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Becky
Hey, nonprofit leaders, change makers and community.
John
Builders, this one's for you.
Dr. Tim Lamkin
Join us on January 23rd for impact up Multiply, a dynamic virtual gathering by day and an in person local meetups by night happening around the world. It's a day designed to inspire, connect, and equip you to multiply your impact in 2025.
Becky
At impact up Multiply, we're talking about how community is the force multiplier for your mission. So if you're looking to grow or start a movement or deepen your community engagement in your mission, this day is for you. It's more than a virtual event. It's your space to dream bigger, build.
John
Smarter, and multiply your impact.
Dr. Tim Lamkin
We've already saved you a seat, so join this movement. Visit weareforgood.com impactup to sign up for free today. We can't wait to see you there. Hey, I'm John.
Becky
And I'm Becky.
D
And this is the We Are For Good podcast.
Becky
Nonprofits are faced with more challenges to accomplish their missions and the growing pressure to do more, raise more, and be more for the causes that improve our world.
D
We're here to learn with you from.
Dr. Tim Lamkin
Some of the best in the industry, bringing the most innovative ideas, inspirational stories, all to create an impact uprising.
Becky
So welcome to the good community. We're nonprofit professionals, philanthropists, world changers, and rabid fans who are striving to bring a little more goodness into the world.
Dr. Tim Lamkin
So let's get started.
D
Hey, Becky, what's happening?
John
I'll tell you what's happening. Dr. Tim is in the house.
Becky
Are you all ready?
John
Are you ready to talk about economic justice? We are about to talk about cross sector collaborations, and we're about to do it with one of the most joyful organizations and human beings in the great state of Mississippi. So let me back it up and introduce Dr. Tim Lamkin. He's the founder and CEO of Higher Purpose Co. It's an amazing economic justice nonprofit that's prioritizing economic opportunity and black communities across Mississippi by supporting the ownership of financial, cultural and political power. John, like Mic drop, we are like. One of those things would excite me, but the fact that you're doing all three of those, Tim, is just awe inspiring. And so Tim has over two decades of community economic development experience. He's managed the statewide racial equity grant making program for the Mississippi Humanities Council, which won Casual the 2018 National Humanities Schwartz Prize. And the Obama foundation also selected Dr. Tim in 2023 to join the inaugural cohort of USA leaders. He has so many awards. He has so many recognitions. He is a teacher, adjunct professor. He is president of an incredible impact venture company. He's doing all the things, all the everywhere, all once, all the time. So, Dr. Tim, we are just excited to drift off of your energy, your enthusiasm, your joy. Welcome to the We Are For Good podcast. We're so glad you're here.
Dr. Tim Lamkin
Thank you so much. Super excited to be here. Glad this is happening and excited to just tell you a little bit about our journey and get to know folks through this, this platform.
John
Yes, we want to know about this idea and how it manifested and took off. But before we go into any of it, we want to get to Tim, like, take us back to little Tim growing up. Like, how did you get into this work and where did you get this Heart for justice and equity work? We want to know all about it.
Dr. Tim Lamkin
Yeah, great question. People don't really ask me that much. So my journey really started in Chicago, the west side of Chicago, seeing what was happening there and getting the opportunity to travel during the summer to Mississippi to visit grandparents. So I had that break to really see, like, wait, there's a whole other world outside of west side of Chicago. And to really be among a community that was really self sustaining, right. And so that was really remarkable to see. My grandparents had a car washing business, they had a garden, and they had connections to other folks in the community that had other businesses. And we would all kind of come together on certain days of the week to support each other, whether it's through, you know, community cleanups or community fairs or after school programs. And so that's what really sparked it. And last year I actually said that I really believe that I am trying to recreate that childhood experience in real time now by giving people something that was so precious to me. And so that was the beginning. We then moved to Mississippi permanently when I was in middle school and I started to understand the deep history of Mississippi. And I was blessed to have a deacon at my church. Reuben Smith, who had been involved with the social justice movement, working with other civil rights leaders, really was a strong advocate for education. And he took me under his wings to really mold me and mentor me in a way that said, hey, what you're doing is not just for you, you're doing this work for the broader community. And so that really instilled in me that everything that I have, everything that I do, is not for me. It's really to be a blessing to others. And so that was the beginning. And I can remember it so very clear clearly how I just really just jumped into what I didn't know at the time was community economic development. So that was, that was high school. And then the, the pathway just continued to, to grow from there.
