Where We’re Going & Where We’re Growing

TechBridge has been around for more than 20 years now, and Clint Bailey has been a major part of the decision making and vision casting for TechBridge over the years. He has served on TechBridge’s Advisory Board for years and will now serve on our National Board as co-chair. Clint has had and will continue to have a huge impact on TechBridge, and we want to explore what forms that influence will take, where he hopes to see our organization go, and why he is still so deeply involved after over 15 years.

Transcript

TB Talks S1E7 - Clint Bailey

Clint Bailey [00:00:00]

It's good to talk TechBridge for sure. It's a, an, a big passion of mine and it marries together a few other passions, especially tying technology into the, the nonprofit. And temporary has come a long way. I mean, it's probably one of the, one of the first that really used the technology community. And then also I would say, you know, one of the first to introduce to nonprofits in the nonprofit world, especially in Atlanta to how they can do more for their mission and their outcomes by the use of technology,

Adam Walker [00:00:42]

Techbridge has a history of great support from the business.

Adam Walker [00:00:46]

Community. In fact, the support is so strong that many board members and leaders have been working with tech bridge for more than a decade on today's show, we talked to one of these amazing supporters about tech bridge, his roles, and where he sees Techbridge growing and going.

Adam Walker [00:01:08]

My guest on the show today is long time support. Clint Bailey Clint, welcome to the show. Thank you. Thanks Adam. I'm really excited to talk to you. You've been involved in tech bridge for a long time. So I guess like, give me the fly over. Like how long have you been involved? What roles and then where like, where do you want to see us go?

Clint Bailey [00:01:29]

So, yes, it's not going to be here. I mean, it's, it's good to talk tech bridge for sure. It's been a big passion. Of mine and it marries together a few other passions, especially tying technology into the nonprofit world, especially the nonprofit world in Atlanta, where, which is where I'm born and raised. So that was a great connection for me.

Clint Bailey [00:01:50]

So I've been involved 15 years. Uh, the first five of those were. You know, more on the volunteer side with digital ball and, and with recruiting a CIO is his executive ambassadors and is trying to recruit sponsors as well, which. You know, it was this important today, but I feel like it was even more important in the early days, but, but, uh, and then I've been on the board the last 10 years, which, uh, which I, you know, just rolled off the board and talk hopefully about, you know, the national board as we move forward with that, which is very exciting.

Clint Bailey [00:02:24]

Tech bridge has come a long way. Uh, you know, it's, uh, we used to do managed services and, you know, support type for, you know, for nonprofits, uh, cause you know, do that at a subsidized rate. Having them call and pay Microsoft is, you know, a big deal, big savings, but a temporary has come a long way. I mean, it's probably one of the, you know, one of the first that really used the technology, um, community.

Clint Bailey [00:02:52] And then also I would say, you know, one of the first to introduce to nonprofits and the nonprofit world, especially in Atlanta to how they can do more for their mission. And their outcomes by the use of technology, right? Something that sometimes in the, you know, the, the, the corporate world we take for granted.

Clint Bailey [00:03:11]

But, uh, so that, that to me has been something that I've been able to marry together. You know, some of that experience, some of my network, uh, with the sponsors and CEO's, and the. So I hope to see some of that continue to grow. Right. I think what will you know, where, uh, I also hope to see us go and I know we're getting there we've come a long way in the last year, year and a half under Nicole's leadership and also coming out of the pandemic, you know, getting nonprofits to embrace technology more.

Clint Bailey [00:03:43]

So, uh, I hope to see us continue to educate. On on the efficiencies that can be gained and the money that can be saved to use more towards the mission. Right. So hope to see us continue to do that. I do think, uh, you know, we've also done a great job with the technology career program and, uh, moving more folks into the it career path.

Clint Bailey [00:04:11]

That is also part of, you know, my background, uh, placing it talent here in Atlanta. And I've personally worked to try and move a lot of non-technology folks into technology careers, because there's a lot of opportunity there. Um, so I hope to see us continue to grow that and you know, really like the, you know, we've done a good job over the past couple of years, few years, you know, getting a better definition on, you know, where we want to focus.

Clint Bailey [00:04:39]

And I think a lot of the nonprofits that we were historically supporting and providing services and technology to ultimately fit under most of these pillars, but it's good to have some focus, but we continue to maintain that focus and drive some bigger events and some bigger, um, initiatives. You know, now that we have that, you know, the four pillars.

Adam Walker [00:05:02]

Yeah. I mean, I think the four pillars really helped to frame what we do really well. And just as a reminder to our listeners, the four pillars being hunger relief, homeless support, social justice and workforce development. I say it so much that just completely rolls off the tongue. There's no, like I don't even have to try to memorize it.

