Brookline Resident Backs Dorchester Nonprofit

BROOKLINE, MA - A Brookline resident has rallied his company behind a Dorchester nonprofit in a partnership that spans continents.

Simon Taylor, president of Central Europe-based Comtrade Software, has entered the company into a philanthropic partnership with College Bound Dorchester.

Based in the Bowdoin-Geneva neighborhood of Dorchester, College Bound targets the most at-risk youth - dropouts, gang members and those with criminal records - and helps them enroll in community colleges.

The aim of the nonprofit is to break the cycle of poverty and violence by giving those most impacted the opportunity to earn associates degrees, make a living wage and positively influence the community around them.

Taylor, who also serves on the board of College Bound Dorchester, told Patch he was impressed by the organization's focus on those in the community struggling the most.

"Other organizations might cherry pick the overachievers," Taylor said. "College Bound sort of flips the concept of charity and non profit on its head and says, let's try and help the people having the hardest time."

College Bound works actively with law enforcement to identify candidates and has implemented its program inside prisons to educate those who are incarcerated. Some of its educators are former gang members themselves, which gives them credibility when encouraging potential students to participate in the program.

Since its inception four years ago, College Bound has sent more than 150 students to college with a retention rate of 61 percent, according to the organization.

Taylor said the group's focus on disruption, a common theme behind many technology companies, inspired him to partner Comtrade Software with College Bound.

"In College Bound the mission is to disrupt by putting a new spin on the old way of doing things," he said. "It became a very natural bridge for Comtrade to become an active supporter for them."

Taylor and Comtrade are also sponsors of the organization's "We Are College Bound" gala, held this Thursday at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. Event proceeds will "support the organization's mission to equip students with the attitudes, skills and experience to graduate from college."

"You're often asked to give to different charitable organizations, and there are a lot that are designed to support the best and the brightest. I think there's a place for that and it's important," Taylor said. "But there's also a need to address hard-hit kids, and this is one of the few programs out there addressing that need. I think that really is what makes this organization so powerful."

Photo (L-R): Simon Taylor, president, Comtrade Software and College Bound Dorchester board member and Mark Culliton, chief executive officer, College Bound Dorchester.

Photo submitted