Citybiz Interview with Todd Scott, Founder of We Rise

Growing up in Baltimore the odds were stacked against Todd. At the age of 6 his father was shot and paralyzed in Latrobe Homes, an East Baltimore Public Housing Project where we lived. Less than a year later he died from the gunshot injuries.

Todd’s mother was forced to raise him and his brother alone. She saw something in Todd that he did not see in myself. When Todd graduated from high school, his mother had the audacity and the foresight to register him for college at Morgan State University. Todd’s academic success at Morgan State led to several job offers in New York. He accepted a job with J.P. Morgan on the Government Bond Trading Floor on Wall Street.

Todd was encouraged early in his professional life to be a mentor. His involvement in mentorship programs started over 3 decades ago with the Big Brothers Program.

Todd realized that he needed to do more. He founded We Rise because it would allow him the opportunity to develop a program based on what the youth were telling him and his team of the issues they are encountering. It was important to add another essential element to We Rise. Safe, decent, and affordable homeownership is critically important to We Rise in addition to mentoring.

Todd’s passion is spending time with his wife and three sons. They keep him balanced.

About We RiseWe Rise aims to remove blight from inner-City Baltimore neighborhoods by turning abandoned and dilapidated homes or lots into livable dwellings to be sold at affordable prices. We Rise aims to avoid traditional gentrification practices and instead focuses on creating homeownership opportunities for those within the communities they develop.

We Rise program mentees, led by mentors with ties to the Baltimore community, are actively involved in the revitalization projects (from start to finish) as an education mechanism about wealth attainment and management, real estate markets and practices, community development, and organization, and more.

Interview questions:

Introduction | Please provide an introduction to We Rise?

The Broadway East Project | What is the Broadway East project and the different phases planned?

Partnerships | Who are some of the key community and corporate partnerships? Esp. Department of Juvenile Services.

Your Story | Can you tell us about your childhood, attending Morgan State, and landing a job at JP Morgan?

Career | You presently are Deputy Director of Business Development & Strategic Partnerships at Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. Tell us about your responsibilities.

Better Baltimore | What are the critical elements of building a better Baltimore?

Crowdfunding | How will the projects be funded? Tell us about the GoFundMe campaign?

We Rise has received 501c3 designation from the IRS. We had one crowdfunding prior to IRS 501c3 designation. Here is a link to the donation page: https://www.werisecommunity.com/donate

Future Plan |Can you share the future plans for We Rise?

Blogs:

Finding a Purpose

Introducing Dolores Deel

A Message from Todd


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