Meet Skot Welch

We were lucky to catch up with Skot Welch recently and have shared our conversation below.

Skot, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

That’s actually a pretty easy question: For me, it’s primarily two things that converged – 1) Being raised in a family where serving others with a commitment to try to make the lives of those around you, better, and 2) being a practitioner of my faith and not simply a hearer about faith. Those two fundamentals, combined with paying attention with your eyes, intellect, as well as your heart have been the foundation of the “how” and “why” of my purpose. However, from the focus on the two, a consistent theme also emerged and it is this – some of the things that have become fairly significant in my life and that have most impacted the lives of others, I’ve “tripped over”. Not physically but they have come about on my path as I was actually on the way “to do something else”. I’ve learned that the actual reason for the lunch, workshop, or conversation on the plane or subway on my way to a destination for something else was the real reason that I was there in the first place. It’s kind of hard to explain but I believe if we all paid more attention to patterns in our lives, we’d all see something quite similar.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I like starting and establishing things that bring together communities and create belonging in some way. I even write about it (5 books later:-) but it has to both make a tangible difference and be sustainable. In addition to listing some of the things that I’ve founded or currently lead, I’ve also included the links so you can see for yourself:

Founder/President – Global Bridgebuilders – Our international firm offers a portfolio of services and that measure, train, prepare your enterprise to release the full power of inclusion. With our portfolio, you tap your best asset for success, your team. https://globalbridgebuilders.com

Founder – The Belonging Initiative – A “dinner and data” initiative that brings together communities through sharing a meal while providing a, now national, index/survey to quantify how those communities, organizations, etc. score in the creation of spaces where people aren’t simply welcome but where they can belong. https://belonginginitiative.us

Co-Founder/Managing Partner – New Community Transformation Fund – A $25 million investment fund focusing on founders and owners of color that in the later stages of their business ownership or business acquisition and are looking for more significant investment dollars – not for start-ups. https://newcommunityfund.com

Founder/President – The Mosaic Film Experience – Now in its 13th year, we’ve served over 20,000 high school students. Initially, MFE was positioned as a pioneering innovation initiative focused on engaging underrepresented youth in digital media and storytelling. Over the years, the organization has evolved from hosting film-centered events to providing year-round educational programming, including a full-day student event, mobile film competition, and digital storytelling. https://www.mosaicfilmexperience.com

Founder/President – The Greater Michigan Chapter of The National Black MBA Association – The National Black MBA Association, Inc. (NBMBAA®) – Greater Michigan Chapter (GMC), was established in September 2021. Our focus is strengthening our diverse talent pipeline and by doing so we position Greater Michigan as a viable and vibrant region for top talent. We will be enabling accelerated long‐term economic growth by bringing highly talented, diverse leaders to Greater Michigan. https://gmcnbmbaa.org

Now, I’m focused on expanding into the country of Namibia by starting another investment fund that focuses on mature companies that require larger capital investments. I’ve been visiting the country since 2004 and felt it was the right time to grow deeper roots.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Be a lifelong learner – I’ve been in my profession of innovation through inclusion for over 30 years and among other honors have been published nationally 5x. With all the qualifications, I’m often introduced as an expert but when i introduce myself, however, I do so as a “senior beginner”. Why? it’s because it keeps me open to learning more and to be careful about coming to concrete conclusions about things that are constantly changing. Every time I meet a new person, I learn something new. It’ also helps to keep your ego in check.

Flow from an abundance mindset – I believe in working with people from a place of abundance. What do I mean by that? I don’t believe that resources are scarce and if you plant seeds of generosity in the lives of others, you harvest abundance in yours. It’s when a person lives from a place of scarcity that they do desperate things, treat people unkindly and seldom leave a legacy worth remembering.

Get yourself out of the “center” – The moments that bring me the most joy are when I see that something that I created or led changed someone’s life. To experience that feeling time and time again, I create things where I am not at the center of attention, nor am I the main focus. With The Mosaic Film Experience, for example, I’m like a proud parent when I see our young people get recognition, accolades (and even cash prizes) for creating a 2-3 minute mobile film for the first time. They see themselves differently, they are celebrated and hundreds of people are there to cheer them on. Now THAT’S a cool feeling.

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?

Raised by a single parent, my amazing Mom, Ruth Jones, yet raised by an entire village at the same time, I was never taught to be named by my struggles, deficits, or weaknesses. I wasn’t raised to act like they weren’t there, because they were. I was simply taught to not be limited by them. I should have been a statistic but instead, I was blessed to be surrounded by a host of Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, and surrogate Mothers and Fathers that would not let me fail and kept their expectations of me, very high. I am truly grateful for that.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://globalbridgebuilders.com, https://www.mosaicfilmexperience.com, https://newcommunityfund.com, https://gmcnbmbaa.org
• Instagram: N/A
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skot.welch
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/skot-welch-32a0194/
• Twitter: N/A
• Youtube: N/A
• Yelp: N/A
• Soundcloud: N/A
• Other: https://store.bookbaby.com/book/101-ways-to-enjoy-the-mosaic
  https://plantationjesusbook.com
  https://store.bookbaby.com/book/sayings1
  https://www.getunfractured.com
  https://belonginginitiative.us

Image Credits

Photographs Courtesy of Alfield Reeves Photography