Robert Andrews
President & CEO
CommunityWorks
Denver, CO USA
“All of the tough things that you go through only make you stronger for what you’re pursuing.”
Milestones
My road in life has been direct.
As a child, my dream was to play football in college and get drafted to the NFL.
Both my mother and father struggled with illnesses during my middle and high school years—I focused on academics and football as an outlet.
I had a coach who encouraged the team to pick up trash in an empty lot as a way to give back to the community, which actually felt very fulfilling to me.
After also feeling that same fulfillment from fundraising to buy new jerseys for our football team, I started thinking that I might want to pursue a career in some sort of public service field.
I went to Hastings College and studied psychology—I also played football throughout college.
After graduating, I signed a contract to play football in Canada for the Calgary Stampeders—I eventually realized that football wasn’t something I felt fulfilled dedicating my life to, so I quit.
I spent some time working in the community and on projects like the 2008 Obama campaign and knew that this type of work was what I wanted to dedicate myself to.
I’m currently the president and CEO of CommunityWorks, a non-profit social enterprise focused on empowering low-income individuals to enter the workforce and create economic security.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Career
President & CEO
I run a non-profit social enterprise that helps individuals go back to work.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Non-Profit Organizations
Entrepreneurship
Helping People
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for college students
Entrepreneurship isn't for everyone. It can be a long and difficult road. I recommend dipping your toes in to see if you like it before jumping all in. In college, you'll have more opportunity to try things out. Try something simple that doesn't require too much effort at first—maybe even a lemonade stand. Then think about how you felt. How did you feel about the effort it required? How did you feel about the reward? This is a good way to dip your toes in to see if entrepreneurship is for you.
Recommended Education
My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Society in General:
"It's not going to work. You're not going to make it."
Challenges I Overcame
Death and Loss
