Meet Jason Talbot, co-founder of Artists for Humanity. Jason shares his views on how to transform ideas, individuals, and the greater community. Small Biz Stories tells the story of some of the bravest people you’ll ever meet — small business owners. You’ll hear how they got started, their biggest challenges, and their dreams for the future. Find us on Stitcher You can also read the transcript below: Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. Jason: I could feel it happening to my mind, to myself, to my self-image, to my vision for my future that I wanted to continue. I wanted to have an art show in that gallery every weekend for the rest of my life, because it felt that good. And that’s why we do it, because it makes that effort worth something. Dave: If you own a small business, you’re probably familiar with this feeling. There’s a moment when all the hard work and sacrifice you’ve put into something finally pays off. You feel a true sense of accomplishment. As any small business owner can tell you, you’ll need hard work, focus, and discipline to take full advantage of the opportunities available to you. Today, Jason Talbot, co-founder of Artists for Humanity, shares how a strong work ethic has the power to transform your idea, self-image, and community. More than fifty percent of small businesses fail within the first five years. These are the stories of those who beat the odds. My name is Dave Charest and I’ll be your host as we share the stories of some of the bravest people you’ll ever meet, small business owners. You’ll hear how they got started, their biggest challenges, and their dreams for the future. Dave: Artists for Humanity is a nonprofit that started off with an idea: to address the lack of arts experiences in Boston’s Public schools by employing urban teens to provide creative services to clients within the local business community. Jason has been involved in this program since the beginning — first as a student of the program, and today as a co-founder and Special Projects Director for the organization. Dave: So I guess let’s look at the history starting there. You’re in a unique position where that you’re kind of a product of the program, I guess, before it was a program, right? Jason: Yeah, yeah. Dave: Tell us a little bit about how that all started. Jason: Well, Artists for Humanity, it started in a real organic way. Susan Rodgerson, our executive director, saw what was going on in the Boston Public School System. Saw art programs being slashed and really took it upon herself in a real entrepreneurial way to make sure the young people got the enrichment that art brings to their lives. And she wanted to make sure that there was art in schools, that kids had that experience. And so she had this plan to paint a big, giant painting with a bunch of kids and sell it off to a corporation for lobby art to then fund the next painting.