After graduating from Hamline University, Josh Becerra decided to spend some time in Uruguay connecting with his roots. He took a job at the Uruguayan American School in Montevideo as a children’s supervisor and over 10 years climbed the ranks to become business and development officer, the second-highest position at the school.
When Becerra started his job the fortunes of the school weren’t great: The building was antiquated, it operated in the red, and enrollment was declining. But after the school put to use Becerra’s management and entrepreneurial skills, it gained a solid foundation for the future by moving into a new building, attracting new students, and turning a profit. In the process Becerra developed a new purpose for his life: to improve the fitness of nonprofit organizations.
Today, Becerra is fulfilling that purpose as director of cultural enterprise at Neighborhood House in St. Paul, which serves as a resource for an increasingly diverse Minnesota. He is incubating a consulting business for the organization that puts its core competencies to work—while also bringing in revenue—through diversity training, conferences and workshops, and products like the New Minnesota Tool Kit for refugees and immigrants.
Teaming with several of his childhood friends from St. Paul, Becerra recently developed a side business called Buy the Change. It’s an online network of nonprofits that allows member organizations to sell goods and services, while also encouraging supporters to back their cause financially and connect with other enthusiasts. The venture gives Becerra an outlet for his entrepreneurial vision and an opportunity to fulfill his mission.
Becerra devotes time to many causes, such as the Alliance for Fair Federal Immigration Reform of Minnesota, the St. Paul Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership St. Paul program, and the Citizens League, where he served on the Committee for Immigration and Higher Education. Becerra spends his free time with his three daughters and remodeling his 100-year-old house in St. Paul.