Adam Walker [00:05:18] Just, it just goes, you know, which is, which is fantastic. So let's talk a little bit more. I think you mentioned it before. Um, you know, you, you were on the board for 10 years. Tech bridge already has had a national footprint for a long time. Now we're kind of recognizing that in positioning ourselves more as a national, a national organization with a national board, you're going to be a part of that.

Adam Walker [00:05:38] Walk me through sort of what that national board is going to look like and what role you're going to play as a part of

Clint Bailey [00:05:43]

that. So we, yeah, I think the way integrity has an opportunity to. Basically grow the year, right? The footprint is already national, right. I mean, we have clients, you know, from California to New York, you know, to, to Georgia, right.

Clint Bailey [00:06:04]

So we have clients all over. I, I saw the map with the, you know, with the, you know, pinpoints on where we're doing business. I mean, it's, it's, it's, you know, definitely has a national footprint already. I also think the tech. These are, you know, those four pillars, you mentioned hunger relief, homeless support, social justice, workforce development.

Clint Bailey [00:06:23] Those are pillars that you can pull out of every single community. And they don't even have to be national, like big cities, right? Even your smaller communities, you're going to have these same issues. So, and their nonprofits and the. You know, areas that are, that are addressing these, these issues and providing services around these pillars.

Clint Bailey [00:06:44]

So that, to me, it just, it's a notch. You know, it's kind of a natural progression to, to take that nationally. I also think that as tech bridge is now 20 years, 20 plus years old, and we have a bigger following. We have some, some bigger money that we can go after now, some bigger names that we should be pulling into.

Clint Bailey [00:07:07]

You know, help spread our message and go evangelize our, you know, our, our, our mission and, and evangelize the success and impact for having right. So I think that's something for us to go national. Uh, um, you know, uh, we've had some board members like Vish, Narendra, and rice and Kayla who always challenged us to think bigger.

Clint Bailey [00:07:27]

And I think they've been pretty consistent with our previous CEO on that now, especially with Nicole. So this is our. Not just thinking bigger, but you know, actually, you know, walking the talk and, you know, and, and I think ultimately too, it's a way to bring some of these communities, cities where we're providing services and, or, and, or have networks already set up kind of like a, it's not kind of, it is a good way to kind of capitalize on the, you know, the scale or, uh, of those networks and the scale of the, the money in those communities.

Clint Bailey [00:08:03]

And the scale, the impact, ultimately. So that's where I think that, and so with the national board, you'll see some bigger names. You'll see some folks that can probably, you know, pulling some bigger networks and hopefully bring about some, some bigger impact ultimately. Right. Um, and that's so where I fit into that on the national Xenos, then there's also an advisory national advisory board as well.

Clint Bailey [00:08:27]

And I'll, co-chair that with Scott Geller, who. One of the founders of a tech bridge and also, uh, you know, he's brought a lot of success to tech bridge and the community, and that'll be kind of our way of bringing around, you know, kind of in the advisory side of it that I will help, you know, help continue to kind of carry out some of the initiatives and that'll be specially focused and, you know, some of these specific, uh, four pillars.

Adam Walker [00:08:56]

Yeah. I love that. I love that. I can't wait to see where you steer that advisory board, you and Scott, a dynamic duo right there. So that's, that's fantastic. So, so let's talk just a minute. You mentioned scale and how, you know, we're scaling nationally and how we can help nonprofits scale. I mean, what in maybe, and maybe I just answered this question, but, but what do you think Techbridge brings to the table that other tech organizations or other nonprofits don't?

Adam Walker [00:09:20]

So what, what niche, what need are we filling there? Well,

Clint Bailey [00:09:24]

I think. The technology products that we have matured over the years is how, how to scale that. Right. So, um, there are, you know, just like, like, you know, the feeding America being, you know, kind of the, you know, agency relief product, right. That's something that we can.

Clint Bailey [00:09:50]

Sizable, and then we can use it across other, you know, other, uh, groups. Right. Um, our social justice platform is something that it's built. Right. It's, it's, it's, we're, we're generating a lot of, uh, interest it's it's I think it's, it's, Techbridge as big as, uh, you know, uh, moneymaker right now, the, the business, you know, and I think there's, it's serving a lot of folks.

Clint Bailey [00:10:15]

Right. So I think that's where, you know, when I look at. What the difference is, is we have a lot of this already, bill. I think a lot of times a nonprofit, the budget for it is typically very low, if not zero. So, you know, the fact that we already have a lot of this bill, the templates are in place and we can get them up and running fairly quickly.

Clint Bailey [00:10:35]

And, and, uh, and I think to the team at Techbridge is just. They're very dedicated. They're very, uh, Nick didn't around the, they've seen a lot of the similar issues that other nonprofits have been facing or have already faced. So they've already, you know, fought a lot of those battles with them within the nonprofit community.

