:00:10,040 Speaker 2: born in a public hospital. 4 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:14,120 Speaker 1: But we were adopted by a group of people. 5 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:18,280 Speaker 2: An army of normal folks from a church that brought 6 00:00:18,360 --> 00:00:24,560 Speaker 2: us in as their own kids and provided for us relationally, financially, culturally. 7 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:27,600 Speaker 2: It was a huge piece and why we didn't end 8 00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:29,520 Speaker 2: up having to move back to India after my dad's 9 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:32,879 Speaker 2: graduate studies. And so this group of people, you know, 10 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:37,400 Speaker 2: five ten twenty folks, made a catalytic difference in our trajectory. 11 00:00:38,120 --> 00:00:40,600 Speaker 2: Went on to do maybe one hundred interviews with people 12 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:43,879 Speaker 2: on the street, and I developed a hypothesis that like 13 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:47,879 Speaker 2: the social and financial capital for these people to be 14 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:51,640 Speaker 2: successful in their life, it exists, it's out there. And 15 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:56,040 Speaker 2: if I could get every person like Edward on the street, 16 00:00:56,120 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 2: the same type of team or army of normal folks 17 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:03,000 Speaker 2: around every person like Edward, I think the problem of 18 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:06,080 Speaker 2: homelessness goes away. 19 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 3: Welcome to an army of normal folks. I'm Bill Courtney. 20 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:14,759 Speaker 3: I'm a normal guy. I'm a husband, I'm a father, 21 00:01:14,959 --> 00:01:18,640 Speaker 3: I'm an entrepreneur, and I'm a football coach an inner 22 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:22,640 Speaker 3: city Memphis and that last part, Well, it's somehow led 23 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:25,640 Speaker 3: to an oscar for the film about one of my 24 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:27,840 Speaker 3: teams that's called Undefeated. 25 00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 4: Y'all. I believe our country's. 26 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:34,480 Speaker 3: Problems are just never ever going to be solved by 27 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:37,320 Speaker 3: a bunch of fancy people in nice suits using big 28 00:01:37,319 --> 00:01:41,200 Speaker 3: words that nobody ever uses on Cinon, in Fox, but 29 00:01:41,319 --> 00:01:42,800 Speaker 3: rather by an army. 30 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:43,640 Speaker 4: Of normal folks. 31 00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:47,319 Speaker 3: That's us, just you and me deciding hey, maybe I 32 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:51,120 Speaker 3: can help. That's what Jonathan Kumar, the voice you just heard, 33 00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:55,600 Speaker 3: has done. Jonathan is the founder of Samaritan, which has 34 00:01:55,640 --> 00:02:01,040 Speaker 3: helped five thousand people experiencing homelessness by providing financial awards 35 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:05,040 Speaker 3: for stebs that they take to flourish at higher and 36 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:10,440 Speaker 3: higher levels. And it's working. Their members healthcare costs are 37 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:14,839 Speaker 3: fifty four percent lower than the control group. Jonathan will 38 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:17,040 Speaker 3: show you how you can be a part of the 39 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:19,919 Speaker 3: solution to homelessness, and I cannot wait for you to 40 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:38,359 Speaker 3: meet him right after these brief messages from our general sponsors, 41 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:49,880 Speaker 3: Jonathan Kumar from New York City, New York City all 42 00:02:49,919 --> 00:02:51,080 Speaker 3: the way down to Memphis. 43 00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:53,600 Speaker 4: What are you doing, man? How do you like it? 44 00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:55,919 Speaker 2: I'm a Buffalo boy at heart, but yes, I live 45 00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:57,120 Speaker 2: in New York City right. 46 00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:00,800 Speaker 4: Now, A Buffalo boy at heart. Yeah, everybody. 47 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:05,280 Speaker 3: Jonathan is the founder of Samaritan, which is a public 48 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 3: benefit corporation that helps people experiencing homelessness access the financial 49 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:14,680 Speaker 3: and relational support they need to achieve stability and housing, 50 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:19,640 Speaker 3: health and income. And holy molly, that's a lot. So 51 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:23,400 Speaker 3: really forget what I just said. You get an idea 52 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:28,800 Speaker 3: and it'll unfold as we visit with Jonathan. 53 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:30,160 Speaker 4: Here do you go by Jonathan or John? 54 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:31,399 Speaker 1: John? Thank you? 55 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:32,560 Speaker 4: Okay? Good. 56 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:38,000 Speaker 3: I think it's really interesting where you came from and 57 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:41,160 Speaker 3: how you grew up, and I think it's incredibly germane 58 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:41,960 Speaker 3: to your journey. 59 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 4: But we'll get to it. Let's just start with this. 60 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:49,800 Speaker 3: Yep, pretty cold, straight out the hatch, but I think 61 00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:55,720 Speaker 3: it's the place to start. You were sitting, I think 62 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:59,000 Speaker 3: in a cafe what I read and watch people pass 63 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:02,680 Speaker 3: a man asking for help without stopping, without eye contact, 64 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:07,080 Speaker 3: without any acknowledgments of his very existence. Tell us about 65 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:09,600 Speaker 3: that story, and why didn't you do the same that 66 00:04:09,640 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 3: everybody else did? 67 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:12,680 Speaker 1: Yeah? 68 00:04:12,760 --> 00:04:15,800 Speaker 2: I mean the why comes from from my background and 69 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:19,039 Speaker 2: my story before, but it was Yeah. October of twenty 70 00:04:19,120 --> 00:04:22,719 Speaker 2: fifteen on a rare sunny day in Seattle. I was 71 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:25,400 Speaker 2: working on another startup at the time, and I was 72 00:04:25,880 --> 00:04:30,360 Speaker 2: enjoying my lunch outside, and so it was like downtown, 73 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:33,760 Speaker 2: the corner of sixth in Columbia, about fifty yards away 74 00:04:33,760 --> 00:04:34,480 Speaker 2: from me, there's. 75 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:37,320 Speaker 1: A man, yeah, holding a sign, and yeah. 76 00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:39,360 Speaker 2: Cars are driving by and people are walking by him, 77 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 2: but no one really seems to acknowledge that he's there, 78 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:44,120 Speaker 2: that he exists, that he's. 79 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:46,320 Speaker 4: A picture we see all day every day in any 80 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:47,080 Speaker 4: city in America. 