Launched by Homegrown Hospitality, The Cigar Factory work space gives budding organizations room to grow
Mad Park founder Stephanie Harvey and A Touch of Speed founder Eboni Thompkins-Webber work at The Ripple Fund’s nonprofit incubator in The Cigar Factory.
The running of a nonprofit involves some basic math. Ninety-two percent of charities operate on less than $1 million a year. Overhead expenses can eat up one-third of the budget. And “one plus one equals three,” says Jerry Scheer, owner of Homegrown Hospitality Group. That last calculation may seem off, but this generous restaurateur understands that humanitarian impacts can be multiplied when organizations support each other—which is why Scheer and his late business partner, Mark Cumins, created The Ripple Fund.
Located at The Cigar Factory, “Ripple provides a place for nonprofits to incubate,” explains Scheer. Inside 5,000 square feet of office space, select nonprofits can access conference rooms, telephone and Internet services, a kitchen, and more—amenities that these charitable workers might otherwise have to seek out at the local Starbucks. “Buying coffee all day can break the bank for these fledgling groups,” says Scheer. “Instead, Ripple takes care of the day-to-day intricacies of running a nonprofit so that they can take care of their target audiences.”
Ripple’s participants reach an array of recipients, from children, veterans, and seniors to people with disabilities and cancer survivors. Whether for full-time administration or monthly board meetings, about 25 “changemakers” use the facility, including mentorship groups, women’s empowerment programs (Waves 4 Women), health and wellness communities (Mad Park, A Touch of Speed), food security organizations, preservation efforts, and more. Stirling Halversen, Ripple’s de facto director of operations, assesses which nonprofits best fit into the Ripple fabric and coordinates the daily activity in-house. “She’s one of our moving forces, an intricate part of Ripple,” Scheer says.
The late Mark Cumins (left) and Jerry Scheer of Homegrown Hospitality Group created The Ripple Fund to provide workspace as well as connections to local nonprofits; (right) The Ripple Fund also provides support for other local nonprofits including Waves 4 Women.
While the caffeine and conference space help fuel these causes, the camaraderie and community may be Ripple’s most lasting impact. “It’s been amazing to be around like-minded people and to be able to navigate the nonprofit world,” says Eboni Thompkins-Webber, founder of youth track club A Touch of Speed. “We facilitate a synergy between nonprofits,” explains Scheer. “These diverse groups can network with the people working right next door and create a joint venture.” He points to the collaboration between The Green Heart Project, which builds raised garden beds in inner-city neighborhoods and Title 1 schools, and Amor Healing Kitchen, which transforms that fresh produce into healthy, plant-based meals for patients facing critical health issues. “We want to be an incubator as well as an accelerator for these organizations,” Scheer says.
Ripple also helps connect its participants with people power, be that mentors or volunteers. The group’s network includes graphic artists, grant agencies, angel investors, catering partners, and residents looking to give back to the community. “Lots of people want to share their time, talent, and treasure, but they don’t just want to work a shift at a soup kitchen and then walk away. They want to feel more attached,” Scheer explains. Through an online sign up, Ripple helps place volunteers with the group best suited to their interests and abilities.
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As the head of Homegrown Hospitality, which owns TBonz Gill & Grill, Pearlz Oyster Bar, and Kaminsky’s Dessert Cafe, among other restaurants across the Southeast, Scheer also recognizes that “breaking bread is the best way to have any kind of event.” The Ripple crew often leverages partnerships with Cisco and other industry leaders to donate food for fundraisers.
Scheer views Ripple’s nonprofit network as the legacy of himself and Cumins, who passed away last fall after battling cancer. The pair met as freshmen at the University of Georgia and went on to launch more than 20 restaurants and inns across Georgia and the Carolinas. No matter how large Homegrown Hospitality has gotten over the past 40 years, Scheer says he and Cumins have always put community on the table. “Giving back is our form of materialism,” he says.
