Lloyd Hopkins with Million Dollar Teacher Project E37
Local First AZ is back with another epsiode of Arizona Good Business with nonprofit leader and Executive Director of Million Dollar Teacher Project, Lloyd Hopkins. Thomas and Lloyd discuss their passion and care for teachers, why businesses who care about the well-being of our teachers, and how to get more deeply involved so we can build a better Arizona.
Million Dollar Teacher Project is also bringing back the TAP Program for businesses to treat teachers “like a million dollars” this Fall. This episode is for businesses who have a care for education, and making sure we’re prioritizing the well-being of teachers in Arizona.
Million Dollar Teacher Project is a nonprofit focus on teacher retention and recruitment across the valley. We partner with Title I schools that serve marginalized communities on creating community centered programming geared towards helping them increase how their teachers are recognized, drive more support directly into classrooms and creating innovative ways to impact how their teachers are compensated.
Lloyd Hopkins is an author, philanthropist and organizational leader with extensive experience in community and nonprofit work. He has worked in and around education for 18 years.
He graduated from Arizona State University with his degree in Nonprofit Management and Leadership and took his passion for ensuring quality education for all to launch the teacher recruitment and retention program, Million Dollar Teacher Project.
As a philanthropist he has been a member of Real Engagement through Active Philanthropy (R.E.A.P), which is a fund under the Arizona Community Foundation, that supports programs making positive impacts on African-American Youth, for 6 years and the Chairman for 2. He has also led taskforces with Achieve60AZ and the Department of Education on improving attainment for the African American community in Arizona.
For his efforts he was recently a finalist for the Phoenix Center of the Arts Mayor’s Arts Awards for his Million Dollar Teacher Tree program, was honored by the East Valley NAACP with the Malala Yousafzai Equity in Education Award and received the “Living the Dream” award by the 2022 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee. He is also an alum of Valley Leadership’s Class 40.
In 2023 he was recognized as one of Phoenix’s Most Admired Leaders by the Phoenix Business Journal and nominated to the Governor of Arizona’s Educator Retention Taskforce.
Follow Million Dollar Teacher Project on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About Arizona Good Business
What is good business? What are local businesses doing to build a better Arizona?
Join Arizona Good Business 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 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.