81 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:49,320 Speaker 1: We've seen it. I've all seen it. And so it 82 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:52,440 Speaker 1: was not dro buy down on the way here. Yeah 83 00:04:52,520 --> 00:04:52,719 Speaker 1: I know. 84 00:04:52,839 --> 00:04:54,960 Speaker 2: I passed ten of them on my way commuting from 85 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:57,680 Speaker 2: New York to Memphis last night. So yeah, I mean 86 00:04:57,720 --> 00:04:59,920 Speaker 2: it wasn't out of the ordinary. But for some reason, 87 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:02,919 Speaker 2: and get my background as a user experience design I 88 00:05:02,960 --> 00:05:06,840 Speaker 2: wanted to really observe and watch and better understand this 89 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:09,480 Speaker 2: user experience. This man is literally at a point in 90 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:11,919 Speaker 2: his life where he's begging strangers for help. So I 91 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:14,560 Speaker 2: watched him for about twenty minutes, not a single person really, 92 00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:17,080 Speaker 2: And you're sitting there eating, Yeah, I'm having my sandwich 93 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:17,599 Speaker 2: read lunch. 94 00:05:17,839 --> 00:05:18,960 Speaker 4: Check it out, all right? 95 00:05:19,040 --> 00:05:19,120 Speaker 2: Uh? 96 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:21,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, just observing at a distance. 97 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:24,520 Speaker 2: And so after I finished my meal, not one person 98 00:05:24,640 --> 00:05:28,200 Speaker 2: twenty minutes seemed to really even respond to him, and 99 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:30,440 Speaker 2: I couldn't see his sign, so I wanted to go 100 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:32,800 Speaker 2: and ask him a few questions. So I walk over 101 00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:37,120 Speaker 2: approach him, and I sort of approach cautiously, big, big, 102 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:40,000 Speaker 2: kind of imposing figure, and I am able to read 103 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:44,960 Speaker 2: his sign, which says need medication for the diabetes in 104 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:49,120 Speaker 2: my feet. And so I talked to him, or I 105 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:52,080 Speaker 2: asked him, like, excuse me, sir, do you mind if 106 00:05:52,120 --> 00:05:53,960 Speaker 2: I ask you what you feel your challenges are in 107 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:56,200 Speaker 2: terms of raising this money? Again, I'm asking this from 108 00:05:56,200 --> 00:05:59,200 Speaker 2: a user experience perspective, trying and understand, like what he's 109 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:03,360 Speaker 2: really going through. Do you mine have asked her, like 110 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:05,480 Speaker 2: what you feel your chances are? Do you feel people 111 00:06:05,560 --> 00:06:06,680 Speaker 2: aren't carrying cash. 112 00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:07,320 Speaker 1: On them these days? 113 00:06:07,480 --> 00:06:10,760 Speaker 2: Or and he cuts me off, He interrupts me and says, 114 00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:15,080 Speaker 2: I've got the wrong look for this, the wrong skin color. 115 00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:19,920 Speaker 2: Nobody believes I am who I say I am. And 116 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:23,080 Speaker 2: it took me a moment to sort of process that, 117 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:29,320 Speaker 2: and and you know, my heart sort of broke in 118 00:06:29,320 --> 00:06:32,040 Speaker 2: that moment. But you know, I asked him another question, 119 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:36,320 Speaker 2: as like, you know, people don't believe you or who 120 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:39,520 Speaker 2: you say you are, Like, do you have access to 121 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:41,880 Speaker 2: if you don't have money for the medication you need, 122 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:44,920 Speaker 2: do you have access to a doctor someone who could 123 00:06:44,960 --> 00:06:47,320 Speaker 2: give you this medication for free, Like you shouldn't have 124 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:48,320 Speaker 2: to pay for the medication if you. 125 00:06:48,320 --> 00:06:49,440 Speaker 1: Don't have any money. 126 00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:52,120 Speaker 2: And he said, yes, I have a doctor through the 127 00:06:52,120 --> 00:06:55,160 Speaker 2: shelter IM staying at, but he only gives me about 128 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:57,320 Speaker 2: a fourth or a fifth of what I need to 129 00:06:57,360 --> 00:07:00,640 Speaker 2: manage the pain on a monthly basis. He doesn't want 130 00:07:00,640 --> 00:07:02,920 Speaker 2: to give me any more because he thinks I'm going 131 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:06,839 Speaker 2: to either sell it or get addicted to it. And 132 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:10,760 Speaker 2: I'm out here begging for the rest. And I, you know, 133 00:07:10,800 --> 00:07:12,840 Speaker 2: I stood and something made sense because he was like 134 00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:16,120 Speaker 2: standing there gingerly, he wasn't comfortable in one foot. It 135 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:19,640 Speaker 2: all sort of came together and I realized that, you know, 136 00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:22,960 Speaker 2: beyond this this financial poverty this person was facing, there 137 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:27,000 Speaker 2: was this profound sense of relational poverty, this inability to 138 00:07:27,040 --> 00:07:31,000 Speaker 2: communicate his true needs, his true identity, to people, both 139 00:07:31,080 --> 00:07:35,280 Speaker 2: laymen and professionals, who would actually believe him and meet 140 00:07:35,320 --> 00:07:35,920 Speaker 2: those needs. 141 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:39,280 Speaker 4: So I assume from what you said, this is a 142 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:40,880 Speaker 4: black daid. Correct. 143 00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:45,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, and did you Edward what's his name? 144 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:49,200 Speaker 4: Yeah? Seattle's a pretty progressive area, you know. 145 00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:55,480 Speaker 3: Yeah, we're not talking about Memphis or Birmingham or Little 146 00:07:55,560 --> 00:08:01,600 Speaker 3: Rock or Dallas, talking about Seattle, Washington, I mean Pacific Northwest. 147 00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:06,680 Speaker 3: Do you feel like, even there, do you feel like 148 00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:12,920 Speaker 3: his notion that race played into people's willingness to stop 149 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:15,280 Speaker 3: was actually at play. 150 00:08:16,720 --> 00:08:18,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's a really good question. 151 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:22,040 Speaker 2: I have a picture of him, and I can say 152 00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:25,680 Speaker 2: that he had sort of an imposing look to him. 153 00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:28,960 Speaker 2: He had maybe this sense that he was, you know, 154 00:08:29,280 --> 00:08:33,360 Speaker 2: an able bodied adult, And so I think that's sometimes 155 00:08:33,360 --> 00:08:36,000 Speaker 2: a question people have that I've had. 156 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:43,000 Speaker 3: You know, I think it's fair. I consider myself a 157 00:08:44,120 --> 00:08:49,120 Speaker 3: caring human being, and I really obviously I've been doing 158 00:08:49,120 --> 00:08:52,160 Speaker 3: this three years once Alex dragged me into it. But clearly, 159 00:08:53,040 --> 00:08:57,280 Speaker 3: besides the army and normal folks, besides the local service 160 00:08:57,280 --> 00:09:02,880 Speaker 3: clubs were doing, I genuinely genuinely interested in the human condition. 