John
God bless the Reubens of our world, seriously.
D
And your family that was laying all these seeds within you, you know, too, like, here's the story of community, this belief that community is everything. It's a value that we uphold here. It's a value we celebrate here. But I love that you're. You found a way to live that out in a really meaningful way. And so I want to connect the dots so you kind of, you know, got us up to college. Like, what was it like to establish higher purpose? Co I look at like the programs we're going to get into, some of these programs that you're running today, but, like, catch us up, like tell a little bit of the history of starting that initiative and where it's at today.
Dr. Tim Lamkin
Well, the biggest thing for me is once I got to college, I went to hbcu, Mississippi Valley State University, which was originally a cotton patch. There were so many people involved with organizing what then was Mississippi Valley State College. And my mentor actually went to this institution to become a teacher and advocate. But I really started to understand the impact of organizing and learning the deeper stories of Fannie Lou Hamer and Medgar Evers and IT Montgomery and the list goes on and on. All of these folks that had really taken upon themselves to really organize, in my opinion, for the right thing. And so that seed was really planted then. And then there was a short moment where I took this kind of different pathway to work in a larger city. And that was really, it was a good decision, but also it was a lesson learned because I recognized that kind of the corporate America model wasn't really for me. And I remember calling very clearly to my mentor, probably about 6am in the morning, I was living in Mobile, Alabama, and I said, hey, you know, I'm just not happy. Like, I'm just not fulfilled. And he said, come back to Mississippi. Dive in deep. You know, there's a lot of things that you can do. And that really became a launching point for me to really create my own kind of identity in the community economic development space. Fast forward to 2015. I was kind of thinking about these other programs and projects and kind of presented this to my current employer, which is a CDFI at the time. And I said, you know, I think there's a way that we can be more impactful. There's a way that we can really change people's lives and we can start around business ownership. And so I took this idea and you know, I'm pretty sure people have seen versions or heard versions of this story where, where it's like I took the idea and they said, you know, this is a good idea, but we don't want you to do it.
John
Yeah, the head pat.
Dr. Tim Lamkin
And I said, okay, that's fine. Well, I'm gonna resign and I'm going to put all of my energy and effort to build this thing that I truly believe in. And then fast forward, later in that year, I was able to be invited to the White House to talk about this kind of vision for the Delta. And then in 2016, we launched higher Purpose. Go.
John
I mean, talk about listening to your nudge and taking the great leap of faith and to just think about that kind of a beginning. Dr. Tim, like you just went for it. And what is standing there today is such a. A beautiful, vibrant, community centric organization that has such thriving tentacles into so many different programs. I mean, I, I'm so proud of you and I'm so happy this exists in the world and it's so joy filled. So could you highlight some of your programs and the partnerships that are in Higher Purpose co because many of them have significantly advanced economic justice in your region. They have elevated human being ideas. Like, talk to us a little bit about it.
