Non-profit organization Unlocking Communities (UC) aims to elevate Haiti through a sustainable business model. This Chicago-based enterprise helps individuals and communities achieve their economic potential through entrepreneurial ventures and empowers them to overcome poverty by creating an environment of self-respect and sustainability.
Founder and CEO Josh Goralski launched UC in 2018 while pursuing his Master’s degree in
social justice at Loyola University. Goralski, a visionary social sector entrepreneur, has lifelong
connections to the country, as well as extensive travel experience in the developing world.
Having had a decade of experience in nonprofit organizations, he’s gone from analyzing global impact metrics to writing business plans to scale other organizations.
An active member of social justice ministries at Old St. Pat’s Church in Chicago, Goralski’s
proximity to suffering began at an early age with his father’s incurable illness — leading to him giving his father a kidney donation in 2011.
Having seen the challenges Haitians face, Goralski organized UC in an effort to elevate Haiti by putting the economic power into the hands of the people themselves. He believed that Haitian
communities are able to build sustainable businesses when provided with the necessary
resources. These entrepreneurs create a healthier living environment by selling money-saving water filtration systems and clean-burning stoves to people in their communities.
“We chose those products because they are products that Haitians are spending a lot of money on,” Goralski said in an interview with Good Press’s Cassi Lowe. “There are simple solutions out there that have lacked getting [much-needed products] into the hands of the people that really need them. So our model both helps to bring business education training to our sellers and also products to those people.”
In future years working in Haiti, Goralski hopes “to scale models like these that truly put
economic power in the hands of local communities.” He emphasized that through this process, UC aims to reach a million Haitians in the next 10 years. “Our goal within three years is to be in 60 communities and have impacted over 50,000 lives, saving at least 5 million in economic savings for the Haitians.”
Just recently, UC partnered with Soapbox, an organization that donates soap for every
purchase of one of their soap products. Founded in 2010, they aim to empower people to
change the world through everyday, quality purchases. Their collaboration with UC resulted in the production of 1,500 gallons of soap, giving 20,000 Haitian entrepreneurs the opportunity to earn an additional income. More than 5,000 people in Haiti are now more aware of better hygiene practices, as well as having basic WaSH (water, sanitation, hygiene) training.
UC plans to continue the Soapbox partnership, with plans to expand even further in 2021. In the future, Goralski plans to start work in parts of South America and India. You can connect with Josh via Linkedin, as well as through UC’s official Instagram.
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