161 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:09,120 Speaker 4: I find it fascinating. I can see that, and. 162 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:17,080 Speaker 3: So I have to be completely candid and transparent saying this. 163 00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:20,400 Speaker 3: There are times I pass people who look to be 164 00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:23,280 Speaker 3: in their twenties or thirties who are standing at a 165 00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:25,880 Speaker 3: street corner begging for stuff that the first thought to 166 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:28,199 Speaker 3: my mind is, let's just go to work. 167 00:09:28,559 --> 00:09:31,040 Speaker 4: You're able bodied. And it doesn't have anything to do 168 00:09:31,080 --> 00:09:31,679 Speaker 4: with the race. 169 00:09:31,760 --> 00:09:34,240 Speaker 3: It just has to do with my preconceived notions about 170 00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:36,480 Speaker 3: why this able bodied young person doesn't get to go 171 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:37,960 Speaker 3: get a job for the amount. 172 00:09:37,679 --> 00:09:40,240 Speaker 1: Of time and aving totally. 173 00:09:40,720 --> 00:09:45,679 Speaker 3: Do you think that that also plays into the passers 174 00:09:45,720 --> 00:09:47,840 Speaker 3: by that you saw at lunch that day. 175 00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:50,839 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean there's so many reasons, right, Like I 176 00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:54,920 Speaker 2: don't have time, I don't have cash on me, I 177 00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:59,520 Speaker 2: don't know if this person's grifting me. I don't. It's 178 00:09:59,559 --> 00:10:02,559 Speaker 2: not that I can't afford five dollars or a dollar 179 00:10:02,640 --> 00:10:05,679 Speaker 2: or ten bucks. I don't want to harm this person. 180 00:10:05,679 --> 00:10:08,360 Speaker 2: I don't want to perpetuate something that's not going to 181 00:10:08,400 --> 00:10:11,280 Speaker 2: help them. I don't want to sustain a habit that's 182 00:10:11,320 --> 00:10:15,080 Speaker 2: not productive, that's not contributing to society. There's a million 183 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:17,720 Speaker 2: reasons to say no, and the easiest thing to do 184 00:10:17,840 --> 00:10:18,560 Speaker 2: is to do nothing. 185 00:10:19,360 --> 00:10:22,319 Speaker 1: So I think that's one of handful of factors. 186 00:10:22,880 --> 00:10:25,920 Speaker 3: One of the dangers of being a host of a 187 00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:28,199 Speaker 3: show or a podcast is asking a question you don't 188 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:30,920 Speaker 3: know the answer to. It's easier when I know what 189 00:10:30,960 --> 00:10:33,480 Speaker 3: you're going to say ahead of time, because then I 190 00:10:33,559 --> 00:10:36,920 Speaker 3: know where I'm going. And I asked that question honestly, 191 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:39,240 Speaker 3: not knowing how you're going to answer. I was curious. 192 00:10:39,840 --> 00:10:43,320 Speaker 3: And the reason is, I think your answer is really 193 00:10:43,320 --> 00:10:46,240 Speaker 3: important because as our listeners continue to hear the rest 194 00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:50,120 Speaker 3: of this interview and hear what you're doing with Samaritan 195 00:10:51,280 --> 00:10:54,840 Speaker 3: and your heart and all of it, you are not 196 00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:59,880 Speaker 3: standing here vilifying people for not caring for them. How 197 00:11:00,559 --> 00:11:03,840 Speaker 3: you get why people might not do it. And I 198 00:11:03,880 --> 00:11:08,400 Speaker 3: think that's really important as a perspective to not just 199 00:11:08,440 --> 00:11:13,160 Speaker 3: look at you as some Johnny do Gooder who's ignoring 200 00:11:13,240 --> 00:11:17,000 Speaker 3: the reality of the human condition and of society. You 201 00:11:17,040 --> 00:11:19,360 Speaker 3: see it, you understand it, You just said it yourself, 202 00:11:19,400 --> 00:11:21,719 Speaker 3: and I think I think we all need to keep 203 00:11:21,760 --> 00:11:24,400 Speaker 3: that perspective in mind as we go deeper into your story. 204 00:11:26,440 --> 00:11:29,319 Speaker 2: I've been there, because realistic I've walked by, We've all 205 00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:33,360 Speaker 2: walked by, we all have had a bunch of notions 206 00:11:33,400 --> 00:11:35,480 Speaker 2: in our head, and again, the easiest thing to do 207 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:39,360 Speaker 2: is to continue on and ray that someone else helps him, 208 00:11:39,559 --> 00:11:41,079 Speaker 2: that he gets the help that he needs. So I've 209 00:11:41,320 --> 00:11:43,880 Speaker 2: definitely been there, and that's why I wanted to develop Samaritan, 210 00:11:44,720 --> 00:11:47,200 Speaker 2: you know, to create two things, you know, an easy 211 00:11:47,240 --> 00:11:49,880 Speaker 2: way to help and a way to help that was 212 00:11:50,559 --> 00:11:53,079 Speaker 2: demonstrably strategic and something that would actually help. 213 00:11:53,280 --> 00:11:55,800 Speaker 3: Can't wait till we get to it. It's a great 214 00:11:55,840 --> 00:11:58,840 Speaker 3: setup or perspective on who you are and why you're 215 00:11:58,880 --> 00:12:01,560 Speaker 3: doing it. And you two are no different than any 216 00:12:01,600 --> 00:12:04,680 Speaker 3: of us in terms of those notions and those feelings. 217 00:12:04,720 --> 00:12:08,199 Speaker 3: And while you have compassion on one hand, you also 218 00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:10,959 Speaker 3: have the reality of life on the other, the human 219 00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:17,240 Speaker 3: condition and all of it. And now a few messages 220 00:12:17,240 --> 00:12:19,840 Speaker 3: from our gener sponsors. But first you guys got to 221 00:12:19,840 --> 00:12:24,600 Speaker 3: hear this. Okay, this is real opportunity. Our six local 222 00:12:24,679 --> 00:12:29,280 Speaker 3: service clubs are now badly one another through April eighth 223 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:32,520 Speaker 3: to see which of them can recruit the most members 224 00:12:32,559 --> 00:12:36,040 Speaker 3: to their giving circle of just ten dollars a month 225 00:12:36,200 --> 00:12:39,760 Speaker 3: and up. And the winner of this thing is going 226 00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:44,480 Speaker 3: to get a twenty five thousand dollars grant from Stand Together. 227 00:12:45,360 --> 00:12:52,280 Speaker 3: If you live in Memphis, Oxford, Atlanta, Wichita, Northern Dutchess County, 228 00:12:52,920 --> 00:12:55,199 Speaker 3: or Ozaki County. 229 00:12:55,679 --> 00:12:57,120 Speaker 4: Join your giving circle today. 230 00:12:57,200 --> 00:13:02,840 Speaker 3: By visiting normalfolks dot us back service clubs, normal folks 231 00:13:02,920 --> 00:13:06,719 Speaker 3: dot us backslash service clubs and just click on your 232 00:13:06,720 --> 00:13:11,880 Speaker 3: club and again, guys, the club that raise the most 233 00:13:11,920 --> 00:13:14,200 Speaker 3: money and gets most people and the most of the 234 00:13:14,280 --> 00:13:18,400 Speaker 3: giving circle stand together, is going to grant that club 235 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:22,280 Speaker 3: twenty five k to go do something good in your community. 