Dr. Tim Lamkin
Well, you know, I could talk all day about our work, so I'll try to be brief but also impactful. So what we recognize is that we had to become what we believe as kind of a void filler. So we talk about our work as being solutionaries and really thinking about how we can organize. And so one of the biggest things that we saw is that there was a disconnect between around just community education. And so as people know, there's a lot of information out there about how to start a business, how to grow a business. But what we really understood is that there needs to be a way that we can kind of almost cipher through the information and really provide it in a digestible way. And so community education really became a very core element of our work. Leaning into supporting business ownership, working with farmers and artists and entrepreneurs, particularly first generation entrepreneurs. So that was really critical for us. The second part that we recognize is that in order to really bring viability to these businesses in our communities, that we had to also be a capital convener and capital matchmaker. And so we launched the Higher Purpose funding network in 2019 with support from the Surtner foundation and a few other Foundations that were saying, hey, you know, you have this crazy idea, Tim, how are you going to make it work? Well, since 2019, we've deployed over $1.5 million to businesses, and that has been direct grants, that's been loans, loan guarantees, leveraging philanthropic capital to be a re granting mechanism for businesses. One of the things that I get really excited about is the. That the way that we're able to kind of humanize the capital access experience. Right. So when we think about traditional financial institutions, and there's a lot of data out there that shows that a lot of particularly black and brown communities get denied access to capital, or they just don't even apply because of their fear being denied and their rejection. And so we've made a lot of progress in terms of integrating joy into our process. Even when people apply for funding, we have motivational quotes and aspirations to really soften and really make that experience really liberating. Not necessarily something that they're dreading. And so our funding network has been really exciting to see, and we've been able to create more impact over the years with that. One of our newest programs is Higher Purpose Food, and this is a procurement commitment to farmers and food entrepreneurs. We just launched this in the last six months, and we're really excited to be tapped by the CDC foundation to really be a part of a national Hunger and Nutrition collaborative where we're working in conjunction with the Robert Wood Johnson foundation and the White House to really convene about how can we shape the systems that really create access to. I mean, to hinder access to quality, fresh food. And so that initiative has been really exciting, and we're really leaning more into these national models that allow us to be more impactful, not just in the state, but across the region as we continue to make impact.
John
Okay. I am so, so amazed at what you've done and the way you are leveraging partnerships to fuel growth within your community, which fuels more grants. I mean, like, you can literally. I feel like I can see the ripple of this funding starting to create economic possibilities. You're doing it on such a big scale, Tim. I mean, working with the CDC foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. These are really big organizations and grantors, and you have built this relationship, and we are so proud and excited that this is in the world. Bravo.
Dr. Tim Lamkin
Thank you so much. Yeah, it's been a really interesting journey. I mean, we're almost nine years into this work. Who would have thought it years ago, like, starting this? And I think the other beauty about this is that we've been able to not just, you know, provide joy that it's wrapped up in real impact. So when we talk about, you know, job creation, creation, you know, we looked at our numbers from, you know, 2021, we've created over 400 jobs in the state. Right. When we think about creating personal assets, you know, we did our membership survey. About 40% of our members had increased their personal assets. Right. And so it's not just about, you know, kind of one thing. It's really creating a ecosystem of economic opportunity that I really get excited about. And, you know, the biggest project that we are working on right now is the Higher Purpose Hub. You may have saw this in some of the media that we received over $2.2 million from the federal government to establish this economic opportunity center. And this is really the combination of all those years of really doing our programs. But now we have a home where we'll centralize our services and programs. But we're also offering other amenities that will be to uplift the community, such as a public art gallery, a civil rights museum, a food hall and market, as well as we're working with several other entities to be housed inside our hub. So we're really thinking about this as a space, the hub being a space and also a strategy for the organization to think about this as a regional economic opportunity hub for Mississippi and across the mid south South.
D
Gosh, I mean, yeah, we completely celebrate that grant coming in. I was going to ask you about that, so I'm glad you brought it up because, my friend, I feel like you're activating at such a direct level. You're speaking to the impact that's happening within families, within the community. Can I ask you about something that really struck me looking at Yalls work too? Is that your desire to really shift the narrative, you know, some of the preconceived beliefs and biases that are out there. This is work that I think, you know, we're really passionate about. We sometimes call it marketing is mission is like, how do we tell a story? That's also like helping to change people's minds about issues and maybe educate people and just open doorways to more healthy conversations about how we can do this together. Would you talk for a second about what's worked as you've thought, at a bigger macro level of like, how do we shape the community's perceived, you know, understanding of some of these issues too?
Dr. Tim Lamkin
Well, that's a great question, and I often get that. And I respond by saying we first had to change the stories we were telling ourselves as. As an organization, right? As when we organize, we said, what are the stories that we've been told? And then what are the stories that we need to tell to really kind of debunk the preconceived notions? So we started there, and that was really critical for us because we cannot go and be advocates for a new if we're still believing that the old story is true.
D
And so that's so good.
