Traveling around the globe and volunteering as an English teacher throughout Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, Chris Vasquez, the founder of The Quantum Talent Group, witnessed firsthand the lack of opportunities affecting millions of kids in vulnerable regions of the world.
This direct insight into the deplorable conditions of educational institutions in under-developed countries was a trigger for Vasquez. Upon returning from his journey, heartbroken and inspired, he decided to cofound the nonprofit, ThroughYOU, committing to the mission of building schools and water systems for communities in need.
“As Tony Robbins says, ‘a belief is a poor substitute for experience,’” referenced Vasquez during a recent interview.
“You can conceptually know that there are problems in the world,” continued Vasquez, “but until you experience them, you might not be motivated to do anything about it.”
Nowadays, Vasquez is the CEO of The Quantum Talent Group, one of the leading executive search firms in the SaaS and Crypto sectors. This California-based company assists VC-backed software startups in building and scaling full executive, engineering, and product teams. Over the past year, Vasquez and his team have helped multiple SaaS and Crypto startups grow into multi-billion-dollar companies, including ClickUp, Binanace.US, and Rippling.
Through his nonprofit organization, Vasquez works to create a transformative impact in the lives of thousands of kids in economically vulnerable regions. Donating a percentage of The Quantum Talent Group’s profits to ThroughYOU, Vasquez has helped build schools and water systems in isolated areas that lack even the most basic infrastructure. He maintains a firm determination not to allow extreme poverty to deter the children in these communities from pursuing their dreams.
In an interview back in January, Vasquez connected via Zoom from his residence in Miami, Florida, and narrated what inspired him to establish his nonprofit, ThroughYOU, Inc.
At the age of 24, Vasquez embarked on a self-discovery journey throughout 25 countries. He decided to quit his position in corporate talent recruitment and took a year off to find the sense of purpose that he did not have in his job.
Vasquez volunteered as an English teacher for schools in vulnerable communities in Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa during this trip. His work as a volunteer allowed him to appreciate the scale of economic hardship impacting communities in underdeveloped countries.
“I was touched and heartbroken by the tough situation I found in these schools,” narrated Vasquez. “These schools were so poor that they kept falling apart because they didn’t have enough funding. These kids didn’t have a good opportunity.”
Vasquez’s time volunteering as an English teacher was an epiphanic experience. To this day, Vasquez recounts an exchange with one of his students that encapsulates the bitter reality children face in these vulnerable regions.
“One of these kids told me that he wanted to be a pilot,” recalled Vasquez, “but I thought to myself, ‘how is he going to become a pilot if he can’t even get basic education, and his school doesn’t have enough funding to have teachers teach him basic English.’”
Vasquez’s trip around the world made him aware of the lack of opportunities that prevent children in underdeveloped countries from escaping extreme poverty. Back in the United States, after a year-long absence, Vasquez was committed to helping the children in these vulnerable areas.
“When I returned to the U.S., I knew that I wanted to do something that has sustainable impact,” said Vasquez. “I decided that I wanted to go and build schools.”
Vasquez rallied some of his friends to join him in his crusade to build schools in economically isolated regions.
What started as a noble intention materialized in the establishment of ThroughYOU, Inc. More than building a piece of infrastructure, Vasquez’s vision was to provide long-lasting opportunities for children in underprivileged communities and help them rise out of poverty.
“If we build schools and have a way for the government to fund them, they can have a real long-term impact,” said Vasquez. “I realized that I hadn’t really created impact when I was over there. Those schools were not going anywhere, so we needed to create real, sustainable schools.”
After constructing its first school in Malawi in partnership with the international nonprofit organization, buildOn, Vasquez expanded the scope of ThroughYOU. Now, this nonprofit also provides clean water systems to underdeveloped communities. To this day, it has built four schools and two water wells in underdeveloped countries across Africa, Asia, and Central America.
Vasquez incorporated his social mission into his company’s business model. Today, The Quantum Talent Group donates a percentage of its profits to support ThroughYOU’s fight to quench the thirst for water and education of millions of children in underdeveloped communities.
“I come from a fairly privileged background, and I received a good education,” concluded Vasquez. “I believe that everyone deserves that opportunity. You need an opportunity to be able to chase your dreams.”
By Juan Sebastian Restrepo,
With Artistic Initiative Agency