236 00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:25,240 Speaker 3: I can't imagine why you guys wouldn't do that. It's 237 00:13:25,280 --> 00:13:41,960 Speaker 3: free stuff. We'll be right back. Clearly, the story just 238 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:44,800 Speaker 3: told us shape what you've built with Samaritan today. But 239 00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:48,120 Speaker 3: it really isn't the only story that shapes you. Your 240 00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:51,840 Speaker 3: family story did too, having moved from India to Buffalo, 241 00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:55,400 Speaker 3: and you guys lived on your dad's students stipend of 242 00:13:55,440 --> 00:13:57,959 Speaker 3: six to eight hundred dollars a month, which is incredible 243 00:13:57,960 --> 00:14:01,839 Speaker 3: that a family lived on that, And according to Culture's 244 00:14:02,160 --> 00:14:06,520 Speaker 3: Tall Tale version of the American Dream, somehow that was 245 00:14:06,640 --> 00:14:09,560 Speaker 3: enough for you guys to pull yourself up. Tell us 246 00:14:09,760 --> 00:14:14,600 Speaker 3: about that time in your life and what it taught 247 00:14:14,640 --> 00:14:19,960 Speaker 3: you and how it formed your perspective. As you're sitting 248 00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:23,200 Speaker 3: in Seattle having a twenty dollars sandwich looking at a 249 00:14:23,200 --> 00:14:25,400 Speaker 3: guy big five dollars for pain. 250 00:14:25,200 --> 00:14:30,280 Speaker 2: Meds that's right, that's right, well framed. Yeah, we definitely 251 00:14:30,280 --> 00:14:33,080 Speaker 2: didn't pull ourselves up. I mean six hundred eight hundred. 252 00:14:33,120 --> 00:14:35,280 Speaker 2: It went further in the eighties. It was just enough 253 00:14:35,320 --> 00:14:37,680 Speaker 2: to survive. I mean our car was worth less than 254 00:14:37,720 --> 00:14:40,840 Speaker 2: a thousand dollars. We were in public housing, food stamps. 255 00:14:40,920 --> 00:14:44,040 Speaker 2: Wick I was born in a public hospital to a 256 00:14:44,120 --> 00:14:47,320 Speaker 2: mom who wasn't offered an epidural or a C section 257 00:14:48,760 --> 00:14:51,120 Speaker 2: in spite of me weighing ten pounds ten ounces at birth. 258 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:53,840 Speaker 2: Holy smokes, you were huge as a big baby and 259 00:14:53,880 --> 00:14:55,000 Speaker 2: they didn't offer anything. 260 00:14:55,760 --> 00:14:58,800 Speaker 1: Where were you born in Buffalo at a public hospital? 261 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:01,360 Speaker 4: Why? Why? Night off? Because she didn't have money to 262 00:15:01,360 --> 00:15:02,200 Speaker 4: buy for it. 263 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:05,160 Speaker 2: You know, these are more expensive procedures, and we're on 264 00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:08,320 Speaker 2: we were on Medicaid. Uh so we you know, those 265 00:15:08,360 --> 00:15:10,360 Speaker 2: types of things often on. 266 00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:13,920 Speaker 1: I mean there's like people of color thing. 267 00:15:14,040 --> 00:15:16,640 Speaker 2: There's like a lot of stats and data around when 268 00:15:17,120 --> 00:15:19,480 Speaker 2: you know, mothers are offered what types of services when 269 00:15:19,480 --> 00:15:24,240 Speaker 2: they don't have you know, commercial health insurance and anyways, 270 00:15:24,400 --> 00:15:26,960 Speaker 2: so that that, you know, plays a part of the story. 271 00:15:27,880 --> 00:15:30,280 Speaker 2: We definitely weren't we were able to survive, We weren't 272 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:31,680 Speaker 2: able to really pull ourselves up. 273 00:15:32,160 --> 00:15:34,760 Speaker 1: But we were adopted by a group. 274 00:15:34,560 --> 00:15:39,560 Speaker 2: Of people, an army of normal folks from you know, 275 00:15:39,800 --> 00:15:44,400 Speaker 2: local organization, a church that basically, yeah, brought us in, 276 00:15:45,480 --> 00:15:48,960 Speaker 2: brought us in as their own kids, and provided for 277 00:15:49,120 --> 00:15:54,880 Speaker 2: us relationally, financially, culturally, even legally. Uh. 278 00:15:54,960 --> 00:15:59,320 Speaker 1: They helped us sue that hospital based. 279 00:15:59,040 --> 00:16:00,680 Speaker 2: On how my mom was treated, and we ended up 280 00:16:00,680 --> 00:16:03,560 Speaker 2: with a settlement that allowed us to purchase our first 281 00:16:03,560 --> 00:16:07,080 Speaker 2: home in the country, and it was a huge piece 282 00:16:07,120 --> 00:16:09,440 Speaker 2: and why we didn't end up having to move back 283 00:16:09,440 --> 00:16:13,880 Speaker 2: to India after my dad's graduate studies. And so like 284 00:16:14,080 --> 00:16:16,880 Speaker 2: this group of people, you know, five ten twenty folks 285 00:16:17,840 --> 00:16:21,520 Speaker 2: made a you know, a catalytic difference in my family, 286 00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:24,680 Speaker 2: in our trajectory. And you know, still why I say 287 00:16:24,680 --> 00:16:27,520 Speaker 2: I'm from Buffalo. It's why I'm still a Bills fan, 288 00:16:28,080 --> 00:16:29,840 Speaker 2: even though I left there when I was like five 289 00:16:29,960 --> 00:16:34,800 Speaker 2: or six and coming back yet twenty fifteen October and 290 00:16:34,920 --> 00:16:39,920 Speaker 2: Seattle twenty five or how many was, however many years 291 00:16:39,960 --> 00:16:43,080 Speaker 2: it was later. You know, I was just sort of 292 00:16:43,120 --> 00:16:47,280 Speaker 2: struck by like this person and these people because I 293 00:16:47,280 --> 00:16:49,440 Speaker 2: did actually I went on to do maybe one hundred 294 00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:52,720 Speaker 2: interviews with people on the street, also commuters passing them 295 00:16:52,720 --> 00:16:56,240 Speaker 2: by about their attitudes around what each side sort of 296 00:16:56,360 --> 00:16:57,120 Speaker 2: was encountering. 297 00:16:57,640 --> 00:17:00,480 Speaker 1: And you know, I've. 298 00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:05,119 Speaker 2: Developed a hypothesis that like, hey, the social and financial 299 00:17:05,160 --> 00:17:08,080 Speaker 2: capital for these people to be successful in their life, 300 00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:08,800 Speaker 2: it exists. 301 00:17:09,240 --> 00:17:10,040 Speaker 1: It's out there. 302 00:17:10,640 --> 00:17:15,119 Speaker 2: And and if I could get every person like Edward 303 00:17:15,320 --> 00:17:19,480 Speaker 2: on the street the same somehow, get the same type 304 00:17:19,480 --> 00:17:23,280 Speaker 2: of experience, the same type of team or army of 305 00:17:23,320 --> 00:17:27,240 Speaker 2: normal folks around every person like Edward, I think the 306 00:17:27,280 --> 00:17:28,680 Speaker 2: problem homelessness goes away. 307 00:17:29,359 --> 00:17:34,560 Speaker 3: And does that does that hypothesis come from your own 308 00:17:34,640 --> 00:17:37,320 Speaker 3: childhood realizing that if you didn't have that team of 309 00:17:37,359 --> 00:17:41,920 Speaker 3: people from that church, I mean, all all intents and purposes, 310 00:17:41,960 --> 00:17:44,320 Speaker 3: you'd be living in India potentially? 311 00:17:44,440 --> 00:17:46,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I don't know what my life have gone back? 312 00:17:46,840 --> 00:17:50,159 Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, yeah yeah, I mean can I can I 313 00:17:50,200 --> 00:17:51,919 Speaker 2: give every person like Edward then when I was. 314 00:17:51,920 --> 00:17:54,439 Speaker 4: A Buffalo Bills fan, you'd be a Bombay cricket fan. 315 00:17:54,359 --> 00:17:56,639 Speaker 1: Or cricket or tennis or something. 316 00:17:56,760 --> 00:17:59,880 Speaker 3: Yeah yeah, But is that I mean, do you think 317 00:17:59,920 --> 00:18:01,120 Speaker 3: that perspective is it? 318 00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:06,640 Speaker 2: I've seen I've seen people's lives changed. You know that 319 00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:10,040 Speaker 2: we have served at Samaritan by putting a team of 320 00:18:10,080 --> 00:18:14,760 Speaker 2: people around them in Seattle, we had maybe fifteen thousand 321 00:18:15,280 --> 00:18:20,040 Speaker 2: volunteers we call them Samaritans and join the team of 322 00:18:20,080 --> 00:18:23,280 Speaker 2: one of our members. Joining a team means that they 323 00:18:23,320 --> 00:18:26,800 Speaker 2: commit to doing one active kindness a month for that person, 324 00:18:27,119 --> 00:18:28,280 Speaker 2: and that's a very low bar. 325 00:18:28,600 --> 00:18:29,520 Speaker 1: It's a very low bar. 326 00:18:29,680 --> 00:18:32,480 Speaker 2: That means giving them ten bucks on their Samaritan balance, 327 00:18:32,480 --> 00:18:35,359 Speaker 2: which I can explain later, or sending them a text 328 00:18:35,359 --> 00:18:37,080 Speaker 2: that they're praying for them, or they have a connection 329 00:18:37,200 --> 00:18:40,040 Speaker 2: for them, or they are able to give something in 330 00:18:40,119 --> 00:18:43,159 Speaker 2: kind to them that they can use. Camp in my backyard. 