Meet Kenneth Braswell | CEO

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kenneth Braswell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kenneth, what is the most important factor behind your success?
Our company values are inspired by the personal value I put on integrity, and the priority we place on relationships and collaboration within our team and with others. Those qualities undergird project stability and foster trust and cooperation among people we serve and work with across the country. People know us; people like us; and people want to work with us. Over the course of my career, I have worked for extremely successful start-ups and nonprofits; I have sat on the boards of great organizations and led more established enterprises to expansion. All of these experiences prepared me to build the financial and organizational capacity of Fathers Incorporated (FI). Additionally, I believe ardently in the value of social entrepreneurship. Because FI is a nonprofit, I don’t talk about metrics like profit revenues and stock prices; however, I understand the need to balance and blend for-profit goals with generating a positive return to society. This unique perspective that I bring to the programs and services offered through my organization includes the critical understanding that clients are more than budget line items and that they don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Since 2004, our non-profit organization has served as a leader in the promotion of responsible fatherhood. We do this through the use of innovative marketing and multimedia platforms, product development, training, and advocacy. Through these contract activities, we have developed and participated in a national outreach to fatherhood practitioners and dads, and have served as a trusted “Fatherhood Ambassador” in promoting and supporting responsible fatherhood across the country. I created Fathers Incorporated after a series of personal events that included a relationship break-up, suicidal thoughts, loss of business, family court experience, and a total upheaval of my life. It was then that the spiritual upbringing took over and I received a clear indication of my purpose and calling; “To Speak To Hearts Of Men.” The rest is Fathers Incorporated history. We’ve had many proud moments over the 16 years of service. On a personal level, whenever we receive a personal testimony about a service received or a professional interaction; those are the best. On a programmatic level, everything from our Black Dads Count campaign where we are encouraging Black Fathers and their families to complete the 2020 U.S. Census or our Million Fathers March where over 91 Cities and their schools have participated in encouraging fathers to be engaged with their children’s education. We are also very proud of Real Dads Read (RDR). It was established as a male involvement literacy program in 2017. The RDR program operates by placing little libraries in barbershops and Little Free Libraries at low-performing elementary schools to encourage fathers to read to their children. The program began with 20 barbershops throughout Atlanta, Georgia. Currently, RDR has 100 little libraries across the region located in barbershops and elementary schools including Columbus, Georgia.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
In a COVID-19 world, there are many restrictions in place so there’s not a lot of mingling happening, however, this is a great time to get involved with organizations that are helping our fellow neighbors. First, we hang out with some of the APS police officers and support their work with us through our Real Dads Read mobile units providing reading materials to children in various Atlanta neighborhoods. Then we’d follow that up with a Zoom session in partnership with our parent-learners and instructors through The University for Parents, the signature program of the Atlanta CARES Mentoring Movement, an affiliate of the National CARES Mentoring Movement founded by Susan L. Taylor, former editor in chief of Essence Magazine. After that, I would recommend helping out I’m a Father F1rst with their Meals of Love program has been serving lunches and dinners since COVID-19 to families in need in metro Atlanta.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Green Eggs and Ham. by Dr. Seuss is my favorite childhood book. I just love the rhythm of the book. It’s not lost on me that there is recent conversation about the context of many of Dr. Seuss’ books having racist tones. While I take the notion seriously, that would mean I would have to discard 80% of what I read and watched on t.v. as a child. That’s difficult to fathom.

Website: https://www.fathersincorporated.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fathersincorporated
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fathersincorporated/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Fathersincorp
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FathersIncorporated
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBcDE-UbNx1lm-KFBB4-R7Q

Image Credits
Kenneth Braswell, Fathers Incorporated