Dr. Tim Lamkin
So that was. Yeah, so that was really important for us. Like, let's tell ourselves the different stories and really allow that to be rooted in who we are and what we do and how we move and the culture of our organization. And that's why when people see my team, they're like, your team is so happy. Why? Because we believe in a different story. We believe in a different narrative about Mississippi. So I think that's the first point. The second thing that we did was we started to really change who the narrators were. Right. We actually put ourselves in position so we can tell different stories, but also creating a platform and opportunities for the communities that we work with and members of our community to actually be kind of keepers and advocates of their own story stories, right? So one of the biggest stories that we came out with early, we talked about the Young family farm. They had been married, like, 25 years, had 40 acres of land, had moved away from Mississippi up north, and came back. No one knew who they were. No one knew that they were making their own wine in the Mississippi Delta. We put that story out there, and that story just blew up. Why did we do that? We wanted to make sure people understood that underneath all of the drama and these other lies about Mississippi, that there's a lot of good work happening. And if you only see the glass half full, you're going to miss a lot of joy. A lot of promising opportunities being created. We've done that through written articles. We've also done several short documentaries about our work, highlighting the different organizations and entities that we work with. And so that's really part of us, our strategy through Higher Purpose Films. That's a key piece of our work where we're not just waiting for someone to come in and tell our stories. We're telling our stories very consistently. And we'll be doing more of that as we continue to go into the next couple of months, because we want to make sure that no one gets it twisted about what's happening in Mississippi. And we're going to continue to do this work with folks helping us. But by all means necessary. This is not something that we're waiting on someone to come help us with because we're going to do this work regardless because we truly believe in the transformation of our communities. And I think the other beauty about this is our work is super intergenerational. You can come to anything that we're having and you will see a college student in the room. You will see someone in their mid career, professional era. You'll see someone that's 70 in the room, being in this space, pouring into each other, soaking up the knowledge and the connections and the resources. And so I think that's the other thing about what we're building. It is not just silo to one particular generation that we're touching everybody in the family. And that is a story that we want to continue to lift up as well.
John
Okay, we have chills. There's so much to be gleaned here because I do think people may have come to hear the incredible story of what your nonprofit is doing to create this economic justice and to really start to scale opportunities. But what I think they're going to get as the icing on the cake is for you to say, we believe in the transformation of our communities. We own this story. We are driving the narrative. And we really, really believe in this notion of collective power and how it can build community. And you're right, it starts in grounding people in their values and what they care about. So thank you for talking about how to be not only a liberatory leader, but how to be someone that owns our narrative and uses it to scale others. So I want to talk for a second just a little bit more about this economic justice and cross, cross sector collaborations because we want to give people some practical tips. Like what would you recommend for non profits that really want to go deeply into this economic justice movement and really start to build sustainable community wealth models in their regions. Can you have some tips for them?
Dr. Tim Lamkin
Well, you know, one of the things that we have been doing over the last year is really looking at what the community needs and also our capacity. I think I've seen so many times where the need doesn't match capacity and then both entities and parties are disappointed at the end. Right. Because the nonprofit or the social impact firm commits to something and doesn't have the capacity and then the community gets excited about it and then it doesn't come out the right way and there's this big sense of disappointment. What we've been really trying to do is scale rightly and timely to move with the community What I mean by that is that we've been doing this work quite some time and there's still a lot of learning and also unlearning that needs to happen. And so being able to right size our scalability has been really critical to also match the need of the community. The other part that we've been able to do is understand that this work that we're doing is not just in a silo here in our state. It's also leaning on national partners, regional partners to be a learning organization. And I think a lot of organizations do not spend enough time just learning, not evaluating, but learning. And there's both can coexist. But I'm truly advocating for more organizations to spend time just learning. And I think that provides us a different type of position because we're not just thinking about what's happening in Mississippi, we're thinking about okay, if we make this decision, how is this going to impact our friends and our partners in Arkansas and Louisiana, in Georgia, how are we thinking about our statement or our position on this particular issue? How is that going to be a ripple effect to our colleagues in D.C. that we're having conversations with? So I think that learning and understanding where your leverage points are in your ecosystem is also really critical. I think the last thing I would say is, and this is just kind of a tried and true for me is that that we also have to make sure that we're continuing to do things with the community. And I want that to land because I've seen so many people say we're doing these things to or doing these things for instead of with. Because if there is not a true understanding that people that you are serving that understand that you that you are going to be in it with them, it is a difficult uphill battle in my opinion to really get the trust, the type of impact and the resources that you truly need. So, you know, that is something that I have been taught for quite some time and I am still seeing a lot of organizations make mistakes as it relates to doing community development, economic development work where it is very self serving in some regards. It is not truly rooted in the community needs. And so I think doing a temperature check is always relevant, particularly where we are right now in our country to say, hey, are we doing the right work with the right people at the right time? And if it's not an immediate yet, yes, then it causes for us to go into deliberation with ourselves, with our partners to really understand what are we really trying to do, what problem are we really Trying to solve. Because I think that also gets us into thinking about this work on a systems change level versus thinking about this as kind of a how do we address kind of the byproduct of the main problem? It's more about what is the main problem that we're trying to solve. So I could talk about this all day, but I hope that was helpful to folks that are listening and seeing this.
