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How Jack Dorsey Is Helping Build This Non-Profit

This article is more than 6 years old.

Suzanne McKechnie Klahr

Suzanne McKechnie Klahr is the Founder & CEO of BUILD, a Silicon Valley-based non-profit dedicated to using entrepreneurship to equip kids in under-resourced communities for high school, college, and career success. BUILD has expanded from its Northern California roots to become a force for social good in Boston, Washington D.C., and New York City and has seen impressive results. Most significantly, over 90 percent of its seniors have gone on to college.

Klahr has also lectured at both Harvard Law School & Stanford Law School on the subject of Social Entrepreneurship, a course concept she pioneered and implemented as first-of-its-kind in any U.S. law school. Prior to founding BUILD in 1999, Suzanne worked as an attorney, with a focus on community economic development.

Here's a portion of Suzanne's story in her own words:

Pivotal Moment of Reinvention

When my firstborn, Alexander, was born prematurely with a typically fatal condition.. While still running BUILD, I sat vigil by his crib in the neonatal intensive care unit, willing him to live. I learned then about what matters most and how many important things are out of my control. I vowed to live every day with meaning and purpose and not be afraid. (Alexander is now a healthy and happy 13 year old!)

Valuable Mentor/Sponsor

I have two and they are wildly different. The first would be my Grandmother Ruth who passed away 8 years ago on her 97th birthday. Ruth was a warrior. She went to Cornell at age 16 when women (especially Jewish women) rarely went to college. She graduated and traveled the country as a playwright. She married late, had children later and went back to school in her 70s to get an advanced degree and founded a non-profit. She was my champion, my ally, my support, and my very best friend. I feel so lucky to have had her in my life.

The second is Twitter and Square Co-Founder, Jack Dorsey, who also serves on the BUILD Board of Directors. Jack is brilliant, creative and committed. He sees the world in an expansive way and no matter how busy he is lives up to the commitments he makes to BUILD and our students. He is direct but never harsh, succinct but never rude, visionary while still being able to see the smaller critical details and he pushes me to be a better CEO and leader. Jack has said, “All the most important tools that entrepreneurs use to build companies are learned by BUILD students. It’s amazing to see. To have the support, the infrastructure and the mentorship that these kids have to build a business and to really gain the confidence to go out, speak, and create something new – it’s something that I wish I had when I was thirteen and fourteen.”

Moonshot Goal

I want to scale BUILD from a great regional organization to a catalytic model to engage all students that we are leaving behind.

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