Jason Janz co-founded CrossPurpose in 2008, influenced greatly by spending his childhood and adolescence in poverty. His passion for social entrepreneurship and serving the poor is satisfied through his role as CEO, where he builds our staff team, sets the organizational culture and raises funds. When he is not working, Jason enjoys bike riding and hanging out with his family.
CrossPurpose means “a contrary aim.” We wanted to model a different way, a more dignified and holistic way, of walking with our neighbors all the way out of poverty.
We approached this challenge holistically because while poverty shows its effects financially, the solution is often relational and spiritual. This informed what is now the mission of CrossPurpose: “to abolish economic, relational, and spiritual poverty through career and community development.”
To this end, we doubled down on building social capital with our families and lived by the maxim, “There is no significant change without a significant relationship.” For the last ten years, our weekly family dinners have been the place where lifelong friendships have been formed between our families, volunteers, donors, and staff.
Jay Mays’ sales career started in 1996 when he learned to sell dial-up internet accounts and web hosting plans to small businesses. Back in those days he used 4×6 index cards in an orange Nike shoebox as a CRM. Over the past 25 years a lot has changed, but not Jay’s love for helping clients succeed. He’s booked hundreds of “closed won” deals with marquee clients like AT&T, Red Bull, and the Miami Marlins to name a few.
, Founder and Executive Director of the African Leadership Group (ALG), a Colorado nonprofit created in 2006 to help improve the quality of life for African immigrants and members of the diaspora.
