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Mark Rodriguez

What would you like to accomplish within the next 5 years?

Within the next five years I will like to complete an advanced degree, continue serving in professional capacities that enable me to grow and give back to my community and expand my civic participation by serving on boards of larger civic/social services organizations.

My long-term career objectives include serving as a program officer of a public or corporate foundation, serving as the CEO of a multi-million dollar nonprofit agency and possibly serving the public through a role in city government.

What do you think are the biggest issues facing your generation?

I believe some of the largest issues facing our generation today include the development of a disposable mentality, the growing struggle for time between work and family and what I would call the educational seesaw.

As life-long jobs and employee loyalty are becoming a thing of the past and everything seems like it has a disposable counterpart, we have created a generation that has spawned a throwaway mentality. Many members of our generation bared witness to the decline of the industrial industry and the rise of technology that resulted in the loss of hundreds of jobs and the growth of computers taking over the role of many functions that were once operated by humans. This shift has changed the skills needed to operate in our workforce and has left the idea of sustainability in many industries as a thing of the past. From the rising level of divorce to products such as cameras, contact lenses, and cleaning materials, everything is disposable. This mode of thinking has created a generation that sees nothing as indispensable or everlasting.

Another important challenge being faced by our generation is the continual demand for a balance between work and home. While this challenge was faced by the previous generation it has become even more prevalent in members of our generation. From households where both parents work or in families where single parents may work more than one job, the time allotted for family has become less and less. This has led to a growth in the fast food industry and the sandwich revolution. This is also leading to a growing number of members of our generation struggling with obesity and other related health hazards. Workers in our generation are working longer and more than many of our predecessors.

Finally, the spectrum of levels of educational attainment by members of my generation has created what I refer to as the educational seesaw. By this I mean that we have a growing number of people that are college educated and in some cases overeducated for the jobs they occupy while at the other end of the spectrum we have individuals that have limited or no college education and are struggling to find stable work or work outside of the service industry. This imbalance has created a greater divide between the have and have-nots. Maintaining a basic standard of living is a severe challenge for those with limited or no education beyond high school and no solid skill sets to function in our technology focused global society.

While these challenges may not be what people might consider hearing or thinking about as challenges I see them as the root causes to some of the challenges you might normally hear like homelessness, health care and employment to name a few.

What do you hope to learn from more established leaders?

Most of my professional and civic experiences are tied to the nonprofit sector and I would hope to learn leadership strategies and change management best practices from other established leaders especially those in the corporate and government sector. I would also like to learn effective strategies on communicating my vision effectively.

What do you think more established leaders can learn from your work?

I think more established leaders can learn how to grow and manage start-up nonprofits and how to lead through an inquiry-based management style.

What is the most gratifying aspect of your work?

The most gratifying aspect of my work is seeing the growth of the organization from a small grassroots project with a budget of $50,000 to a city-wide organization with a diversified budget of just under $400,000 in three years. Being able to instantly see the results of our work in terms of the number of individuals served, the impact on the lives of the students and teachers reached and the changes in the classrooms and educational practices being deployed at schools as a result of a partnership with Changing Worlds.


What are the biggest obstacles in your work?

The biggest obstacle in my work is fundraising and the amount of time and effort strictly devoted to it. While I recognize that this is necessary to sustain our programs, it requires significant human resources that could be used to improve the quality and reach of our programs. However if we don’t have the financial means to meet our social means then we will cease to exist.

How do you work around those obstacles?

I work around this obstacle by engaging more volunteers, board members and corporate board members to help move this goal forward. Through an extended network of champions raising funds on behalf of the organization we continually work to overcome this obstacle.

What tools or resources do you need to help you continue your work?
I would enjoy learning about other examples similar to Changing Worlds around the country and how they grow and sustain their organization. I would also like to complete an advanced degree to learn new ways to address the promises and challenges of organizational growth.

What advice would you give to younger folks wanting to impact social justice issues?

For younger individuals wanting to impact social justice issues I would tell them to find a specific issue that is of interest to them and not try to tackle every social ill faced by our society. Seek out existing organizations addressing the issue and work together to combat it. I would also recommend that the person be sure to help educate younger audiences about the issue as well as focus on building a network of leaders advocating for the issue rather than serving as the sole leader.

Define leadership.

In my opinion leadership is the ability to rally, motivate or inspire other individuals to work towards a common goal or agenda. I also believe that true leadership goes beyond getting people on the same page. It involves being reflective to identify what you don’t know and how to engage others on your team that have the skill sets you need. Lastly, it involves setting us a system to ensure the work of the leader is sustained after the person is gone.