D
I mean, so many things that I think would be whole episodes to talk about, but I think prepositions matter. You know, it's like, is it for. Is it with. How are we doing this community engagement piece of our work? And I love that you're leading with curiosity. The idea of just always learning. Like, I think that is inclusion. Yeah. So beautiful. Well, I mean, I wanted to ask you about cross sector collaborations. Clearly, y'all are incredible at that. But you struck a chord in me a few minutes ago when you talked about the intergenerational aspect of your work that your community gathers and there's people across generations sitting and sounding, getting curious with each other and talking to each other and helping each other. What advice would you have in building a community that really bridges that? Because I think it's a barrier to many shops. You know, you tend to be kind of put ourselves in pockets with same generation and same kind of mindsets. How has it worked for y'all?
Dr. Tim Lamkin
Well, I'll be very transparent. You know, we were doing our work mostly for, you know, adults. Right. Looking at probably the. The 35 to 45 age range, not necessarily trying to.
Becky
That's us. I know we're your target audience.
John
Yes.
Dr. Tim Lamkin
Yeah. Not necessarily going after that demographic, but that's who we originally were attracting. And then in the pandemic, we saw a huge shift in older population coming and being more interested and curious about our work. As we came out of the pandemic here in the last two years, we noticed that there was more young people saying, hey, you know, I'm in college and I heard about your organization. How do I get plugged in? And so we started to have these really internal conversations around, what does that look like? How do we create a on ramp to youth being engaged with our work? And how do we create spaces, safe spaces for everyone to exist and feel heard and feel seen. And so we've been able to do that in a couple different ways. And one of the. The success stories is actually our business summit that we've been doing for the last nine years. And this year we actually made it intergenerational, where we had youth in their own track of programming and the adults had their own track of programming. And it was just really beautiful to see that we were all talking about business ownership in a way that folks can really receive it and understand it. And so we had over 500 people to come out out to our annual Money Purpose Success summit that we've been doing. And we're really excited to do it again in 2025 and beyond. Because for us, it's really about creating a platform and really building that agency where people can see entrepreneurship, business ownership not as a second thought, but a potential plan A for them. Because. Because so many young people in particular have been trained and socialized that you're going to graduate from high school, graduate from college, and go work for someone else. And I'm not saying that that's not a pathway for some folks, but what we're trying to do is at least provide some exposure to the possibility of being a business owner and also these other elements that we've talked about in terms of leaning more into this economic justice. So that's been really exciting to see. And this weekend, you know, we are excited about what we're doing here in Clarksdale, Mississippi for our Higher Purpose Fest, which is focused on food and music and wellness. And we're expecting over 5,000 people to come out to this festival. And again, this is another intentional way to. To really build economic opportunity, but also to create these intergenerational experiences for folks here in Mississippi.
