Today I am going to tell you why I believe in Jimmy and his company Equality Longboards and why you should too. I have had the pleasure of speaking with him and becoming his friend over the last few months, and I must say I have learned a great deal.  He is the kind of rare human beings with a easy going smile, and a serious conviction to go with it.  We have longboarded around my old college campus and in bike paths around Dayton, Ohio, and watching this man ride his board is like watching a bird fly or a fish swim, he simply belongs there.

What impressed me the most about this young guy is not that he enjoys a good longboard but that he makes a point to not be selfish with his joy.  I think a large part of him being able to cut loose while riding is that he knows he is doing something positive in this world.  What could that be you ask?  Jimmy is a bit of a social activist.  He helped build an orphanage in  Africa and uses a portion of the proceeds from his business to continue to help them remain sustainable.  But of course, Jimmy doesn’t stop there.  It simply isn’t his style.  He is also helping support the fight against sex-trafficking locally through Love146.   As I got to know this person I was struck by the fact that he managed to turn his hobby of longboards into a business, and then turn that business into a force for lasting good.   I can’t help but admire him.

This admiration however turned into something else, I was suddenly not satisfied just saying “this guy was a cool guy and he deserves attention.”  I resolved to aid him in building his young business and I am now helping him with his business plan (full confession, I am in business school and I want to practice my craft).  Not to downplay his efforts and successes, Jimmy was already on the rise before my silly self came along.  He has done well to gather the machinery required to run his business and has sought professional council from the likes of Entrepreneurship programs at Wright State University Raj Soin College of Business.  He has also helped sponsor events such as Gnarnia 2014 in Columbus, a longboarding charity event,  The Foxy Slide Fest in Indianapolis, and Miles for Freedom Dayton charity event, which I will be participating in at the end of the month. I hope you check out his longboards, pick one up and know that his longboards don’t just mean a sense of personal freedom for you to ride around, they mean real freedom for people around the world. I can honestly say I wish nothing but success for Equality Longboards.