Barrington Smallwood took a not-so-random random walk from his apartment to and through a housing project in DC more than a decade ago. He was having a tough time, but his inspired walk turned into a positive, purposeful encounter and helped foster a bond with community members.

And that walk maneuvered him steps closer to his purpose—and the founding of the Vision, Identity and Purpose Roundtable—or The VIP Roundtable.

The organization’s stated mission is:

To empower the youth and their families with educational resources and mentorship that would help them build a solid foundation to thrive in all aspects of life.

Smallwood also wrote a book about his experience.
Take a listen to his story on Planet Noun.