Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabrielle Baumeyer.
Gabrielle, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I have always cared for others. Couple that with a strong desire for people to express their leadership and you have the perfect recipe for co-founding Reason2Race.
I received my Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. I come from a family of entrepreneurs, specifically restaurant owners; however growing up and watching what it took to start and operate a business, going the “business owner” route just didn’t seem to be for me. I was more interested in having a steady job, a reliable paycheck and avoiding the risks involved in running my own company. I worked in corporate America 20 years, and I was recruited out of college to work for one of the top 10 US construction management firms. So I moved from my childhood home of Austin to Houston, Texas.
Soon after arrival on the project site, I started teaching fellow team members how to use our new software tracking system. In fact, I liked doing that so much that I went to work (as a remote employee) for the California based company who made the product. They were a high energy, young company filled with passionate self-starters, and it was just the place for me. I learned all about hard work, risk-taking and being a team player. For the next 15 years, I (unknowingly) took mental notes on what would be required of me to build and grow a company from ground zero.
Early during my software career, I met my husband Bill who introduced me to the world of philanthropy. He worked for a money management firm. They had (and still do have) a charitable foundation whose mission is to alleviate genocide and oppression in the world. He explained that the company had given millions of dollars to nonprofit organizations all around the globe, fulfilling their commitment to give 50% of their profits each year to worthwhile causes. Learning this was when the seed was planted. For roughly the next decade, I would search for what company I could create that would make that kind of global impact.
In the mid-2000’s, Bill and I started volunteering with the Houston based nonprofit called Cherish Our Children International (www.cherishourchildren.org). He was on the board, and I was invited by a fellow volunteer to do their annual fundraiser triathlon in honor of the kids. Eventually, Bill and I took the lead on this unique fundraiser and built it to a $100,000 fundraiser for each of the next three years. I then knew we could build a company to empower people as leaders impacting our local and global communities.
We launched Reason2Race in 2011.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
While we have been fortunate to overcome our learning curves relatively well, two challenges that come to mind are:
1. Client staff turnover
2. Educating nonprofits on leveraging third party events
We work closely with the nonprofit sector and consult them on maximizing online peer-to-peer fundraising.
Sometimes, nonprofit organizations, unfortunately, have high staff turnover rates. We might work with one nonprofit for several years, but each year our contact person there is different. So we essentially start from scratch year after year, making it challenging to build fundraising and team building momentum over time.
This leads to the next challenge we occasionally face. One part of our job is to show nonprofits how to engage their supporters to “do a 5K” in their honor and raise funds online. No event production is required for this model because we have partner events (or other events) they can leverage. Sometimes that is a new concept to grasp. They are used to producing their own events, but when they are open to this new way of fundraising, the “ah-ha” moment happens and they get that with little time and streamlined efforts, they can yield high fundraising results.
Please tell us about Reason2Race.
Reason2Race is a consulting company and online fundraising platform. We have four lines of business:
1. Working with companies to develop and implement programs that focus on two key elements: enhancing the lives of their valued employees and making a difference in the community.
2. Working with nonprofits on online peer-to-peer fundraising, focused on any event type.
3. Working with event directors to maximize event promotion and their charitable giving goals.
4. Providing individuals a way to make a charitable difference in their community by picking a cause and raising awareness and funds for it.
We are most proud that we have had close to 4,000 people complete hundreds of events ranging from 5K’s to birthday celebrations to bowling competitions for hundreds of local and international causes. They have collectively raised over $4,000,000 and we have barely scratched the surface of what’s really possible with and for the community.
What sets us apart is this. While yes – people are raising money for charity – that is not the full extent of our message and what Reason2Race is here to accomplish. We are committed that people step up as leaders and get the profound difference they can make in the world. We invite individuals to take action, at whatever level they wish, to make that difference. Our programs have no fundraising minimums. There is no limit to the event type people can choose to do. Geography is not a restriction. Individuals can make an impact on whatever cause is close to their heart. Absent any limitations, what really is possible?
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I had to start over, I would not underestimate the value of investing the right resources in my company. Sometimes the lowest cost option is not the best. While being budget conscience is a good thing, I would remember that spending a bit more for a higher quality service may yield better results in the long run.
I would also better prepare myself for the time commitment required to start a business. The results seem to never come fast enough, but owning and growing a profitable company takes time. I would remember to leave room for “learning the ropes”. I would focus on strategy and tactics that yield the highest results and leave behind all the unnecessary activities. Reason2Race is about making a difference in our world. If I knew from the beginning just how valuable and impactful our work would be, I would have spent less time “wondering if it will happen” and less time being that “risk averse” person. I would spend more energy focused on finding and collaborating with companies, individuals, and nonprofits who want what we do – to see positive change in our community that makes a lasting difference for generations to come.
Contact Info:
- Website: reason2race.com
- Phone: 713-322-7122
- Email: info@reason2race.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reason2race
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Reason2Race/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Reason2Race
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/user/Reason2RaceR2R ; https://www.linkedin.com/company/reason2race/ ; https://vimeo.com/reason2race
Image Credit:
Baumeyer Photography
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