Business for Good: How Social Spin and ClipDart are Changing Lives
In this podcast episode, host Karen Nowicki connects with Christy Moore, founder of Social Spin, and David Rodriguez, Chief Strategy Officer of ClipDart, as they share their wisdom and experience in providing essential services to the community, especially those experiencing homelessness. The conversation covers ClipDart’s and Social Spin’s unique blended business model, combining for-profit and nonprofit elements, and touches on challenges faced by nonprofits, emphasizing the potential for businesses to adopt innovative models addressing specific community needs. Moore and Rodriguez stress the importance of providing direct support to our neighbors in need.
Overall, this candid conversation focuses on the sustainability of their life-giving programs, growth strategies, and legislative support, concluding with reflections on Martin Luther King Jr. and their commitment to realizing MLK’s vision by combating systemic racism and creating opportunities for the next generation. Throughout, Moore and Rodriguez showcase a holistic approach to community well-being, underscoring the significance of genuine engagement and cultural sensitivity in their businesses.
David Rodriguez is the Chief Strategy Officer of ClipDart. Their mission is to improve mental wellness via selfless, mobile barbers and hairstylists. ClipDart has successfully provided thousands of FREE, ON-SITE haircuts throughout Arizona for historically marginalized and underserved communities (as seen on FOX 10, The Arizona Republic, KTAR, ABC15 & others).
Today, they are focused on spreading the word of the grant they were awarded by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health to provide free, monthly hair care at 15 different Maricopa County senior centers for one year. ClipDart is the first hair care organization in Arizona history to receive a county grant!
ClipDart’s concept came to Kyle Parker (Founder/CEO) when he was dealing with his own mental health struggles while attending Grinnell College in Iowa. As an African-American man from Chicago, he never had an issue locating a barber for the first 18 years of his life. Then, he moved to Grinnell and was not able to find a barber within hours who was skilled at cutting coarse hair.
This is when he truly realized how essential barbers are to mental health. Within most minority communities, barbers are viewed as therapists, mentors, and pillars of the community. The barbershop is a cultural institution in black and brown communities where generations after generations share stories, unpack struggles, and listen to life’s challenges. It is a safe space. This continual mental struggle of feeling as if his culture was not included became one of the main reasons why he started ClipDart’s movement.
Follow ClipDart on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
About Our Guest Co-Host
Christy Moore is Founder & Owner of Social Spin, Inc., both a profit-driven laundry service and an award-winning social justice enterprise. Social Spin locations are safe, trusted community centers where customers can do more than their laundry.
Social Spin brings nonprofit partners to Social Spin locations, to provide care, services and employment assistance and opportunities. Christy recently expanded this mission through the creation of the Social Spin Foundation, a nonprofit committed to ensuring that everyone has access to clean clothes.
Christy has served at the helm of numerous local, statewide and national nonprofits for two decades. Her focuses have included equipping the unemployed and underemployed, empowering victims of violence, protecting women’s reproductive rights and increasing civic engagement.
Christy has a master of social work, is a certified Emergenetics Associate and an AEI Leadership Network Fellow. She received GPCC’s Athena Young Professional Award, Phoenix Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Award, National Association of Women Business Owners – Phoenix Business Impact Award, ONE’s Organizational Accomplishment and Innovation Award, YWCA’s Advocacy Award.
Passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion, Christy serves as a board director for Achieving My Purpose, a nonprofit organization that empowers young women of color to embrace and achieve their purpose. She also serves as board president for the newly formed Social Spin Foundation.
She and her husband Mitchell have been pursuing passions together for 15 years, and love being an Auntie and Uncle!
Social Spin distinguishes itself by connecting customers to various forms of care through its unique laundromat locations. This approach extends beyond just laundry services, as they actively facilitate access to essential resources like vaccines, housing navigation, assistance with securing identification documents, and even free haircuts and food. This holistic approach to customer service reflects a deep understanding of the broader needs of the community they serve.
Central to their model is the “Wash with Care” events held every Wednesday. These events are a cornerstone of Social Spin’s commitment to community support, offering neighbors who are facing hardships the opportunity for free laundry or laundry services.
This initiative not only alleviates the financial burden of laundry for many but also provides a platform for community members to connect with each other and access additional support services. Through these efforts, Social Spin goes beyond being a laundromat, becoming a vital community resource that fosters care, support, and solidarity among its patrons.
