The District Magazine Vol. 2 Issue 5, Winter 2017-18 | Page 10

S T A R T U P CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 A few months ago I had the great fortune of meeting Jon Dengler. Jon is no ordinary non-profit leader. He doesn’t sit in an office or hold suited up corporate meetings. His nonprofit doesn’t host galas or arms length fundraising campaigns. Jon’s personal dedication to his cause has led to a grassroots following and most recently, a start up with the capacity to change the landscape of Tampa forever. Jon and a team of friends have spent more than a decade committing themselves to stand with and do their best to love the poor throughout Tampa. Not just on Sundays, holidays or special company retreats but everyday in every way possible. With the vision of “Needs met, bridges built, a city made whole”, they created opportunities to build relationships through meals, groceries, hygiene products, or clothing. They worked to meet material needs in a way that gave them the opportunity to be in relationship, which meets a deeper need in all of us. Over time, what they found as they walked and worked with the homeless and working poor in Tampa, a city which has the second highest per capita populations of homeless neighbors in the country, is that behind the simple and obvious needs that we all see - food, clothes, shelter - are underlying issues such as a lack of ownership and access. And one way to address this deeper issue of access is through reliable personal transportation, which opens up the city, it’s economy, and it’s many opportunities. Over the last three years, Jon and his team have run a bike co-op program, The Well’s Recycle Bin, offering those needing transportation a place and resources to build their own bike. Started almost by accident, with one Well volunteer who rode bikes helping a neighbor in need with theirs. Little by little this flame was fanned and the initiative snow-balled. In time the shop was almost completely run by neighbors who had originally come in to get a bike for themselves and through their continued participation, took ownership of the work, and the shop itself. A beautiful community arose out of our shared work. A family of men and women you might see riding around Tampa in a 10 10 group ride, affectionately referring to themselves as ‘The Well’s Angels.’ To date they have helped provide well over 1,000 bikes. Along the way they realized there was a business model to help support this effort that was a step above the typical philanthropic model and WellBuilt Bike Shop was born. A retail location, anchoring the reemergence of University Mall, WellBuilt bikes is a non-profit bike shop that sells refurbished bikes at affordable prices and invests the sales revenue into an Earn-A-Bike program so those who lack funds can access and own a bike of their own. WellBuilt Bikes is a great business opportunity that answers a very real need in our city. Jon and his team are the right people, using the right tool, and they need our help to grow their capacity. Need a casual bike for afternoon rides on Bayshore? Consider one of their refurbished options. Looking for a place to donate a bike you no longer use? Let the WellBuilt team make it new again. A need for sustainable, affordable transportation is something that transcends economic boundaries and provides common ground for all in our city. Bicycling is something that so many people depend on and enjoy. WellBuilt bikes believes the uplifting community rides, events, and the essential services associated with bike ownership should not be exclusive to those with money and social standing. By accessing bikes that would've been garbage, as well as donations from supportive neighbors, they ensure all people who need a bike are able to own one! By providing free workshops to the public, they ensure those bikes are ridden responsibly. WellBuilt believes bicycles are an integral part of making Tampa a successful and healthy city, and that by working together to provide support to all cyclists, we can really make our city shine! As we kick off 2018, we can and should remember those in need, around the world and in our own community. People like Jon, who go beyond what is worthy to what is extraordinary, inspire us to do more, to think creatively and to create entrepreneurial business models that meet needs. This is what true innovation looks like.