'Dreams Deferred' memoir chronicles a path from poverty to social impact
It’s been a quiet Wednesday at Astro Beer Hall in Washington, D.C. But at 7 p.m., a crowd filters into the bar, and eager karaoke-goers fill vacant seats.
The timing is no coincidence: It’s thanks to The Regular, an app that connects leagues, meetups and other groups with venues that have idle hours. It boosts revenue for businesses while helping users avoid loneliness—a feeling the company’s founder, Brandolon Barnett, knows well.
More than 15 years ago, he was an idealistic communications major at the 鶹ý at Bradford, eager to build a career in helping others. But Barnett (UPB ’07) graduated with debt just as the Great Recession kicked off.
Still determined to make a difference, he worked for several nonprofits and non-governmental organizations before earning a graduate degree from SOAS University of London. Eventually, he accepted an internship at a nonprofit and moved alone to the San Francisco Bay Area.
On his intern salary, Barnett helped his mother pay her bills, even as he struggled to afford housing, food and student loan payments. One night, unable to afford a train ticket home and contemplating spending the night on the San Francisco streets, Barnett wondered why it’s often so hard to find a well-paying job that also makes a positive difference in the world.
This question ultimately inspired his memoir, “Dreams Deferred,” which details his journey through poverty as a Black man and how, through his dedication to altruism, he found a fulfilling and successful career.
Over the last decade, as a professional working at the intersection of technology and social impact, he’s led corporate social responsibility and product teams for companies like Salesforce and Giving Compass and built donation platforms that have received billions of dollars.
He’s also created his own project, Democratize Ventures, through which he invests in small-business owners who share his passion and vision for a better world. It's through this company that Barnett has pursued his own ventures, including The Regular.
Barnett hopes his book inspires readers and reminds them that, even at their loneliest, support is never too far away.
“I always thought that I was going through all of those things alone,” Barnett says. “Looking back, there were so many mentors. I had people who believed in me, family members who would have helped me to overcome some of the obstacles that I faced if I'd been willing to share and ask for help.”
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