Amy and I have helped start several non-profits over the last 30 years. While our Anchor Point Foundation covers a wide range of initiatives, most of the projects we’ve co-founded have been based in Colorado and focused on either entrepreneurship or the environment.

One of my greatest joys is funding small, startup nonprofits that other people create, which inspire me. I was on a call Friday, being interviewed by Connie Loizos about my new book, Give First: The Power of Mentorship. We were catching up on some personal things, and she mentioned that one of her sons, Natty Gove, a sophomore at Redwood High School, had started a nonprofit called the Tech4Youth Foundation. I looked it up on the web and kept the tab open to look at after our call.

I found two articles about the foundation:

After reading the articles, you can’t help but be inspired by Natty. Amy and I don’t have kids, but we have a bunch of teenagers and young adults in our lives that we learn from and draw strength and motivation from. I don’t know Natty, but I’m adding him to that list, and I hope to meet him someday, even if it’s just by email.

I went and donated to the Tech4Youth Foundation. I find that writing a check to something or someone that inspires me gives me the energy to deal with all the hard things I have to face. So, I like to do it randomly and often.

I’m sure I’m violating some journalistic rule around pay-to-play, or someone cynical will say some version of “Brad’s just trying to curry favor with Connie.” I’m overly sensitive to this since the federal government limits the financial contributions I can make to state candidates in certain states, given that Foundry is an RIA and is regulated by the SEC. I find these rules absurd, but I follow them nonetheless.

For the avoidance of doubt, Connie didn’t ask me to support her son; I did it for no reason other than that he inspires me. If Connie can’t write about our conversation because of some journalistic rule, that’s fine with me, since I still enjoyed the hour we spent talking. And if there is some journalistic rule around this, that’s idiotic given how money, power, and influence work in the United States (and the world) in 2025.

And, for the cynical person, I encourage you to read the articles I listed above.