July 2019

Kinship Gone Global, What Does it Look Like for You?

Josh Goralski Founder and CEO, Unlocking Communities
Josh Goralski recently completed his Master’s of Social Justice at Loyola University Chicago while launching Unlocking Communities. He grew up in a progressive Catholic church where social justice was a regular topic discussed and began volunteering at the early age of five. Josh has been traveling to Haiti since 2009 and been involved supporting a church in Haiti since the age of 8. He has nearly 10 years of experience leading and supporting organizations the social sector formally and many years of volunteering before that. Before embarking on his master’s to examine the structural roots of poverty and the possibilities of social enterprises he spent three years at YMCA of the USA overseeing a change in national data collection strategies from 2,600 locations and leading innovation initiatives. Concurrently, he also consults with various local, regional and international nonprofits providing consultation on operations and strategic planning. Josh is an active member of Old St. Pat’s church where he is involved in various social justice ministries and is on the young adult leadership team. Josh’s proximity to suffering began at an early age with his father’s incurable illness and led to him giving his Dad the gift of life through a kidney donation in 2011. When Josh needs an escape, you can find him running!

Ernso Sylvain Ernso Sylvain is the Haitian country director for Unlocking Communities. He is nearing completion of his Bachelors in International Affairs. He oversees our expansion efforts into new communities, works with current communities to expand and deepen their impact in their community, and leads all training initiatives. Additionally, Ernso also runs an English learning institute, Happy Haitian Productions, where students have can learn English to help further their career aspirations.

Event Timeslots (1)

Workshops Session I
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Mojave
What does it look like to take the principles of kinship, mutuality, and the power of social enterprises global? Unlocking Communities empowers communities in Haiti to unlock their economic potential through entrepreneurial ventures provides one unique approach. Community Partner gives aspiring entrepreneurs a solid foundation by training them in business fundamentals. Then, we give these budding entrepreneurs access to either: in-demand, environmentally beneficial products (water filters and clean-burning stoves) that they can earn a commission from selling or a micro-loan to fund the business idea of their choosing. The result, cyclical economic growth.