331 00:18:43,480 --> 00:18:45,760 Speaker 2: Let me introduce you to this coffee shop that's hiring. 332 00:18:46,359 --> 00:18:47,960 Speaker 2: Let me take you to a meal with my family 333 00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:50,720 Speaker 2: at Denny's, like whatever it is. And we see that 334 00:18:50,800 --> 00:18:54,000 Speaker 2: when we can get five, ten, up to thirty people 335 00:18:54,040 --> 00:18:58,160 Speaker 2: on one person's team, people find their solution homelessness. 336 00:18:58,560 --> 00:19:00,400 Speaker 4: So we'll get to that. 337 00:18:59,800 --> 00:19:03,080 Speaker 3: That's the nuts and bolts of it, but we'll explain it. 338 00:19:03,119 --> 00:19:06,520 Speaker 3: But so you go to University of Michigan, and how 339 00:19:06,520 --> 00:19:08,560 Speaker 3: do you end up in Seattle. I think I read 340 00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:11,520 Speaker 3: you developed us or you were working on a start. 341 00:19:11,640 --> 00:19:13,639 Speaker 3: I don't know what you were Tell me what that was. 342 00:19:14,040 --> 00:19:17,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, so I I you know, had the experience 343 00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:18,840 Speaker 2: of Buffalo. We moved around a bit, so I was 344 00:19:18,880 --> 00:19:22,720 Speaker 2: in Madison and then down in the Chicago suburbs. Went 345 00:19:22,840 --> 00:19:26,879 Speaker 2: to the University of Michigan, you know, super privileged to 346 00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:32,359 Speaker 2: be able to go there, and studied film, you know, 347 00:19:32,480 --> 00:19:39,120 Speaker 2: user experience, design, economics and. 348 00:19:37,400 --> 00:19:38,000 Speaker 1: And and so. 349 00:19:38,760 --> 00:19:42,160 Speaker 2: I actually, yeah, I did a documentary and and that's 350 00:19:42,160 --> 00:19:45,800 Speaker 2: why I'm really interested in asking questions myself. But yeah, so, 351 00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:49,600 Speaker 2: so I graduated, and then I had an opportunity to 352 00:19:49,640 --> 00:19:53,600 Speaker 2: work at Google at agencies, but ended up wanting to 353 00:19:53,640 --> 00:19:58,359 Speaker 2: start something and started a venture called food Circles, which 354 00:19:58,640 --> 00:20:03,639 Speaker 2: was a a customer acquisition platform for restaurants. We built 355 00:20:03,680 --> 00:20:06,520 Speaker 2: it up in ann Arbor, built it up in Grand Rapids, 356 00:20:06,520 --> 00:20:09,680 Speaker 2: and then Seattle was like our first out of state 357 00:20:09,760 --> 00:20:13,240 Speaker 2: market that we selected, moved out there. Long story short, 358 00:20:13,240 --> 00:20:16,120 Speaker 2: at that venture failed. We ran out of cash. It 359 00:20:16,160 --> 00:20:18,840 Speaker 2: was too costly to acquire restaurants relative to the revenue 360 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:19,640 Speaker 2: we were generating. 361 00:20:20,080 --> 00:20:21,320 Speaker 1: So I sort of put it on ice. 362 00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:24,040 Speaker 2: I was thinking about, yeah, working at you know, big 363 00:20:24,080 --> 00:20:28,719 Speaker 2: tech or creative agencies again, and yeah, I think conscous 364 00:20:28,760 --> 00:20:31,879 Speaker 2: had a different plan for my life. And I just 365 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:35,800 Speaker 2: noticed how pervasive human suffering was in this beautiful city, 366 00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:39,439 Speaker 2: and you know, I had some capability around building new things, 367 00:20:39,840 --> 00:20:44,600 Speaker 2: and you know, product development, research, fundraising, sales, all of that. 368 00:20:45,280 --> 00:20:48,840 Speaker 2: And so because I had some capability around doing something 369 00:20:48,920 --> 00:20:53,760 Speaker 2: to create value for this very particular special user, you know, 370 00:20:53,840 --> 00:20:57,720 Speaker 2: this this population of folks experiencing homelessness, I felt like 371 00:20:57,720 --> 00:21:00,520 Speaker 2: I had some culpability or some responsibil. 372 00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:01,160 Speaker 4: It is so crazy here. 373 00:21:01,119 --> 00:21:03,160 Speaker 3: You say that, We say it all the time that 374 00:21:03,400 --> 00:21:08,440 Speaker 3: magic happens when somebody's passion and their discipline or their 375 00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:11,000 Speaker 3: abilities intersected opportunity. 376 00:21:11,280 --> 00:21:12,680 Speaker 4: That's exactly what happened. 377 00:21:12,760 --> 00:21:15,960 Speaker 3: I mean, You're in Seattle, You've got this unbelievable opportunity 378 00:21:16,119 --> 00:21:21,800 Speaker 3: and this tech brain of yours, and you're passionate about 379 00:21:22,200 --> 00:21:27,560 Speaker 3: the people that are homeless, and you saw an opportunity, 380 00:21:27,560 --> 00:21:31,800 Speaker 3: which is crazy. So before we get for that, I 381 00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:36,680 Speaker 3: think it's interesting. You obviously feel empathy for people experiencing homelessness, 382 00:21:36,720 --> 00:21:40,800 Speaker 3: as many of us do, but you started spending a 383 00:21:40,800 --> 00:21:43,600 Speaker 3: lot of time with them, and I think you alluded 384 00:21:43,640 --> 00:21:45,160 Speaker 3: to it just a second ago. You said, I think 385 00:21:45,160 --> 00:21:49,680 Speaker 3: one hundred people, what is spending time with the homeless, 386 00:21:50,640 --> 00:21:54,680 Speaker 3: with people experiencing homeless what is spending time with them 387 00:21:54,760 --> 00:21:56,479 Speaker 3: look like and what was your intent. 388 00:21:58,160 --> 00:22:02,760 Speaker 2: The intent was to validate, you know, potential opportunity to 389 00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:05,719 Speaker 2: create something that would offer them a lot of value 390 00:22:06,920 --> 00:22:10,520 Speaker 2: in helping them move forward in their life. Anytime people 391 00:22:10,560 --> 00:22:12,520 Speaker 2: ask me like, hey, I haven't a business idea, or 392 00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:16,200 Speaker 2: I will start something like how do I go about 393 00:22:16,200 --> 00:22:17,040 Speaker 2: building a website? 394 00:22:17,160 --> 00:22:18,720 Speaker 1: Or how do I get my first developers? 395 00:22:18,800 --> 00:22:21,879 Speaker 2: Or how do I raise my first angel funding twenty 396 00:22:21,880 --> 00:22:24,080 Speaker 2: five thou fifty thousand, So I can focus. 397 00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:26,240 Speaker 1: On this, It's like throw it out, all that out 398 00:22:26,240 --> 00:22:26,719 Speaker 1: the window. 399 00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:29,800 Speaker 2: You know, take a pen and paper, write down five 400 00:22:29,880 --> 00:22:34,160 Speaker 2: hypotheses you have about your target user or your target customer, 401 00:22:35,040 --> 00:22:39,320 Speaker 2: and then turn those hypotheses into non leading questions that 402 00:22:39,400 --> 00:22:44,639 Speaker 2: you can ask your supposed customer or user, and then 403 00:22:44,680 --> 00:22:47,120 Speaker 2: go talk to at least five of them, ask them 404 00:22:47,119 --> 00:22:51,800 Speaker 2: those questions and see if they reveal the problem that 405 00:22:51,840 --> 00:22:54,120 Speaker 2: you want to solve, that they validate your hyposoecy. 406 00:22:54,160 --> 00:22:56,320 Speaker 3: So you literally walked up down the street to people 407 00:22:56,320 --> 00:22:58,960 Speaker 3: experiencing home as said, hey, can I ask you some questions? 408 00:22:59,520 --> 00:23:01,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, I mean, at the end of the day, 409 00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:01,639 Speaker 1: that's what it was. 410 00:23:01,760 --> 00:23:03,680 Speaker 2: I would give them a couple bucks or a granola 411 00:23:03,720 --> 00:23:06,680 Speaker 2: bar or bottle of water to kind of show them like, hey, 412 00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:10,000 Speaker 2: I'm here for I'm on your side, like I'm not 413 00:23:10,080 --> 00:23:12,520 Speaker 2: trying to take Yeah exactly. 