Today, we would like to introduce you to Carlos Brown, Jr. who Lives UNITED by using his knowledge and skills of business management to bring visions to life as a strategic planning intern at United Way of Kenosha County.
Carlos first started working with United Way of Kenosha in January 2023 under the guidance of faculty advisor, Joseph A Tenuta MBA, with the goal of steering some work surrounding UWKC’s strategic plan. During the spring semester, Carlos and Professor Tenuta continued to give their time and talent to help UWKC create a new vision and strategy that will guide the organization over the next few years. Thanks to their support and guidance throughout this process, United Way of Kenosha County is on track to launch their new strategic plan later this year. Hint: you won't want to miss our Centennial Jubilee!
As the strategic planning intern, Carlos learned more about economics in Kenosha County, aided in structural planning, conducted surveys to donors and community leaders, handled executive reports, created team calendars, had a debut on TikTok, and, of course, talked and interacted with community leaders. One of his favorite memories as an intern, however, was the opportunity to meet Mayor Antaramian to discuss our community in greater detail.
Originally from Baltimore, Maryland, Carlos is currently a senior at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He is majoring in business management and has a strong passion for both management and economics. In wrapping up the semester, Carlos completed his senior thesis, “Empowering Change: Fostering Sustainability & Amplifying Impact!” Congratulations on your achievement, Carlos, we look forward to following how you continue to bring strong visions to life while making a positive impact.
In the future, he wants to teach the youth, especially young people of color about financial literacy. He knows many people his age, or even older, who do not know how to save or budget their money, and some do not have a savings account.
Carlos believes helping others learn and gain an understanding of financial literacy can increase financial stability, especially in low-income neighborhoods and communities. In turn, a community’s improved financial stability can help reduce violence and help make the world a better place overall.
Overall, Carlos is happy to have been a part of the United Way of Kenosha County team, stating that the organization is, “very family oriented and helps people to grow.” He is thankful to his team members, including Carolynn Friesch, Chief Executive Officer, and many others, for always being supportive and helping him grow and find solutions to his work, while also helping him network and build connections in the community. In his experience, Carlos found that if he ever made a mistake, someone from United Way of Kenosha County was always willing to work with him to help find a reasonable solution and walk through how to avoid making that same mistake next time.
Lastly, Carlos believes that being consistent and staying focused on a single task is one of the biggest factors to success and succeeding in one’s life. One of Carlos’s favorite inspirational quotes, which relates to this idea, is from Bruce Lee, "I fear not the man who practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times."
All that to say, Carlos wants YOU to never give up and to always consider the many ways you can Live UNITED right here in Kenosha County or wherever you might be.