Clint Bailey [00:10:54]

So I think they can go to these nonprofits and share case studies and share war stories and show the scars. And I think that helps a lot that it's already there. Right. Cause cause the last. You know, in the, in the, you know, the public sector, someone might just go build it, right. Or go spend a lot of money to buy something off the shelf.

Clint Bailey [00:11:13]

This is something that's already there. And I don't think they have to go get a big budget to build it themselves. And I think that. That's a big part of how we are going to scale it. It's a big part of how I think we'll help more. Non-profits cause there's a lot more that we can bring onto those portals and there's product products.

Adam Walker [00:11:28]

Yeah. Well, and you know, something that you mentioned too, that strikes me as that, you know, tech bridge is a non-profit tech bridge works with nonprofits. We, we, we understand the intersection of nonprofits and technology. At a depth that very few do, and it gives us an ability to serve nonprofits in a much more specific, much more nuanced and really, even much more custom way to, to better help them with their technology needs.

Adam Walker [00:11:53]

Would you agree with that? I

Clint Bailey [00:11:55]

agree. I mean, that's, you know, You don't find a nonprofit, typically being the ones to help another pro nonprofit with those technology needs and, or find a nonprofit. That's fine. A lot of those technology issues and battles already, you know, typically that would be someone in the private sector, whether that's a, you know, small consultancy or large consultancy.

Clint Bailey [00:12:21]

And you know that they're typically for-profit and they're. It's it's different. It's unique to tech bridge is positioned to bring a lot of technology expertise and knowledge and experience to help other nonprofits. It's very unique. Yeah.

Adam Walker [00:12:35]

Yeah. That's right. Well, Clint, last question. Love to ask guests this.

Adam Walker [00:12:39]

We mentioned the four pillars earlier, hunger relief, homeless support, social justice, and workforce development of the four, which resonates the most with you. And why.

Clint Bailey [00:12:51]

Can I, uh, I'll try to focus and answer here. Um, just based historically on my work experience, I would say workforce development, because I just have a lot of, you know, 20 plus years experience in that world, that knowledge there's just connections.

Clint Bailey [00:13:10] I feel like I can make that will help, you know, that, that workforce development. Um, however, so I'm going to answer differently though, but the homeless support is something for me over the years when I looked at other areas where I'm involved in nonprofit, that to me is something that I pour some time in.

Clint Bailey [00:13:32]

There's a homeless shelter that I spend nights and to help with, uh, with a group that I'm involved with. So that to me is probably where. Uh, put more of my action over words where, you know, I do try and work a lot with, with the workforce development piece though with tech bridge, you know, via TCP, just because that's where naturally my network and my knowledge is, you know, has some depth in anyway.

Clint Bailey [00:14:03]

Um, yeah, but I will say that. I'm looking forward to the social justice summit coming up, that's going to be a big deal. It's it's, uh, it's been, you know, it's been something that I've really been pleased to watch tech Ridge do a lot with, um, over the years and, you know, just learning a lot about that. And I think it's gained a lot of momentum, uh, since last summer.

Clint Bailey [00:14:28]

Um, just, just, you know, everything, post pandemic, everything. Yeah, but, you know, and I know most of that's non-criminal right now, but I think we'll grow it into the criminal side as well, eventually or two, but I think there's a big lifeline that, that service and that line really helps make impact, but

Adam Walker [00:14:49]

yeah, it's important.

Adam Walker [00:14:50]

It's all, it's all important. Uh, that is, that's fine.

Clint Bailey [00:14:53]

Starting to pick one, but hope. Yeah. Hopefully hope. And nailed down home the support and taking on workforce development.

Adam Walker [00:15:00]

Well, the good, the good news is, is that you're volunteering your time, a benefit, all four of them. Right. And you're helping across all four because the organization focuses across all four.

Adam Walker [00:15:09]

So it's a client. For me to you. Thank you for just so many years of just making tech bridge and a better and better and better place. Um, and really it's just an honor to get, to spend some time with you. And thanks for joining me on the

Clint Bailey [00:15:23]

show. Thank you. Thank you. I love what you're doing too, out on these podcasts and find the watch they shed a lot of light.

Clint Bailey [00:15:31]

On tech bridge from a number of different viewpoints, which I think is, I think that's important. So

Adam Walker [00:15:37]

yeah, it's a, it, it, it gives the whole picture right there, the whole inside and outside everybody. It's the whole picture. So, uh, I've uh, I've so enjoyed. It's been so great, man. It's so great

Clint Bailey [00:15:46]

to meet you, sir.

Adam Walker [00:15:48]

Thank you for listening to Techbridge talks a podcast about breaking the cycle of generational poverty through the innovative use of techniques. This podcast is produced by tech bridge to find out more about our work and how you can be a part visit tech bridge.org that's tech bridge.org. Also make sure to follow us on social media.

Adam Walker [00:16:09]

Thanks again for listening and tune in next week for more great content.