Age 39
After considerable success in the for-profit sector as an entrepreneur, Greg Bott still felt like something was missing. With a desire to broaden his understanding of the world, he returned to school to complete a doctorate in non-profit governance and leadership.
For his thesis, Bott sat down with staff and board members from about 20 non-profit organizations, and asked them one simple thing — to tell him a story. “There was a lot of emotion in those stories,” he says. “It opened me up to a different world.”
The individuals from one organization in particular made an impact because of how big their hearts were — Boyle Street Community Services. “I could just tell the people were super innovative, open, kind, inclusive. It was a place you wanted to be.”
So, that’s where he went for the next chapter in his career. He joined the board and two years later, became chair during an exciting time in the organization’s history. Boyle Street is undertaking a capital campaign to raise funds, and is in the process of constructing a new building to better meet the needs of the people it serves.
Bott continues to be impressed by the people he now works alongside, and is grateful to have even a small part in the ambitious project. “Every time I interact with staff or with community members, you just come out a better person yourself.”
He helps guide one of the city’s most crucial community services
This article appears in the November 2022 issue of Edify