John
Wow, there's so much here. I mean, what a beautiful example of cross sectional partnerships. I mean, we have talked today about aligned fundraising. We've talked about trust based philanthropy. We've talked about safe communities of belonging and ethical storytelling and empowered narrative framing. Like, there's so much goodness going on here, Tim. And I just thank you for the way you're leading with such an inclusive perspective where it feels so much less about Tim and it feels so much more about what the community is going to bring to bear to make itself a thriving ecosystem. So I hope that many of you who are listening, like, took a lot of nuggets. I hope you see the possibilities of this for your community. So we really celebrate. Stories story on this podcast, Tim. And I am wondering if there is a story of maybe philanthropy, generosity, kindness that happened to you in your life that really stuck out and stayed with you. Would you share one of those stories with us today?
Dr. Tim Lamkin
Yeah, great question. I remember my first real internship and my mentor, Deacon Reuben Smith, was adamant about providing some support. And so he went around the community and organized and raised money for me to stay in Jackson, Mississippi for the summer to expose me to the banking industry, to understand what was happening at that time in kind of pre housing crisis in our country. And so for me, him, you know, being probably in his 60s at the time, seeing that I didn't, I didn't even ask for the money. It was more like, where are you going to stay? I was like, I don't know. Okay, I'll figure it out. And raising that money for me from other church members and community members and to have a place to stay. And also he understood the importance of me learning and being in, in this space around, you know, finance and. And here I am today, right. I'm still doing, you know, a lot of these different pieces in the background for the organization. So that was one of the most impactful moments for me because again, it was someone that saw the best of me. All right. And I think that's the beauty about the work that we do now. I see the best of Mississippi. I see the best in my community, the best in my team. And for me it's really about helping people before they ask for the help. So how do we get ahead of the need and anticipate the need and be in a position to serve and lift folks up as we climb together? And I really feel like that moment for me was instrumental to my success. So that's one of the stories that I could share. There's plenty of stories I can share, but that was one that resonated the most and I think was timely for this discussion.
John
Is Reuben still alive?
Dr. Tim Lamkin
No, Reuben is not still alive. He passed away probably about five years ago.
John
We dedicate this episode to him because I just think about like you, the higher purpose co started with Ruben's belief and I just think about that investment and how that spread to so many people. And it is such a legacy. Like you came in and gave so much more than you received and that's been such a beautiful start of your story and. Oh, I'm so glad you told that one.
Dr. Tim Lamkin
Thank you so much. Yeah, his. His wife is still living and we talk often. She is so excited about what we're doing and comes to a lot of things that we have and it's just been a beautiful kind of journey and people that knew Ruben. When I am in certain spaces, you remind me of somebody and it's like, oh my God. So it's really interesting the kind of the mark that he left on my life and yeah, being able to fill these Big Shoes has been just a joy and I'm deeply grateful to do this work. It's just an honor and I tell my team all the time, I'm so grateful that I get a chance to do this work with you because it is a true life changing experience to be of service in a place where people understand that you're not looking at them, looking down on them. Right? It's like, no, we're in this thing together. I am going to carry the load as much as I can to help us navigate these moments.
D
Gosh, Tim, thank you for taking us into your story. I mean, the stories of generosity never get old. The stories of community never get old and you just live this out in your life. So I just hope that everyone listening today takes a second to go check out higher purpose. It's higherpurposeco.org you can learn all about their work and get connected with him on LinkedIn or follow him on Becky's. You got him on like TikTok and.
John
Instagram and all the places his Instagram is fire. Yes, totally.
D
So yeah, lean into this movement. Reach out to connect about community and just thank you so much for being here. What an incredible episode.
Dr. Tim Lamkin
Thank you so much.
Hey friends, before we wrap today's episode, we wanted to tell you about a an incredible new tool designed for mission driven organizations like yours. It's designed to help you save time, reduce your workload and even help you raise more money for your mission.
Becky
Meet Cadenza, an intelligent AI backed hub for your organization's knowledge, storytelling and impact. Nonprofits use Cadenza as their source of truth by training the tool with their own impact data, relevant content, storytelling and more. Then Cadenza secures surely uses this knowledge to help you work smarter and with more ease.
