My name is Austin Charles, founder of The G.R.O.W Initiative. I am a Baltimore native, with a background in Business Management and Finance. I have a strong passion for promoting black entrepreneurship and black empowerment in general. I started this Initiative when I realized the importance of relationships in our society through my own personal struggles as a minority in corporate America trying to juggle career goals while attempting to maintain healthy interpersonal relationships. Through my journey, I began to understand that every interaction with another human being is a type of relationship. In order to improve the conditions of any community, you must first focus on improving the overall interpersonal skills of the community members and their ability to establish genuine connections with others. Everything else will "G.R.O.W" from there.