Daily Inspiration: Meet Dexter Beasley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dexter Beasley.

Hi Dexter, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have lived in Colorado for most of my life but only moved to Fort Collins in August of 2017 to attend CSU. I received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Development and Family Studies with a concentration in Leadership and Entrepreneurial Professions in May of 2021. I have 8 years of leadership experience in the food service industry, but my true passion has always been building community and serving the underserved.

I have a passion for equity, diversity, and inclusion — and I completed numerous courses as well as an internship with Poudre School District centered around these subjects during my time at CSU. I love to make people laugh and enjoyed my time as a Rams Improv Comedy troupe member in college. I joined the FoCo Cafe team as Operations Manager in August of 2022 and stepped into the role of Executive Director in February of 2023 — now overseeing all operations of FoCo Cafe.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I have been astonished by the opportunity that I’ve been given and all of the support I’ve received along the way. If you had told me a year ago that I would be the Executive Director of a local nonprofit, I would never have believed you. I learned an immense amount about nonprofits in general (and FoCo Cafe in particular) during my 6 months serving as Operations Manager, and I’ve been lucky enough to establish and maintain dozens of meaningful connections with community members of all different backgrounds and circumstances. I give FoCo Cafe my all because I truly believe in our mission of providing a “hand-up” to the members of our community who are experiencing financial hardships, food insecurity, mental and emotional distress, and other obstacles surrounding intersectional minoritized identities.

This work is too important not to be done well. I can sometimes get caught up in the fact that there is always more to be done, and I’ll find myself working through the weekends; So one struggle for me has been prioritizing work-life balance — I have to remind myself that it’s important to put on your own oxygen mask before helping someone else with theirs. But honestly, the passion that I have for our mission makes it easy to forget that I’m working at all.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
In my role as Executive Director, I am responsible for overseeing all aspects of FoCo Cafe’s operations. This requires an immense amount of organization, collaboration, and consistent communication. Our team is really small (4-5 paid employees at any given time), so we all wear a lot of hats and have to be creative in how we divide the workload — I am very lucky to have an incredibly capable team to collaborate with. Our mission at FoCo Cafe is to provide everyone in our community with a nutritious, delicious, locally-sourced, and sustainable meal regardless of their ability to contribute financially (in addition to providing a welcoming community space that encourages folks of all different backgrounds to create meaningful connections with those around them).

We operate on a sliding pay-what-you-can donation scale, while also empowering people to pay with their time and talent by volunteering in exchange for their meals. Because we serve everyone in the community, and not only those who are designated as being “in need,” we do not qualify for the majority of federal funding that other nonprofits rely on, which necessitates a lot of creative thinking and problem-solving in ensuring that FoCo Cafe can continue to feed the community for years to come. I pride myself in my critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, and I hope to continue leveraging these skills to FoCo Cafe’s benefit for years to come. Although I am new to this role, I believe that my fresh perspective may be exactly what the Cafe needs to evolve in relation to ever-changing community needs and operational obstacles.

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up.
I struggled with undiagnosed ADHD throughout grade school, which was often misinterpreted as willfully disruptive behavior. For years, I felt as if I was somehow less valuable than the other kids who could sit still and think linearly without getting distracted. I didn’t know at the time that this was a manifestation of my ADHD, I just knew that my mind worked a little differently than the minds of those around me. I remember in fifth grade, we started having weekly critical thinking/problem-solving lessons and I began to feel as if I had a superpower; suddenly, my ability to think outside the box and approach issues from a different perspective became a strength.

Something that had always felt like a deficiency quickly became a point of pride as I consistently came up with solutions more quickly than my classmates. This realization of my own unique strengths and abilities was incredibly empowering — and to this day I am passionate about recognizing individual differences as strengths and encouraging those around me to leverage these strengths in a way that builds confidence and creates a sense of purpose and dignity. Everyone has something unique to offer and all too often, these assets are clouded by a desire to be just like everyone else. Our differences don’t subtract from our value but rather multiply it!

Contact Info:

• Website: FoCocafe.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fococafe/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FoCoCafe/
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/dexter-beasley