Jared Miller
KEZA
Franklin, TN USA
"Don’t look for a cause. Look for people you fall in love with."
Career Roadmap
Jared's work combines: Non-Profit Organizations, Entrepreneurship, and Helping People
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
I think the best thing to do when trying to serve another community is to actually go and immerse yourself in that community. It's not enough to just give a handout. Real aid and change comes from listening to what that community has to say. Take time to learn their struggles and dreams. I recommend spending at least five years in that community and culture trying to help. Anything less just isn't enough in my opinion.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
I was born in Bowling Green, Kentucky, but moved to Nashville, Tennessee, for my dad’s job when I was about eight years old.
2.
I was a big Michael Jackson fan as a kid and, after watching him perform the “We Are The World” charity single for Africa on MTV, I decided I wanted to help Africa as well.
3.
As a teenager, I struggled with addiction and the only time I really felt good and right about myself was during the two weeks I’d spend serving others at a summer camp every year.
4.
As I got older, I spent a lot of time volunteering and working with different charities and campaigns that were focused on crises in Africa.
5.
I eventually wanted to start my own business to help others—I decided I wanted to focus on the inequality and abuse that women face.
6.
My former boss was working in Rwanda and invited me to join him and start a bicycle program intended to promote sustainability, boost the economy, and encourage tourism.
7.
I worked for the program for about six months and then started KEZA, an ethical fashion label that fosters independence and dignity for formerly abused and oppressed women in Rwanda.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Society in general:
We just don't care as much.
How I responded:
I spent a lot of time trying to convince people in the U.S. that the suffering children in Africa aren't any different than the children here. It was frustrating because it seemed that the further removed someone was, the less they cared. It's easy to get discouraged by people's apathy. Instead of continuing to force people to care about the people as I did, I created an organization that promotes products that attract people's attention. In turn, those products help the people I care about.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I struggled with some addiction issues early on in life. My family went through some tough times as a result. However, my family has always been very supportive and tight-knit, so I was able to get through it with my family as my backbone.