Meet People Where They Are: Interview with Tom Vozzo, CEO of Homeboy Industries

I recently went one-on-one with Tom Vozzo. Tom is the CEO of Homeboy Industries, the largest gang rehabilitation and re-entry program in the world. Tom was previously an executive at ARAMARK and is the author of The Homeboy Way: A Radical Approach to Business and Life.

Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks, or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?

Tom: My journey to Homeboy Industries, the largest gang rehabilitation and re-entry nonprofit in the world, was actually very unexpected.  After leaving a lucrative corporate position at the top of my field, I planned to retire, spend time with my family, and serve on a few, select boards.  But I was still young and felt called to do something more with my second act.  

I was being recruited to be a board member at Homeboy Industries when I had a fateful meeting with the inimitable Fr. Gregory Boyle, the founder of Homeboy.  He asked me to serve as the organization's first-ever CEO, and I leaped at the chance to spend more time in Greg’s orbit and the Homeboy community. 

There have been a lot of challenges at Homeboy, particularly budget shortfalls and other financial constraints that we’ve had to overcome.  But every time I encounter how are people are demonized by society, it fuels me to keep going. 

Eleven years later, I can say that my life has been immeasurably enhanced by work at Homeboy. 

Adam: What are the best leadership lessons you have learned from leading a nonprofit organization? 

Tom: I see the art of leadership quite differently than I did during my ARAMARK days.  Today I lead with empathy, pay attention to my team's individual needs, and lean into hugs, kindness, and laughter.  

I strive to reject ego and I embrace my humanity on the job.  

Adam: What are your best tips for fellow leaders of nonprofit organizations? 

Tom: One of my best tips is bringing people into your nonprofit with for-profit experience.  Blending the skillsets of both outside hires and inside talent allows the nonprofit to thrive while keeping its culture strong. 

Having a supportive board and a top management team is also critical.  At Homeboy, 67% of our management team is comprised of people who used to be our trainees.  These are people who were gang-affiliated and formerly incarcerated.  And today, they lead our organization.  That sets us apart from many other organizations and is part of our special sauce.  

And finally, I’d like to encourage nonprofit leaders to open their minds about social enterprises, defined as businesses with specific social objectives that serve their primary purpose.  We currently operate 13 such businesses at Homeboy, including the recently launched Homeboy Threads.  We also count Homegirl Catering, Homeboy Recycling, and Homegirl Café as part of our portfolio, employing 135 hardworking people who needed a second chance.  

Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader? 

Tom: The defining qualities of an effective leader are smarts and courage.  Leaders need the ability and cognition to devise a plan and then have the courage to follow their convictions and act.  It’s just a basic requirement to have strong people skills and be able to manage teams.  You have to go a step further than that, making bold decisions that will encourage long-term sustainability and courageously standing by your convictions.

Adam: How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level? 

Tom: Always be listening.  I find that leaders don’t always listen enough, particularly in a mission-driven organization.  They’re too busy putting out the proverbial fires and trying to satisfy stakeholders.  Take the burden off of yourself; you don’t always have to prove that you’re the smartest person in the room by speaking, sometimes it's good to sit back and listen to what your team has to say. 

Always be learning.  Because of technology, social media, and advancements in AI, you always want to be upping your game.  Read books, follow current events, go to conferences, take online classes (YouTube is a great resource), and find a mentor in your company who has the career you want.  

If you work for yourself or are an entrepreneur, seek out professional organizations or outside service providers (coaches, professional trainers), that can help support your journey.  Nothing great (typically) happens in isolation, which is why we embrace the spirit of kinship at Homeboy. 

And finally, step out of your comfort zone.  Fr. Greg, the founder of Homeboy Industries, is incredibly wise.  He has long encouraged me to put myself in situations where I might be uncomfortable so I can grow.  As he wrote in his book Barking to the Choir, “We are at our healthiest when we are most situated in awe, and at our least healthy when we engage in judgment… Standing at the margins with the broken reminds us not of our own superiority but of our own brokenness.  Awe is the great leveler.”

Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives, and civic leaders? 

Tom: Keep evolving and seek out new perspectives.  I say this because I have learned so much from people with completely different backgrounds from my own.  The profundities I have heard from people incarcerated for half their lives have blown me away.  

Meet people where they are and create an inclusive workplace where people can be their best selves and do their best work.  Leaders are responsible for ensuring all workers can thrive, which might include helping people through their life challenges.  The goal should be to build a sustainable company culture that is flexible and respectful.  

Be adaptable.  Certainly, Covid reminded us that we can’t predict what will happen, so you have to be ready to pivot at any time.  At Homeboy, we have to adapt and pivot ALL THE TIME.  We are often confronted with life-changing situations with people experiencing unimaginable pain and trauma. It’s the real stuff of life, and I find myself having to shift my approach when something unexpected happens.  We must remember that the working poor have a lot of different pressures in their life and their job doesn’t define them but allows them to thrive. 

Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading, and managing teams?

Tom: My best advice is to have a team that is not only diverse in terms of background but comprised of people with different mindsets and perspectives.  This is a good way to periodically challenge your own thinking.  I find it keeps my worldview fresh and encourages me to be flexible.

I also believe it’s important to be vulnerable.  You don’t always have to be inscrutable or perfect.  Show emotion.  Be fun.  Relate to your team.  Let your guard down and open yourself up.  You will be amazed at the results. 

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?

Tom: Early on in my corporate career, my manager said to me, “learn how to pull the levers to make money.  Understand the income statement.” That was clear, direct advice that has always motivated and stayed with me.  

In contrast, Fr. Greg imparts such wisdom as “God is too busy loving us to be judging us.”  That hopeful sentiment lifts me up and sustains me. 

Adam: What can anyone do to pay it forward? 

Tom: Hire the working poor, people who are hourly wage workers.  I have outlined a step-by-step method in my book The Homeboy Way: A Radical Approach to Business and Life.  And I have seen this in action through our social enterprises under the Homeboy umbrella.  As I mentioned earlier, we operate 13 sustainable social enterprises and have plans to open more in emerging growth areas.   

I urge you to give people a second chance and to be less judgmental.  It’s amazing how people can flourish when they are given dignity and support, even people who have done the “worst” things you can imagine.  

Adam: Is there anything else you would like to share? 

Tom: I’d love to invite anyone who is in LA or planning to visit to come in for a tour at our downtown LA headquarters or stop by for a meal at our Zagat-rated café.  

Alternatively, come by for a tour to see the Homeboy Way in action.  We have tattoo removal services, counseling, a bakery, exercise classes, AA meetings, and other offerings happening… I encourage you to come be in kinship with our community.  It will surprise you and make you feel good. 


Adam Mendler is an entrepreneur, writer, speaker, educator, and nationally-recognized authority on leadership. Adam is the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one on one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal-winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities, and non-profit organizations. Adam has written extensively on leadership and related topics, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. Adam teaches graduate-level courses on leadership at UCLA and is an advisor to numerous companies and leaders. A Los Angeles native, Adam is a lifelong Angels fan and an avid backgammon player.

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