414 00:23:12,600 --> 00:23:12,800 Speaker 4: Yeah. 415 00:23:12,840 --> 00:23:16,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, here's something that's of practically used to mind. If 416 00:23:16,080 --> 00:23:18,360 Speaker 2: I hear a little bit of your story, how did 417 00:23:18,359 --> 00:23:19,280 Speaker 2: you get to where you are? 418 00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:21,880 Speaker 1: Where are you trying to go? What do you feel 419 00:23:21,920 --> 00:23:22,840 Speaker 1: you need to get there? 420 00:23:23,320 --> 00:23:26,800 Speaker 2: What's stopping you from getting what you need to get 421 00:23:26,800 --> 00:23:27,520 Speaker 2: to where you want to go. 422 00:23:29,040 --> 00:23:32,320 Speaker 3: We have done a few shows with folks who work 423 00:23:32,440 --> 00:23:36,040 Speaker 3: with folks that are experiencing almost us. 424 00:23:36,119 --> 00:23:40,000 Speaker 2: He knows Kevin Aber for Miracle Messages and Alan Graham, right, yeah, 425 00:23:40,400 --> 00:23:40,920 Speaker 2: First Village. 426 00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:42,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, we've not had them off, but they've inspired some 427 00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:43,760 Speaker 3: of our other guests. 428 00:23:44,080 --> 00:23:44,960 Speaker 4: Yeah. 429 00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:49,560 Speaker 3: So this this may be redundant from some of our 430 00:23:49,600 --> 00:23:53,440 Speaker 3: longtime musters, but I think it's really important the time 431 00:23:53,640 --> 00:23:58,560 Speaker 3: you spent talking and finding out people's stories. There is 432 00:23:58,680 --> 00:24:04,440 Speaker 3: a widely held notion that these folks are all bipolar 433 00:24:04,840 --> 00:24:09,600 Speaker 3: and drug addicts and suffering from all kinds of issues 434 00:24:10,320 --> 00:24:14,160 Speaker 3: and should be in mental hospitals or somewhere else, and 435 00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:18,639 Speaker 3: that's why they are homeless. And I got to be 436 00:24:18,680 --> 00:24:20,960 Speaker 3: honest with you again in all candor, when I started 437 00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:23,919 Speaker 3: doing this, I think I probably would have thought, you know, 438 00:24:23,960 --> 00:24:25,520 Speaker 3: you don't want to pay with too broader brush. I 439 00:24:25,520 --> 00:24:28,639 Speaker 3: wouldn't say every person experience, but I would have thought 440 00:24:29,280 --> 00:24:30,359 Speaker 3: eighty or ninety percent of. 441 00:24:30,400 --> 00:24:33,320 Speaker 4: People that are homeless are homeless because of those things. 442 00:24:34,720 --> 00:24:38,719 Speaker 3: And I have grown to find the inconvenient truth that 443 00:24:39,200 --> 00:24:41,360 Speaker 3: usually those things come after. 444 00:24:43,480 --> 00:24:48,800 Speaker 4: Someone becomes home. Correct, we will be right back. 445 00:24:58,200 --> 00:25:00,240 Speaker 3: Why don't you tell us about what you found found 446 00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:04,480 Speaker 3: out in your own travels, about that very thing, saying 447 00:25:04,520 --> 00:25:07,160 Speaker 3: it's really important before we go forward, is what you're doing. 448 00:25:08,160 --> 00:25:12,320 Speaker 3: Do we need to open our hearts to so much 449 00:25:12,359 --> 00:25:16,400 Speaker 3: of what we see in the homeless happened not before 450 00:25:17,200 --> 00:25:20,280 Speaker 3: they became homeless, but actually after, and how and why 451 00:25:20,359 --> 00:25:20,920 Speaker 3: that happens? 452 00:25:21,960 --> 00:25:26,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean, first, you know, the reason 453 00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:30,920 Speaker 2: that people become homeless. They're varied, but the common thread 454 00:25:31,040 --> 00:25:33,320 Speaker 2: is a lack of from what I found in my 455 00:25:33,359 --> 00:25:36,880 Speaker 2: interview is a lack of social capital. You know, it's 456 00:25:36,920 --> 00:25:40,800 Speaker 2: the job lost, the domestic violence, it's the significant health event, 457 00:25:40,920 --> 00:25:43,520 Speaker 2: it is the diagnosis of mental health condition or an addiction. 458 00:25:44,359 --> 00:25:48,080 Speaker 2: And then they never they run out of couches to 459 00:25:48,119 --> 00:25:50,359 Speaker 2: crash on or they never had couches to crash on 460 00:25:50,440 --> 00:25:53,480 Speaker 2: to begin with, given what they were born into. 461 00:25:53,640 --> 00:25:56,280 Speaker 1: And because I mean check it for yourself, Like if. 462 00:25:56,200 --> 00:25:58,360 Speaker 2: Your mom or your cousin or your brother like went 463 00:25:58,400 --> 00:26:01,639 Speaker 2: through something like that, they would have a family or 464 00:26:01,680 --> 00:26:04,399 Speaker 2: they would have friends to keep them from the street. 465 00:26:05,040 --> 00:26:08,280 Speaker 2: It's the absence of that, the absence of community of 466 00:26:08,440 --> 00:26:14,080 Speaker 2: relationships that people lose their housing and stay unhoused. And yeah, 467 00:26:14,160 --> 00:26:18,119 Speaker 2: once you're on the street, it's really freaking bad for 468 00:26:18,200 --> 00:26:19,960 Speaker 2: your physical and your mental health. 469 00:26:20,080 --> 00:26:23,320 Speaker 1: The toll that it takes on your mind, on your body. 470 00:26:24,080 --> 00:26:28,800 Speaker 2: I have met people who, you know, day one day 471 00:26:29,280 --> 00:26:31,280 Speaker 2: of being on the street, like they take up you know, 472 00:26:31,440 --> 00:26:32,920 Speaker 2: they go from come from Florida. 473 00:26:32,960 --> 00:26:35,120 Speaker 1: They come to Seattle on a bus. 474 00:26:34,760 --> 00:26:37,280 Speaker 4: And tell that story. Yeah that's a really good example. 475 00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:39,720 Speaker 2: Sure so they So the guy you know, looking for 476 00:26:39,880 --> 00:26:42,880 Speaker 2: work and has a friend in Washington State that says, hey, 477 00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:44,800 Speaker 2: you know, come work on my weed farmer. You know, 478 00:26:44,840 --> 00:26:47,320 Speaker 2: I've got work for you. Take a bus, get out 479 00:26:47,359 --> 00:26:49,480 Speaker 2: of Florida. He takes a bus, you know, gets out 480 00:26:49,480 --> 00:26:50,360 Speaker 2: there somehow. 481 00:26:50,200 --> 00:26:52,640 Speaker 4: Uses every dollar he's got right to buy the bus stick. 482 00:26:52,840 --> 00:26:55,680 Speaker 2: So he steps off expecting his friend to be there 483 00:26:55,720 --> 00:26:57,880 Speaker 2: waiting for a friend is nowhere to be found, never 484 00:26:58,000 --> 00:26:58,440 Speaker 2: sees him. 485 00:26:58,520 --> 00:27:01,040 Speaker 1: Now he's in downtown Seattle. He's on the street. 486 00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:04,359 Speaker 2: He could work the next day at Low's or home 487 00:27:04,440 --> 00:27:08,840 Speaker 2: depot or FedEx full time independently, as long as he had, 488 00:27:08,920 --> 00:27:12,480 Speaker 2: you know, place charge his phone, go to the bathroom, stoes, belongings, cocameo, 489 00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:15,280 Speaker 2: you know, sleep at night. But he doesn't have that, 490 00:27:15,320 --> 00:27:17,560 Speaker 2: so you know he's sleeping outside, he's sleeping in shelter. 491 00:27:17,720 --> 00:27:21,280 Speaker 2: You know, he's being exploited in different ways. 492 00:27:22,040 --> 00:27:24,440 Speaker 1: And you go through this for I mean a day, 493 00:27:24,560 --> 00:27:25,480 Speaker 1: it's an awful thing. 494 00:27:25,680 --> 00:27:30,040 Speaker 2: A week, a month, a year later, he's pushing around 495 00:27:30,080 --> 00:27:33,320 Speaker 2: the cart and he barely knows his name. And the 496 00:27:33,400 --> 00:27:36,280 Speaker 2: outreach teams in Seattle like, ah, that guy, Like I'm 497 00:27:36,320 --> 00:27:38,280 Speaker 2: walking with these outreach teams and I'm looking to do 498 00:27:38,320 --> 00:27:41,600 Speaker 2: some more interviews or you know, I was like piloting 499 00:27:41,720 --> 00:27:45,000 Speaker 2: the kind of initial framework for Samaritan at the time. 500 00:27:45,280 --> 00:27:46,720 Speaker 2: I was like, Hey, what about that guy? Should we 501 00:27:46,760 --> 00:27:48,760 Speaker 2: talk to him? Should we see if he's interested in 502 00:27:48,800 --> 00:27:50,760 Speaker 2: becoming one of our first Samaritan members? And like ah, 503 00:27:50,840 --> 00:27:54,320 Speaker 2: now he's he's like far like far too gone. There's 504 00:27:54,359 --> 00:27:57,800 Speaker 2: no hope reaching and we've tried, and this guy, like 505 00:27:58,920 --> 00:28:03,359 Speaker 2: a year later of experiencing homelessness, he will never hold 506 00:28:03,359 --> 00:28:05,159 Speaker 2: a full time job by himself. 