Michael, Co-Founder and CEO at Improve Your Tomorrow: Advize Career Interview
Michael's journey is a compelling narrative of purpose-driven leadership in the nonprofit sector.
Starting with a disillusioning internship that led to transformative experiences in the legislative process, the individual co-founded Improve Your Tomorrow to empower young men of color through education.
As CEO, responsibilities encompass setting organizational direction, securing funding, and ensuring program quality, navigating a variable daily schedule that balances external engagement with internal team development.
Persistence, business acumen, and deep caring are crucial skills, yielding the rewarding ability to have direct impact and solve problems while witnessing IYT's positive effects.
Time management is a key challenge, demanding strategic prioritization to advance the mission, but fulfillment comes from breaking cycles of poverty and impacting generations.
Thriving in this industry requires determination, adaptability, and prioritizing personal well-being for the long haul.
The lessons learned highlight the importance of patience and long-term vision in social justice work, fueled by leadership experiences and a commitment to service instilled by values.
Sac State played a pivotal role, providing essential skills, connections, and ongoing partnership for IYT's success, shaping a career dedicated to uplifting others and creating opportunities where they might not otherwise exist.
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Michael Lynch
Co-Founder and CEO
Improve Your Tomorrow
Cal Poly Humboldt
Sacramento State - Masters of Public Policy and Administration
Business Management & Admin
Nonprofit
Business Strategy
Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Student Athlete, First Generation College Student
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Career Path Of A Co-Founder And CEO At Improve Your Tomorrow
Michael's career path was fueled by a desire to change communities where "tremendous talent" lacked opportunity, leading to a senior year internship at the public defender's office that dissuaded them from law but opened the door to the Sacramento Semester Internship Program and the Capital Fellowship Program, experiences that proved "life changing" as they learned about the legislative process. This ultimately led Michael and their best friend to create a nonprofit in 2013, Improve Your Tomorrow, dedicated to helping young men of color get "to and through college," an organization that has since grown to serve over 5,000 young men across the country.
Main Responsibilities of a Co-Founder and CEO at Improve Your Tomorrow
As CEO of Improve Your Tomorrow, Michael is primarily responsible for "setting the direction of the organization," including managing the board, fundraising to ensure financial stability, overseeing program quality, and driving growth to expand the program's reach; ultimately, responsibilities center around executing the organization's vision of empowering young men of color to achieve success in education and leadership. While the specific tasks evolve with the organization's needs, the core duties of a nonprofit CEO remain consistent: setting direction, securing funding, and ensuring the organization's vision is realized.
A Day in the Life of a Co-Founder and CEO at Improve Your Tomorrow
As a CEO, Michael's days are highly variable, split between external engagement with "funders, new school site partners, or elected officials," and internal responsibilities focused on strengthening "research and evaluation" and ensuring a positive team culture, with a significant portion of time dedicated to travel, as the organization expands into new states, to connect with donors and oversee program implementation.
Most Important Skills For A Co-Founder And CEO At Improve Your Tomorrow
For a role like CEO and Co-Founder at Improve Your Tomorrow, persistence and the ability to "grind" are crucial, but so is understanding business strategy and the political landscape; ultimately, one must "care deeply and not quit" while maintaining the vision to move the organization forward. Strong communication skills along with flexibility and adaptability are also vital for the work Michael is doing.
Favorite Parts of Being a Co-Founder and CEO at Improve Your Tomorrow
Michael, as Co-Founder and CEO of Improve Your Tomorrow, most enjoys the ability to have "direct impact" and execute ideas, as well as being responsible for outcomes and setting the vision for the organization. Michael also loves the "freedom and flexibility" of the job and the rewarding experience of solving new problems while witnessing the positive impact IYT has on the community and generations of families.
Biggest Challenges Faced By a Co-Founder and CEO at Improve Your Tomorrow
Michael identifies time management as the biggest challenge as CEO, emphasizing the need to strategically allocate time to activities that "move the mission forward." The challenge lies in balancing immediate problem-solving with empowering the team and focusing on long-term strategic decisions that shape the future of the organization.
Favorite Parts Of Working In The Nonprofit Industry As A Co-Founder And CEO
Michael, the Co-Founder and CEO of Improve Your Tomorrow, finds fulfillment in the nonprofit sector despite its challenges because they "get paid to help young people who grow up like" they did, ultimately breaking cycles of poverty and increasing socioeconomic mobility across generations. The opportunity to change not only a young person's life but "their grandkids life" through education is what Michael finds most rewarding.
What Type Of Person Thrives In The Nonprofit Industry, According To A Co-Founder And CEO At Improve Your Tomorrow
To thrive in the nonprofit sector, according to Michael, a co-founder and CEO at Improve Your Tomorrow, a person must be "highly determined" with a clear purpose beyond financial gain, and possess the flexibility to adapt to changing situations. Furthermore, success in this industry hinges on maintaining "endurance and wellness" by prioritizing physical, spiritual, and mental health, treating mind and body like a marathon runner ready for the highs and lows of tackling persistent social problems.
What a Co-Founder and CEO at Improve Your Tomorrow Wishes They Had Known Before Entering the Nonprofit Industry
Michael, as a Co-Founder and CEO of a nonprofit, finds immense satisfaction in the ability to "execute" ideas and create opportunities that wouldn't exist otherwise, particularly in hiring individuals who need a chance. Michael also appreciates setting a work pace and schedule to ensure long-term sustainability in their role as a social entrepreneur.
Entry-Level Positions For Aspiring Social Entrepreneurs At Improve Your Tomorrow
For entry-level nonprofit positions, Michael suggests starting on the "program side" working directly with clients or in fundraising, where one learns to "ask people for money" and build relationships with funders; however, regarding social entrepreneurship, Michael emphasizes that having a vision is less important than "how you execute" it, highlighting the need to identify the necessary steps to bring an idea to life.
Significant Career Lesson From A Co-Founder And CEO At Improve Your Tomorrow
Michael, a Co-Founder and CEO at Improve Your Tomorrow, emphasizes the significance of "patience," particularly in social justice work, advising against impulsive decisions made when angry or overly excited. Drawing on Bill Gates' observation, Michael highlights how "people always overestimate what they could do in a year, but underestimate what you could do in five years," stressing the importance of a long-term perspective for achieving impactful change.
College Experiences That Helped a Co-Founder and CEO at Improve Your Tomorrow Succeed
To set up for career success, Michael took advantage of leadership opportunities like being a football captain, which taught how to "lead different types of people from different backgrounds" and motivate them towards a common goal; furthermore, by saying yes to volunteer and service opportunities, and not giving up even when mentors advised against pursuing a more impactful path, they set the stage for founding and leading Improve Your Tomorrow.
How Identity Has Influenced a Co-Founder and CEO at Improve Your Tomorrow
Identifying as a follower of Christ has deeply impacted the CEO's career, making them lead with values rooted in service, love, kindness, inclusiveness, and equity, focusing on how their life can "impact and improve somebody else's" regardless of background. This perspective shifts the focus away from personal gain and towards uplifting others, guiding their actions and decisions in their work.
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