Resource Rich, Access Poor
Breaking Down Barriers: How Memphis Can Bridge the Gap Between Resources and the People Who Need Them
Resource Rich, Access Poor
I say this all the time: Memphis is resource-rich, but we are access-poor.
And the more I work in this community, the more I believe it.
Memphis does not have a shortage of resources. We have some amazing organizations in this city. We have nonprofits doing incredible work. We have foundations, banks, churches, government programs, business organizations, workforce programs, educational institutions, mentors, coaches, and people who genuinely want to see Memphis win.
The resources are here.
The problem is that too many people have no idea how to access them. I see it all the time.
I will be talking to an entrepreneur and mention a program, organization, grant, class, or opportunity, and they will look at me and say, "I didn't know that existed."
And my question is always the same:
Why didn't they know?
How can we say we have all of these resources available to the community when the people who need them the most do not know they exist?
That is not a lack of resources. That is a lack of access. And access is about more than putting something on a website or making a social media post.
Sometimes people need somebody to actually show them the way. They need someone to say, "Call this person." "Go to this organization." "Here is the application." "Here is what they're looking for." "I know somebody who may be able to help you. Let me make the introduction."
Sometimes that one connection can completely change the direction of somebody's business or somebody's life.
But we also have to talk about something that may make a few people uncomfortable.
We Have to Stop Gatekeeping
If you know about a resource that can help somebody, share it. If an opportunity is not for you but you know somebody who would be perfect for it, send it to them. If somebody comes to your organization looking for help and you cannot help them, do not just send them back out the door. Help them figure out where the next door is.
I have never understood the mindset that helping somebody else somehow takes something away from you. It doesn't.
Somebody else's success does not cancel out yours.
There is enough room for all of us to win. And if we are serious when we say we want Memphis to grow, then we have to start acting like it.
We cannot talk about economic mobility, entrepreneurship, workforce development, and stronger communities while people are running all over this city trying to figure out who can help them.
People should not have to know somebody who knows somebody just to access information that was created to help them in the first place.
That's where we have to do better.
I believe every organization in Memphis should see itself as a doorway, not a dead end.
If someone walks through my door and Golden Key cannot help them, I want to be able to say, "We may not do that here, but I know somebody who does."
That is community. That is partnership. That is how you create real change. And that is how I believe we should measure impact.
Not just by how many programs we have. Not just by how many grants we receive. Not just by how many people come through our doors. But by how many doors we help other people walk through.
Because sometimes being a resource does not mean that you have the answer. Sometimes being a resource means knowing where the answer is and being willing to make the connection.
I want to see us build a Memphis where organizations know what other organizations are doing. Where we share information instead of sitting on it. Where we make introductions. Where we send opportunities to each other. Where we celebrate when somebody else gets the grant, lands the contract, opens the business, gets the job, or finally gets the help they have been looking for.
We have too much talent in this city for people to continue struggling simply because they don't know where to go. And we have too many great organizations doing great work for their resources to remain some of Memphis' best-kept secrets.
I don't want resources to be best-kept secrets. I want them to be shared resources.
That is the shift I believe Memphis needs. We do not necessarily need another program every time we identify a problem. Sometimes we need to do a better job connecting people to the programs that already exist.
We don't always need another table. Sometimes we need to make sure people know they are invited to the tables that are already there.
And for those of us who have learned how to navigate these systems, built relationships, and gained access to certain rooms, I believe we have an even greater responsibility.
Hold the Door Open
- Tell somebody what you learned.
- Make the introduction.
- Share the opportunity.
- Give somebody the name.
- Give them the number.
- Tell them where to go.
- And when you can, walk them to the door.
Because resources only matter when people can actually reach them.
Memphis is resource-rich. We have the people. We have the organizations. We have the programs. We have the knowledge. We have the opportunities. Now we have to make sure our community can get to them.
It is time for Memphis to become access-rich, too.
