Meet Mark Donovan | Founder and Executive Director of the Denver Basic Income Project

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

Hi Mark, how does your business help the community?
The Denver Basic Income Project is the largest initiative in the United States studying the impact of providing a guaranteed income to individuals and families experiencing homelessness. We are investing in people and their ability to succeed when given trust, hope, and a financial foundation. We have already deployed over $8M to more than 800 of our unhoused neighbors in Denver.

In the first six months of the study, many participants reported that they have used the money to pay off debt, repair their car, secure housing and enroll in a course. These are all paths that help participants rise out of poverty and provide them with the space to set goals and make unconstrained choices–an opportunity all people deserve.

What should our readers know about your business?
I believe in people and our unlimited potential to solve problems and work together to make the world a better place for everyone. I have been working since I started delivering newspapers at ten. I co-founded a women’s sweater company called Wooden Ships that grew to over 400 employees and is still thriving today. It is all built upon trust. When you trust people and create the space for them to strive, thrive and achieve, for real, not just talking about it, incredible things happen. Nothing is easy, but if you show up every day, and do the work, making small and continuous improvements as you go, you ultimately deliver incredible value. I want the world to know that we don’t have to accept homelessness and poverty in this country. We don’t have to accept the status quo. We have models like the Denver Basic Income Project demonstrating that when you start from a place of trust and engage in building something together, the outcomes are incredible, and often at a fraction of the cost we currently spend to address these challenges.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend was visiting Denver, we’d be sure to catch a show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. We’d spend an afternoon at the Denver Botanic Gardens and would be sure to explore the Denver Art Museum and the Clyfford Still Museum. My favorite dinner spots are Uchi, Tavernetta and Safta. We’d hop on some bikes and head down the Cherry Creek trail, pick up some sandwiches at Snarf’s and have a picnic in Washington Park. My favorite place for lunch is Mordy’s Falafel & Grill, while La Fillette Bakery is a great place to pick up croissants. Take a drive up to Lookout Mountain for the amazing nighttime views of Denver. I love taking guests out of the city for a few days and driving up to the mountains, perhaps staying in the historic town of Breckenridge and hike Mount Quandary or visit Blue Lakes. A day white-water rafting down Browns Canyon is always a treat. There is so much to do in Colorado. It is such an amazing state.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
This is truly a community effort and there are so many people and organizations who have made this groundbreaking work such a success. First and foremost, the participants of the project are the real heroes. So many have overcome trauma and adversity of magnitudes most of us cannot even imagine. At the same time they are the first ones to give back and lend a helping hand to their brothers and sisters who are still struggling. Our dedicated team, the incredible 19 partner organizations and the City of Denver have all worked tirelessly and collaboratively to advance this powerful concept. Finally, our funders were bold and willing to take a risk. It is impossible for me to express the depth of my gratitude to everyone who has contributed to this historic initiative and the incredible impact that has been achieved in such a short period of time.

Website: https://www.denverbasicincomeproject.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denverbasicincomeproject/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-donovan-9b06291/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/markpdonovan

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/denverbasicincomeproject

Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@denverbasicincomeproject

Image Credits
Event photos courtesy of Armando Geneyro on behalf of the Denver Basic Income Project.