Dr. Tim Lamkin
Cadenza can also help you identify aligned funding opportunities, but even better, it helps you efficiently craft grant applications in your unique style and tone. And of course your impact and stewardship. Reporting becomes so much easier with just a few clicks.
Becky
With Cadenza, your org can move at the speed of AI. Sound like Cadenza might be a fit for your organization? Take a test drive with our friends today and experience how Cadenza can help.
John
You grow your mission's impact this year.
Dr. Tim Lamkin
So schedule your free demo by visiting getcadenza.com or follow the link in this episode's description. Be sure to tell them we here for good.
Becky
Sent.
Podcast Summary: We Are For Good Podcast - Episode 586
Title: The Story of Higher Purpose Co.: Igniting Economic Justice in Mississippi - Dr. Tim Lampkin
Release Date: November 25, 2024
Host: We Are For Good (Jon McCoy, CFRE and Becky Endicott, CFRE)
Guest: Dr. Tim Lamkin, Founder and CEO of Higher Purpose Co.
In Episode 586 of the We Are For Good Podcast, hosts Jon McCoy and Becky Endicott engage in an inspiring conversation with Dr. Tim Lamkin, the dynamic founder and CEO of Higher Purpose Co. This episode delves deep into Dr. Tim’s journey, the inception and growth of Higher Purpose Co., and its pivotal role in advancing economic justice in Mississippi. The discussion is enriched with personal anecdotes, strategic insights, and actionable advice for nonprofit professionals striving to make a significant impact.
Dr. Tim Lamkin shares his early experiences that ignited his passion for economic justice and community development. Growing up in Chicago’s West Side, Tim spent summers in Mississippi with his grandparents, observing a self-sustaining community that thrived through mutual support and collaboration.
Dr. Tim Lamkin [03:46]: “I really believe that I am trying to recreate that childhood experience in real time now by giving people something that was so precious to me.”
Moving permanently to Mississippi in middle school, Tim was mentored by Deacon Reuben Smith, a staunch advocate for social justice and education. This mentorship instilled in him the ethos that his work was meant to uplift the broader community.
Dr. Tim Lamkin [03:46]: “Everything that I have, everything that I do, is not for me. It's really to be a blessing to others.”
After gaining extensive experience in community economic development and recognizing the limitations of the corporate model, Dr. Tim took a bold step in 2015 by resigning from his position at a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) to establish Higher Purpose Co. His vision was to create an organization that could more effectively support economic opportunity and empower black communities in Mississippi.
John [09:14]: “Dr. Tim is doing all three of those, Tim, it's just awe-inspiring.”
In 2016, following an invitation to discuss his vision at the White House, Higher Purpose Co. was officially launched. Since then, the organization has grown into a vibrant, community-centric nonprofit with multiple impactful programs.
Launched in 2019 with support from the Surtner Foundation, the Higher Purpose Funding Network serves as a capital convener and matchmaker for businesses in Mississippi. To date, the network has deployed over $1.5 million in direct grants, loans, and loan guarantees, facilitating business ownership and economic growth.
Dr. Tim Lamkin [10:36]: “We have deployed over $1.5 million to businesses, and that has been direct grants, that's been loans, loan guarantees.”
A distinctive feature of this program is its focus on humanizing the capital access experience, making the process liberating rather than daunting for applicants.
Recently introduced, Higher Purpose Food is a procurement initiative aimed at supporting farmers and food entrepreneurs. Partnering with prominent organizations like the CDC Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, this program is part of a national Hunger and Nutrition collaborative addressing access to quality, fresh food.
Dr. Tim Lamkin [13:00]: “We're working in conjunction with the Robert Wood Johnson foundation and the White House to really convene about how can we shape the systems that create access to quality, fresh food.”
With a significant federal grant of over $2.2 million, the Higher Purpose Hub is set to become an economic opportunity center in Mississippi. This centralized hub will offer services and programs alongside amenities like a public art gallery, a civil rights museum, a food hall, and a market, fostering a vibrant community space.
Dr. Tim Lamkin [16:58]: “We're really thinking about this as a space, the hub being a space and also a strategy for the organization to think about this as a regional economic opportunity hub for Mississippi and across the mid-south.”
