Kimberly Roland with Better Business Bureau and Katelyn Harris Lange with Y Scouts E6
For more than 100 years, the Better Business Bureau has been helping people find businesses, brands, and charities they can trust. In 2018, people turned to the Better Business Bureau more than 173 million times for BBB Business Profiles on nearly 5.4 million businesses and Charity Reports on 11,000 charities, all available for free on BBB.org. Nearly 400,000 BBB Accredited Businesses support the mission of the Better Business Bureau, and their dues and contributions allow BBB to offer its information and services to consumers at no charge.
Kimberly Roland is the Director of Entrepreneur Programs for Better Business Bureau serving the Pacific Southwest (BBB).
She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Humanistic Studies from Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame and her Master of Arts in Social Justice and Human Rights with a Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership Management from Arizona State University.
Kimberly is responsible for the design and implementation of entrepreneur programming at BBB, including the development of new services for both accredited businesses and small business startups. She recently directed the buildout and launch of ignite sparked by BBB, a community coworking and collaboration space in Central Phoenix.
Prior to joining the BBB, she served as the Manager of Partner Relations in Entrepreneurship + Innovation at ASU where she managed programs and external partnerships in the greater business and startup community. Kimberly also serves on the Greater Phoenix Chamber Valley Young Professional Board of Directors and Phoenix Suns Charities 88 Board in addition to being the City Organizer for the House of Genius Phoenix Chapter.
She is a native Arizonan with a passion for serving and supporting local businesses.
Y Scouts helps leaders hire on purpose, so their businesses have the greatest positive impact. Y Scouts doesn’t do placements, they align leaders and work. Placement is a cold top-down approach, focusing on resumes and filling empty seats.
By hiring on purpose, Y Scouts takes the broken vertical model and flips it on its side, creating horizontal alignment between leader and company.
They bridge the gap between the business purpose and a leader’s passions and strengths. The Y Scouts approach to hiring is purposeful, methodical and driven by empathy.
Katelyn Harris Lange is a leadership search specialist (executive recruiter) with Y Scouts, a local B Corp, working to reorient hiring around values and fulfillment. Her previous experience working in inpatient mental health and addiction spurred her belief that as a community, we can design better and do more.
She is a philanthropist serving as Advocacy Committee Co-chair for the African-American Women’s Giving and Empowerment Circle, Civic Engagement Chair with the Greater Phoenix Urban League Young Professionals, and the current Diversity and Inclusion Director with Net Impact Phoenix Professionals.
Her partnership with Local First Arizona Foundation Executive Director, Kimber Lanning, brought Transform Finance to Phoenix in March to host a two-day place-based workshop for local social justice leaders on shifting capital.
Connect with Katelyn on LinkedIn and Twitter and follow Y Scouts on Facebook and Instagram.
About Arizona Good Business Radio
What is good business? What are local businesses doing to build a better Arizona?
Join Arizona Good Business Radio to hear from local companies who are:
- Centering purpose at the forefront of business
- Creating social well-being for the community
- Prioritizing sustainability and positive environmental practices
- Growing strong company cultures through building authentic teams
- Ensuring diversity, equity, and inclusion are involved in all business decisions
Arizona Good Business Radio features local business leaders that are redefining what it means to do good business.
About Your Host
Thomas Barr is the Executive Director for Local First Arizona, the largest coalition of local businesses in North America. He advocates for a strong local business community that contributes to building vibrancy, equity, and prosperity across the state. A proud Arizona native and graduate of Arizona State University,Thomas leads the business coalition of Local First Arizona by advocating for the economic and cultural benefits provided by building strong local economies.
Thomas steers the strategic direction of LFA’s major programs and initiatives as well as the engagement of over 3000 businesses across Arizona. As Executive Director, Thomas guides a team of statewide senior directors overseeing the execution of LFA’s communication strategy, major initiatives and key partnerships, as well as the collaboration of over 30 staff implementing work in entrepreneurship programs, small business advocacy, local food initiatives, sustainability, urban development and community building. He frequently speaks to groups locally and nationally, presenting the impact of Local First Arizona and the importance of local economy work in building prosperity.
Outside of Local First Arizona, Thomas has participated in volunteering his time to many causes and organizations throughout the Valley including Young Nonprofit Professionals – Phoenix, Equality Arizona, Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits, Arizona Commission on the Arts, Heritage Square Foundation and Phoenix Legal Action Network. Additionally, Thomas is a 2018 Phoenix Magazine 40 Under 40 honoree, alumni of Arizona Leading for Change, and current participant in Valley Leadership Institute’s 40th cohort.
Connect with Thomas on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Local First AZ
Local First Arizona is a nonprofit organization that celebrates independent, locally owned businesses. We support, promote and advocate for a strong local business community and raise public awareness of the economic and cultural benefits provided by strong local economies. Local businesses contribute to a sustainable economy for Arizona and build vibrant communities we’re all proud to call home.