Twenty-Four Seven October 1, 2006, 7:14PM EST

What It Takes to Be a H.E.R.O.

This Georgia B-school grad used his entrepreneurial and business skills to start a nonprofit that helps children affected by HIV/AIDS

by Ryan Gembala

How does a fluent speaker of four languages with banking experience in Spain and consulting experience in Sicily start a nonprofit organization for children infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS? After three years, I still get that question almost weekly.

The answer is, I was traveling through Brazil perfecting my Portuguese when I visited an AIDS orphanage. After teaching 20 Brazilian AIDS orphans how to blow bubbles, I realized that AIDS can take everything away from these children and that few services exist to give them the childhood they deserve.

	Ryan Gembala Co-Founder & Co-Executive Director H.E.R.O. for Children BBA Class of 2003, University of Georgia Terry College of Business

I am co-founder and co-executive director of H.E.R.O. for Children (Hearts Everywhere Reaching Out), the only nonprofit organization in Georgia solely dedicated to improving quality of life for children infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS. We create a bridge for the community to connect with these children year-round through enriching experiences and programs, including the only one-on-one mentoring program for children affected by HIV/AIDS.

But don't be fooled by the word "nonprofit" (see BusinessWeek.com, 9/11/06, "Going the Distance for AIDS Services"). H.E.R.O. for Children operates like an assiduous for-profit business, the difference being our clients are children ages 6 to 16, and our investors are Atlanta citizens and corporations.

Our board of directors includes the former president of Sherwin-Williams (SHW), a nonprofit accounting expert with Ernst & Young, a former NBC The Apprentice contestant, and three distinguished sports icons—University of Georgia head football coach Mark Richt, Georgia Tech head basketball coach Paul Hewitt, and NCAA Hall of Fame coach Vince Dooley. Several celebrities have also helped us raise awareness, including actor Chris Tucker and NBA Hall of Fame star Dominique Wilkins.

Working with so many people, including more than 1,000 volunteers and 200 children, makes my day-to-day a 180-mph roller coaster ride:

8:00 a.m.—After working at the office until 10 p.m. the night before, I wake up, go for a run, throw a tennis ball to my golden retriever, and get cleaned up.

8:45 a.m.—I pull out my notepad and prioritize my day.

9:10 a.m.—I hop into my 1989 Buick Regal Gran Sport (the car I've had since before college) and drive 20 minutes through the Atlanta suburbs to our office.

9:30 a.m.—Arriving at Blake & Pendleton, an industrial air compressor and pump distributor and our founding sponsor, I unlock the building and stroll down to my office, one of three cubicle-type spaces the company has provided at no charge to help keep the money we raise going to our children. I set up my laptop and check my e-mail.

9:45 a.m.—Our new program coordinator, Tanya Medrano (H.E.R.O.'s first full-time employee), has questions for me about our mentoring program. She is executing a program assessment, one of her three primary objectives over the next 90 days.

10:00 a.m.—I buzz my co-founder, Garrett Gravesen, to see if he has anything to add to our daily calendar and get a brief update on any major recent successes or challenges on his projects.

10:30 a.m.—My phone call to one of our biggest donors gets returned, and we plan to meet for lunch at an Atlanta restaurant.

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