A core component of Higher Purpose Co.'s strategy is redefining the narrative around Mississippi. By actively changing internal stories and empowering community members to share their own, the organization counters negative stereotypes and highlights the positive developments within the state.
Dr. Tim Lamkin [18:30]: “We started to really change who the narrators were. We actually put ourselves in position so we can tell different stories.”
One notable example is the story of the Young family farm, which challenged existing perceptions by showcasing local agricultural innovation.
Dr. Tim Lamkin [19:00]: “We wanted to make sure people understood that underneath all of the drama... there's a lot of good work happening.”
Higher Purpose Co. places significant emphasis on intergenerational engagement, ensuring that diverse age groups are involved in community-building activities. This approach fosters mutual learning and strengthens community bonds.
Dr. Tim Lamkin [28:23]: “Creating spaces, safe spaces for everyone to exist and feel heard and feel seen.”
The annual Money Purpose Success Summit exemplifies this by offering separate programming tracks for youth and adults, promoting inclusive participation.
Dr. Tim Lamkin [29:00]: “It's really about creating a platform and really building that agency where people can see entrepreneurship, business ownership not as a second thought, but a potential plan A for them.”
When asked for advice, Dr. Tim emphasizes the importance of aligning organizational capacity with community needs, continual learning, and genuine collaboration.
Scale Rightly and Timely: Ensure that the scale of your initiatives matches the community's capacity and needs.
Dr. Tim Lamkin [23:00]: “Being able to right size our scalability has been really critical to also match the need of the community.”
Engage in Continuous Learning: Organizations should prioritize learning and understanding their ecosystem to enhance their impact beyond local boundaries.
Dr. Tim Lamkin [23:30]: “We're thinking about how our decisions impact our partners in Arkansas and Louisiana, Georgia, and even D.C.”
Collaborate with the Community: True impact stems from working with the community, not for them, fostering trust and mutual growth.
Dr. Tim Lamkin [24:10]: “Doing a temperature check is always relevant... Are we doing the right work with the right people at the right time?”
Dr. Tim shares a heartfelt story about his mentor, Deacon Reuben Smith, who demonstrated profound generosity by securing support for Tim’s first internship in the banking industry.
Dr. Tim Lamkin [32:49]: “He went around the community and organized and raised money for me to stay in Jackson... That was one of the most impactful moments for me.”
This act of kindness not only provided immediate support but also inspired Tim to prioritize helping others anticipate and meet their needs proactively.
In a touching tribute, the hosts dedicate the episode to Deacon Reuben Smith, acknowledging his lasting impact on Dr. Tim and the foundational role he played in the establishment of Higher Purpose Co.
John [35:22]: “We dedicate this episode to him because I just think about like you, the higher purpose co started with Ruben's belief...”
The episode closes with encouragement for listeners to engage with Higher Purpose Co. and embrace the movement towards economic justice and community empowerment.
This episode of We Are For Good offers a comprehensive and inspiring look into the work of Higher Purpose Co. and Dr. Tim Lamkin’s unwavering commitment to fostering economic justice in Mississippi. Through strategic programs, community-centric storytelling, and intergenerational engagement, Higher Purpose Co. exemplifies how nonprofits can drive systemic change and build sustainable community wealth.
Key Quotes:
Dr. Tim Lamkin [03:46]: “Everything that I have, everything that I do, is not for me. It's really to be a blessing to others.”
Dr. Tim Lamkin [10:36]: “We have deployed over $1.5 million to businesses, and that has been direct grants, that's been loans, loan guarantees.”
Dr. Tim Lamkin [18:30]: “We started to really change who the narrators were. We actually put ourselves in position so we can tell different stories.”
Dr. Tim Lamkin [28:23]: “Creating spaces, safe spaces for everyone to exist and feel heard and feel seen.”
Dr. Tim Lamkin [32:49]: “He went around the community and organized and raised money for me to stay in Jackson... That was one of the most impactful moments for me.”
Learn More:
Join the movement towards making a greater impact by engaging with Higher Purpose Co. and other inspiring initiatives featured on the We Are For Good Podcast.