507 00:28:05,200 --> 00:28:05,400 Speaker 1: Again. 508 00:28:05,640 --> 00:28:10,640 Speaker 3: Is a trauma. I know you're not a doctor, but 509 00:28:11,040 --> 00:28:16,360 Speaker 3: you're in this. What what happens to an able bodied 510 00:28:16,400 --> 00:28:19,640 Speaker 3: person who I mean, like this guy, he got screwed. 511 00:28:19,960 --> 00:28:21,600 Speaker 4: He used every dollar to go to a job. 512 00:28:21,720 --> 00:28:23,320 Speaker 3: He has no job, he doesn't know where to go 513 00:28:23,800 --> 00:28:27,800 Speaker 3: now he's on the streets. But what happens over that 514 00:28:28,320 --> 00:28:33,760 Speaker 3: months long or years long period that renders them not only. 515 00:28:35,119 --> 00:28:37,440 Speaker 4: Homeless, but unable to even. 516 00:28:37,359 --> 00:28:41,240 Speaker 2: Almost a disability at that point. It basically is and yeah, 517 00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:43,640 Speaker 2: I mean it's everything you can think of it. It's 518 00:28:44,120 --> 00:28:46,640 Speaker 2: like to sleep at night on concrete or on cardboard. 519 00:28:47,080 --> 00:28:49,720 Speaker 2: You probably need to have a six pack. You probably 520 00:28:49,720 --> 00:28:51,800 Speaker 2: need to have a twelve pack so you're numb enough 521 00:28:51,840 --> 00:28:53,240 Speaker 2: so you can actually fall asleep. 522 00:28:53,960 --> 00:28:54,160 Speaker 4: You know. 523 00:28:54,240 --> 00:28:57,880 Speaker 2: It's just the constant paranoia that someone's going to come 524 00:28:57,880 --> 00:29:00,680 Speaker 2: and kick your or stab you or take your belongings. 525 00:29:00,680 --> 00:29:01,400 Speaker 1: Are all above. 526 00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:06,320 Speaker 2: It's the you know, being spit upon, ignored by people 527 00:29:06,360 --> 00:29:11,080 Speaker 2: walking by, harassed by the police. It's getting promises, you know, 528 00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:14,840 Speaker 2: for shelter or a job at a social services agency 529 00:29:15,440 --> 00:29:18,320 Speaker 2: and seeing those promises broken, or sleeping at a shelter 530 00:29:19,000 --> 00:29:25,280 Speaker 2: and getting bed bugs. Just the combination of physical realities, 531 00:29:26,240 --> 00:29:31,280 Speaker 2: the isolation, the relational damage that's done to you. It's 532 00:29:31,320 --> 00:29:35,560 Speaker 2: all of those things that creates pretty serious physical and 533 00:29:35,600 --> 00:29:39,480 Speaker 2: mental effects that will last for that person's lifetime. 534 00:29:39,240 --> 00:29:43,440 Speaker 3: Which can easily explain my aforementioned thirty five year old 535 00:29:43,480 --> 00:29:45,920 Speaker 3: able bodied gas standing on a corner with a sign. 536 00:29:47,040 --> 00:29:49,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I mean something we just don't We just 537 00:29:49,600 --> 00:29:52,000 Speaker 2: don't see what people have been through or what people 538 00:29:52,040 --> 00:29:52,760 Speaker 2: are carrying. 539 00:29:53,280 --> 00:29:54,480 Speaker 1: It's really easy. 540 00:29:54,240 --> 00:29:57,200 Speaker 2: To assume that they could just go to Walmart or 541 00:29:57,280 --> 00:30:01,200 Speaker 2: home depot and start working again. As a lot underneath 542 00:30:01,200 --> 00:30:04,160 Speaker 2: the surface, I mean, look at our veterans for a 543 00:30:04,200 --> 00:30:07,400 Speaker 2: great example, the outcomes that they have after serving. 544 00:30:08,240 --> 00:30:13,280 Speaker 3: You learn about people, you're asking questions, you're studying them, 545 00:30:14,120 --> 00:30:17,440 Speaker 3: and it became a point that the listening and learning 546 00:30:20,240 --> 00:30:26,000 Speaker 3: became an action plan for you, which effectively became Samaritan. 547 00:30:26,840 --> 00:30:31,480 Speaker 3: So assume you're talking to someone who's dumb, because you are. 548 00:30:32,040 --> 00:30:35,680 Speaker 3: I am an idiot, all right, I don't fully get 549 00:30:36,320 --> 00:30:40,240 Speaker 3: I mean, honestly, I'm not kidding. Okay, Yeah, I have 550 00:30:40,280 --> 00:30:43,160 Speaker 3: to I can turn my computer on and open any 551 00:30:43,200 --> 00:30:45,880 Speaker 3: little box that's on the screen and do what I 552 00:30:45,920 --> 00:30:49,280 Speaker 3: need to do. But from there I'm horrible. My wife 553 00:30:49,280 --> 00:30:52,920 Speaker 3: has to download by apps. Okay, I am a, I 554 00:30:52,960 --> 00:30:55,840 Speaker 3: am A. I have so much going on in my life. 555 00:30:55,880 --> 00:30:58,640 Speaker 3: That is one thing. At fifty seven years old, I've 556 00:30:58,760 --> 00:31:01,760 Speaker 3: just never spent a lot of time doing. I'm really 557 00:31:01,800 --> 00:31:04,160 Speaker 3: proud that I can download Netflix and Amazon. 558 00:31:04,240 --> 00:31:07,200 Speaker 4: Problem. Now that's a real stuff. Great coach, Yeah, thank 559 00:31:07,240 --> 00:31:07,760 Speaker 4: you baby. 560 00:31:07,960 --> 00:31:14,800 Speaker 3: So here we go. You recognize the problem. You're understanding 561 00:31:15,240 --> 00:31:19,280 Speaker 3: folks experiencing homelessness. You're passionate about it. You have this 562 00:31:19,440 --> 00:31:23,959 Speaker 3: background and understanding of what it's like, how important social 563 00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:27,000 Speaker 3: capital is, an investment from the church. You've got all 564 00:31:27,040 --> 00:31:29,480 Speaker 3: of it all right, and now you've done your research. 565 00:31:31,360 --> 00:31:37,440 Speaker 3: Explain what your mentality was about. How can I make 566 00:31:37,480 --> 00:31:42,000 Speaker 3: this problem better and do it in a way that 567 00:31:42,160 --> 00:31:46,960 Speaker 3: is fresh and unique and involves your talents from. 568 00:31:46,840 --> 00:31:51,720 Speaker 4: A technical expertise. Yes, because it is fascinating to me. 569 00:31:52,800 --> 00:31:55,760 Speaker 2: Yes, I'm glad to share. You know, maybe people assume 570 00:31:55,800 --> 00:31:57,920 Speaker 2: eighteen to ninety percent of folks to see on the street. 571 00:31:58,000 --> 00:32:01,280 Speaker 1: Have you know this addiction or or mental health. 572 00:32:00,960 --> 00:32:03,120 Speaker 4: Disorder before becoming. 573 00:32:03,120 --> 00:32:05,920 Speaker 2: Right, right, And so to your point to conclude, we 574 00:32:05,960 --> 00:32:09,320 Speaker 2: do see that it happens after and that you know, 575 00:32:09,400 --> 00:32:12,520 Speaker 2: it's more like a third a third of people that 576 00:32:12,600 --> 00:32:16,720 Speaker 2: experienced homelessness have maybe even at quarter have some sort 577 00:32:16,720 --> 00:32:20,160 Speaker 2: of severe mental illness or substance use disorder that requires 578 00:32:20,200 --> 00:32:24,200 Speaker 2: like full time intensive treatment to homelessness or even today, oh, 579 00:32:24,320 --> 00:32:28,160 Speaker 2: because we actually see that the people that are most visceral, 580 00:32:28,520 --> 00:32:31,120 Speaker 2: that's the twenty five percent, that's the thirty three percent. 581 00:32:31,560 --> 00:32:34,000 Speaker 2: It's like that iceberg, you know, visual right, you see 582 00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:36,280 Speaker 2: that you see the top ten or the top twenty 583 00:32:36,320 --> 00:32:39,760 Speaker 2: percent most viscerally on our corners, you know, in the 584 00:32:39,960 --> 00:32:44,240 Speaker 2: in this store, entrances in the hospital, dancing in the street. 585 00:32:44,360 --> 00:32:49,040 Speaker 2: But most of homelessness is hidden. It's people sleeping on 586 00:32:49,080 --> 00:32:52,960 Speaker 2: their aunt's couch, it's people sleeping in their cars, it's 587 00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:57,320 Speaker 2: it's folks that are working at home depot that are 588 00:32:57,640 --> 00:33:04,080 Speaker 2: between places. And those people experiencing homelessness are not crazy, 589 00:33:04,320 --> 00:33:07,320 Speaker 2: are not start struggling from severe mental illness. 590 00:33:07,360 --> 00:33:09,240 Speaker 1: That's just the folks that we see. So I just 591 00:33:09,600 --> 00:33:11,400 Speaker 1: wanted to add that's really important. 