It is no secret that Dallas-Fort Worth is growing by leaps and bounds, a rapid expansion that provides increasing opportunities to build and grow businesses. But Metroplex Civic and Business Association (MCBA)‘s CEO Louis Darrouzet says there is a gap in DFW between businesses and community that hurts both sides. MCBA seeks to bridge that gap.
MCBA is a nonpartisan, non-profit business organization with a mission to increase charitable and civic engagement among companies and their employees throughout the DFW Metroplex.
Traditionally in business, you would not find employers holding discussions about civic matters, and when it comes to charity, some companies only ramp up charitable efforts during the holidays.
Darrouzet and his team feel it is time to change the narrative by helping businesses create processes and infrastructure that allows for a pro-growth, pro-opportunity environment.
Darrouzet was initially unsure about his role as Chief Executive Officer of MCBA. When asked if he wanted to turn a pilot program into a non-profit business organization, Darrouzet says he had to take a moment to think about his engagement in the community.
“I was not as engaged as I should be. There are a lot of people that fall at the end of the spectrum, where they care but do not have the time to engage or feel that their voice or vote doesn’t matter,” says Darrouzet.
With that in mind, Darrouzet saw an opportunity for MCBA to create something that makes it easier for people to show up in the community and help shape the future of DFW without compromising time or feeling unheard.
“My favorite moment is when a business owner has what I call the ‘lightbulb’ moment,” says Darrouzet. “This moment normally occurs when they have convinced themselves that they don’t need to support the community anymore or that they don’t need to talk about the government at work. The “lightbulb” moment happens when they realize that by working with the MCBA and educating their employees on a deeper level on what is good for business, it creates a pro-growth and pro-opportunity environment for the long run.”
MCBA does this by facilitating volunteer and fundraising support between the employees of MCBA members and local charities. Their web-based platform allows businesses and employees to sign up and track their fundraising and volunteer efforts. In addition, there is also education available for employees that empowers them with the knowledge of how to achieve personal success and create a better business climate in all areas of DFW.
Besides working with businesses and their employees, MCBA also partners with nonprofits like Youth World and the S.M. Wright Foundation to help educate people about STEM and financial literacy.
“Our vision for DFW is that as businesses grow and become successful, people, no matter where they are from, can be successful too. [We give people] access to mentors or career paths that they may have thought were unattainable,” says Darrouzet.
MCBA is working with organizations to improve access to financial education, whether for high school students or employees. The goal is for MCBA to play a significant role in helping everyone succeed in accomplishing things that will make people happy, be involved, and benefit the overall community.
“We want everyone to be able to have the keys to build their destiny of success.” MCBA takes the unique approach of only working with charities that do not instill dependence. Charities must help people “level up their lives” to spread success.
While Darrouzet feels Dallas and its leaders do many things right, he says some areas need improvement. When talking about the infrastructure and, more specifically, the 635 Corridor, he says he is impressed with the completion time.
However, progress is necessary for issues like permits. “I was talking to a colleague the other day who said it took eleven months to get approval for his home renovations…that is something that makes someone want to live somewhere else.”
Darrouzet notes that as the city grows, there will be a critical need to redistrict and create more infrastructure, entities, housing, and public facilities to support that growth. To Darrouzet’s point, according to the United States Census, from 2018 to 2019, the Texas population grew by 367,215 people. The state is number one out of all states in population growth over the previous year, with Austin, Houston, and Dallas seeing historical growth.
“We need to plan for ten to twenty years and beyond, not just tomorrow. We want to help everyday citizens think, ‘Why do people want to come to DFW?’ and ‘How can we maintain the things that make us great so more people will come here?’ which ultimately creates more jobs, growth, and economic power that we can benefit from.”
Darrouzet’s plan for MCBA and the collectiveness he envisions might sound far-fetched to some. But after three years of what he calls a “polarizing social climate,” Darrouzet is encouraging businesses and communities to find common ground and to be, not just be a leader of a company, but a leader in the community as well.
“If the leaders [step up] it will make people feel proud to be in the community, to be a part of that organization, proud of how that organization shows up in the community, and proud of what they provide…the opportunity is there for our leaders and neighbors to step into that higher calling of leadership.”
