Social Entrepreneur Profile
Julius
Walls, Jr.
President
and CEO
Greyston Bakery, Inc.
Shadowed
by:
Brad Aspel, Sandy Eapen, Ann Kane
and Jessica LaBarbera
Entrepreneur
Contact Data:
104 Alexander Street
Yonkers,
NY 10701
Phone: 914-375-1510
Website: http://www.greystonbakery.com/
Basics:
Founding Date: 1982
Corporate Form: C Corporation,
privately-owned
Geographic Focus: US
Full-time employees: 45
Industry: Food
Social Mission Area: Community
Development
Mission:
The mission of Greyston
Bakery is to become a leader in community development and a role model
for other socially conscious businesses through its hiring practices,
profitable high- quality baked products, and financial support of The
Greyston Foundation.
Q
and A with Students:
Q:
Can you give us some background on Julius Walls?
A: Julius joined Greyston in 1995. His association with
Greyston Bakery had begun a few years prior when he was involved with
bringing Greyston Bakery products to the White House. The Greyston
Bakery, a $5.5 million for-profit enterprise owned by the non-profit
Greyston Foundation, has been in business for over twenty years. Born
in Brooklyn, New York, Mr. Walls attended high school and college
seminary before pursuing a career in business. He studied business at
Baruch College and completed his bachelor’s degree at Concordia
College. A core ingredient in Mr. Walls' life career is his spiritual
practice. He encourages employees to actively bring their whole self to
work, including their cultural and spiritual selves. Mr. Walls resides
in Yonkers with his wife, Cheryl, and three children.
Q:
What led you to choose to shadow him?
A: Interest in successful for-proft/non-profit hybrid
social ventures
Q:
What issues did your social entrepreneur face during the project?
A: The three main issues that were tracked as we
"shadowed" Julius were the following: 1) cash flow management
2) evaluation of a new product line 3) efficiency improvements in the
bakery's current operations.
Q:
What was interesting, surprising or inspiring about shadowing this
SE?
A: Our team was inspired by the passion Julius conveyed
about his work and excited to see his strong focus on both the
financial and social mission of the company. It was obvious that he
knew that to ensure sustainability of the bakery and the non-profit
foundation that it supports, he needed to focus on improving the
financial state of the company, not only on the social aspects. By
doing so, the bakery can grow and continue to be a leader in community
development in the Yonkers, NY area. Furthermore, we learned that a
positive attitude, a focus on continuous improvement, and commitment to
the development of employees--all things Julius has-- are things that
can help entrepreneurs be successful.
Q:
What did you learn about being a social entrepreneur from this project?
A: It takes perseverance and
passion. It is important to have people that believe in your mission.
Also, to have a successful venture, it is important to focus on the
financial sustainability in addition to the social aspects.
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