592 00:33:11,800 --> 00:33:15,320 Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean you and you're so right, and the 593 00:33:15,440 --> 00:33:16,680 Speaker 4: illustration is great. 594 00:33:16,760 --> 00:33:18,440 Speaker 3: It is that you see the tip of the iceberg, 595 00:33:18,480 --> 00:33:20,400 Speaker 3: but the vast majority of icebergs below the water and 596 00:33:20,440 --> 00:33:23,600 Speaker 3: you don't see it. What you're saying is, when you 597 00:33:23,680 --> 00:33:28,400 Speaker 3: talk about people experiencing homelessness, don't assume, in fact a 598 00:33:28,520 --> 00:33:31,040 Speaker 3: smaller percentage of the ones are the ones standing in 599 00:33:31,080 --> 00:33:35,040 Speaker 3: front of Walgreens. There's this whole population of people still 600 00:33:35,080 --> 00:33:37,800 Speaker 3: trying to do right. You could need help. 601 00:33:38,800 --> 00:33:40,760 Speaker 2: Twenty five percent of the players you coached, you know, 602 00:33:40,800 --> 00:33:43,000 Speaker 2: would probably fall in the category of homelessness. 603 00:33:43,120 --> 00:33:45,640 Speaker 3: Probably, So there were a lot of those kids sleeping 604 00:33:45,680 --> 00:33:49,520 Speaker 3: on couches who were I never could get an address 605 00:33:49,560 --> 00:33:50,440 Speaker 3: on because they moved. 606 00:33:50,640 --> 00:33:52,720 Speaker 1: They slept on one place, not knowing if they would 607 00:33:52,720 --> 00:33:54,160 Speaker 1: sleep in that same place tomorrow. 608 00:33:54,240 --> 00:33:55,320 Speaker 4: It's true, all. 609 00:33:55,280 --> 00:33:58,640 Speaker 3: Right, So you got that, yes, and you say, Okay, 610 00:33:58,720 --> 00:34:02,400 Speaker 3: I got this. I swisbank tech guy. I'm smart about 611 00:34:02,440 --> 00:34:06,680 Speaker 3: that stuff. I care about these people. There's a fresh approach. 612 00:34:09,600 --> 00:34:10,360 Speaker 3: What am I going to do? 613 00:34:10,640 --> 00:34:15,480 Speaker 2: Sure? The hypothesis was, Hey, the capital for these people, 614 00:34:15,560 --> 00:34:19,319 Speaker 2: the raw materials for these people to utilize their God 615 00:34:19,360 --> 00:34:22,439 Speaker 2: given gifts to find stable housing, income, and health. 616 00:34:22,480 --> 00:34:26,080 Speaker 1: It exists, both money and relationships. It's out there. 617 00:34:26,120 --> 00:34:28,080 Speaker 2: I just need to get it to these people, every 618 00:34:28,080 --> 00:34:34,440 Speaker 2: person like Edward. So I need to develop technology to 619 00:34:34,920 --> 00:34:38,719 Speaker 2: bridge the capital that's needed to the people who need 620 00:34:38,719 --> 00:34:39,280 Speaker 2: that capital. 621 00:34:39,600 --> 00:34:41,920 Speaker 4: So well, SA, that is simple, I get that. 622 00:34:42,480 --> 00:34:45,200 Speaker 1: So yeah, yeah, yeah. 623 00:34:45,320 --> 00:34:46,800 Speaker 2: So what I looked like is, you know, we would 624 00:34:46,800 --> 00:34:52,320 Speaker 2: partner with frontline agencies who are doing street outreach, case management, 625 00:34:52,360 --> 00:34:58,600 Speaker 2: rehabilitation programs and ask them like, hey, can we talk 626 00:34:58,680 --> 00:35:00,560 Speaker 2: to can we go and outreach with and can we 627 00:35:00,600 --> 00:35:04,040 Speaker 2: interview some of the people that you're outreaching to. 628 00:35:04,640 --> 00:35:06,239 Speaker 1: So we would go to people. 629 00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:10,919 Speaker 2: Like Edward, Chris Charles, Sarah Nicole, whoever it was, and 630 00:35:10,960 --> 00:35:12,960 Speaker 2: we would ask them a little bit of their story, 631 00:35:13,000 --> 00:35:14,200 Speaker 2: how'd you get here where you're. 632 00:35:14,040 --> 00:35:15,399 Speaker 1: Trying to go, what do you need to get there? 633 00:35:15,600 --> 00:35:16,319 Speaker 1: What's stopping you? 634 00:35:16,960 --> 00:35:20,799 Speaker 2: And we would load that into a database and we 635 00:35:20,840 --> 00:35:22,400 Speaker 2: would give this is really funny. 636 00:35:22,640 --> 00:35:24,640 Speaker 1: I think it's amazing. We gave them this. 637 00:35:24,560 --> 00:35:30,560 Speaker 2: Little bluetooth necklace that emitted this signal about thirty yards 638 00:35:30,560 --> 00:35:34,080 Speaker 2: in every direction. And then so we gave out like, 639 00:35:34,200 --> 00:35:36,319 Speaker 2: you know, fifty of these necklaces, one hundred of these 640 00:35:36,360 --> 00:35:40,760 Speaker 2: necklaces is cool. So we got some stories and then 641 00:35:40,960 --> 00:35:43,680 Speaker 2: we give them this bluetooth emitter. It's got a battery 642 00:35:43,719 --> 00:35:44,680 Speaker 2: the last about a month. 643 00:35:45,040 --> 00:35:45,480 Speaker 1: They it. 644 00:35:45,520 --> 00:35:47,560 Speaker 2: Once it dies, you know, go to the nonprofit into 645 00:35:47,640 --> 00:35:52,200 Speaker 2: the battery. We got five hundred people in Seattle commuters, 646 00:35:52,239 --> 00:35:55,000 Speaker 2: downtown commuters to download this like bare bones app that 647 00:35:55,040 --> 00:35:59,160 Speaker 2: we made that would receive that Bluetooth signal and pop 648 00:35:59,280 --> 00:36:02,440 Speaker 2: up a notific cation that says, hey, this is Edward. 649 00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:04,640 Speaker 2: Edward's been on the streets. 650 00:36:04,239 --> 00:36:06,759 Speaker 3: For all a time out if you got within like 651 00:36:06,840 --> 00:36:09,160 Speaker 3: thirty yards of them, right, so you said it emits 652 00:36:09,200 --> 00:36:11,560 Speaker 3: thirty yards away, that's right. So if I'm Edward and 653 00:36:11,600 --> 00:36:14,359 Speaker 3: I'm wearing my bluetooth, yeah, that's right. And there's five 654 00:36:14,440 --> 00:36:17,040 Speaker 3: hundred people in Seattle with this app. If you get 655 00:36:17,080 --> 00:36:20,120 Speaker 3: within twenty five thirty yards of me, my bluetooth pings 656 00:36:20,160 --> 00:36:23,800 Speaker 3: your phone and then you can look at your phone 657 00:36:23,960 --> 00:36:26,760 Speaker 3: and say, and does it do a dot like find 658 00:36:26,800 --> 00:36:27,320 Speaker 3: my phone? 659 00:36:27,320 --> 00:36:28,479 Speaker 4: Did it put a dot where i'd. 660 00:36:28,400 --> 00:36:32,400 Speaker 2: Well notification like a text or yeah, you know Facebook notification, 661 00:36:32,600 --> 00:36:33,520 Speaker 2: or where he is? 662 00:36:33,760 --> 00:36:35,839 Speaker 1: Not where he is like you've passed by Edwards. 663 00:36:35,960 --> 00:36:36,839 Speaker 4: You've passed by Edward. 664 00:36:36,960 --> 00:36:39,840 Speaker 3: Yeah, and it says this is Edward, And all of 665 00:36:39,880 --> 00:36:42,320 Speaker 3: the information you have is pulled from the database. 666 00:36:42,800 --> 00:36:44,600 Speaker 4: And now I know this photo. 667 00:36:45,040 --> 00:36:47,560 Speaker 2: You see what his goals are, you see what organization 668 00:36:47,680 --> 00:36:51,200 Speaker 2: is working with, and you can give a dollar, give 669 00:36:51,239 --> 00:36:55,799 Speaker 2: to give ten into an account that Edward uses with 670 00:36:55,920 --> 00:36:59,920 Speaker 2: the nonprofit to meet housing jobs. 671 00:37:00,080 --> 00:37:02,160 Speaker 4: Now I don't have to my wallet even stop. 672 00:37:02,840 --> 00:37:05,680 Speaker 3: I just see it and I'm saying lights out that 673 00:37:05,719 --> 00:37:08,920 Speaker 3: guy and at a five dollars button and it immediately 674 00:37:08,960 --> 00:37:11,920 Speaker 3: goes to account and Edward's name and Edward's name that 675 00:37:12,080 --> 00:37:14,280 Speaker 3: Edward can then go access for his needs. 676 00:37:14,480 --> 00:37:14,839 Speaker 1: That's right. 677 00:37:15,400 --> 00:37:15,760 Speaker 4: Stop. 678 00:37:16,239 --> 00:37:20,920 Speaker 3: If the story ended there, that's phenomenal. That is the 679 00:37:21,160 --> 00:37:29,080 Speaker 3: coolest idea. And so wisbang techie young person smart because 680 00:37:29,360 --> 00:37:34,080 Speaker 3: it erases the I don't know if I'm going to 681 00:37:34,160 --> 00:37:36,359 Speaker 3: give this guy five dollars and he's going to go 682 00:37:36,360 --> 00:37:37,720 Speaker 3: buy a crack instead of food. 683 00:37:38,200 --> 00:37:39,680 Speaker 4: It eliminates that right. 684 00:37:43,080 --> 00:37:47,040 Speaker 3: And that concludes part one of our conversation with Jonathan Kobar, 685 00:37:47,160 --> 00:37:49,560 Speaker 3: and you don't want to miss part two. That's now 686 00:37:49,600 --> 00:37:53,920 Speaker 3: able to listen to. Together, guys, we can change this country, 687 00:37:54,080 --> 00:37:55,120 Speaker 3: but it starts with you. 688 00:37:55,600 --> 00:37:56,640 Speaker 4: I'll see in part two. 689 00:38:02,800 --> 00:38:05,040 Speaker 2: The thing to do