[NEW EPISODE] Digital Equity - Computers 4 People

Fridays 10:00am - 11:00am (EDT)

EPISODE SUMMARY:

Listeners will gain valuable insight about the critical issue of the digital divide, how access to technology can transform lives, and how they can help foster digital equity with a simple donation of a device they no longer use. By tuning in, they will discover how a 15-year old founded Computers 4 People, a leading nonprofit organization that is making a tangible impact and how sustainable innovation can uplift communities and more!

Dylan Zajac is the Founder & Executive Director Computers of 4 People (C4P), a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting digital equity and access to underserved communities.

At the age of 15, Dylan Zajac founded Computers 4 People, located in Hoboken, New Jersey and by the age of 20, he expanded operations by opening a second office in Massachusetts. Up to date, Computers 4 People has served more than 3000 individuals and their families and has forged partnerships with over 300 organizations in the NYC and Boston Metro area.

Dylan is currently enrolled as a senior at Babson College.

Organization: Computers 4 People

Website: www.computers4people.org

Facebook: facebook.com/computers4people

Instagram: instagram.com/computers4people

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/computers4people/

Tune in for this sensible conversation at TalkRadio.nyc

Show Notes

‍Segment 1

Segment 2

Segment 3

‍Segment 4

Transcript

00:00:44.520 --> 00:01:13.100 Tommy DiMisa: Let's go talk about. Let's go talk about. Let's go. Mets your boy, the one and only nonprofit sector connector couple flights up from the attic, 120 miles away from actually where I woke up this morning, shout out to the Poconos in PA. I made a quick road trip down to Long Island, because that's where I had to be in the attic to meet with my friend Dylan Zayjack this morning, Dylan. Just say hello because I got a lot to save him before we get into the show. But Dylan Zayjack, founder, executive director, computers for people. What's up, brother? What's going on.

00:01:13.100 --> 00:01:18.299 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: What's up, Tommy? Tommy? I will tell you. I have never been more excited to be on a podcast.

00:01:18.300 --> 00:01:18.970 Tommy DiMisa: Stop it? How many.

00:01:18.970 --> 00:01:21.830 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: I'm excited. I am so excited to be here.

00:01:21.830 --> 00:01:30.010 Tommy DiMisa: I have to dude. I'm you know what I was a second ago. I was jazzed. Now I'm super jazzed. I'm glad you said that? How many of these have you done.

00:01:30.686 --> 00:01:32.820 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Just a couple, just a couple, very few.

00:01:32.820 --> 00:01:39.154 Tommy DiMisa: Well, I will do my best to entertain you, as we try to educate some other folks while we do some things here.

00:01:39.430 --> 00:01:40.240 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: And into it.

00:01:40.240 --> 00:02:02.790 Tommy DiMisa: You know, before we do, I gotta cover a couple of things, and it's gonna be very relevant to this conversation. You and I, having, as I get to the bottom of this, so check this out gang. Go to Nyc. Imagine awards.com new York City. Imagine awards! I've been on the committee since the inception I've been on the Long Island. Imagine Awards Committee 5 guests 6 or 7 years out here. Vanguard benefits our agency sponsors the Long Island. Imagine awards!

00:02:02.790 --> 00:02:26.999 Tommy DiMisa: Shout out to Ken Sereni Kelly and Sereni and the whole team at the imagine awards, my fellow committee members, judges, etc. Here's what I want you to listen to the alliant insurance services, incorporated leadership excellence. The 4 finalists just announced this week our urban justice Center inspiring minds. NYC. Little Flower and Mccarton Foundation in the Serenian Associates Social Impact award. You have the Children's Museum of Manhattan

00:02:27.030 --> 00:02:55.979 Tommy DiMisa: Durat, which is generations helping. And then we have I, mentor, which is a client of vanguard benefits? Venture House ironically. Another client of vanguard benefits, shout out to team, and I mentor and venture house. Then you have the Claire Friedlander Family Foundation Arts and Culture Award Harlem School of the Arts, the New York Foundation for the Arts Omnium, a bold new circus, and I've interviewed the leader of Omnium on the show here. What a great organization that is, and young People's chorus of New York City

00:02:55.980 --> 00:03:02.219 Tommy DiMisa: stay tuned gang couple more categories, and the way it was set up, Dylan is perfect on the website for our show.

00:03:02.290 --> 00:03:30.489 Tommy DiMisa: So the JP. Morgan chase diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, award barrier, free living. These are all your finalists, everybody. The big events in October barrier, free living, big brothers, big sisters in New York City, Fiverr Children's Foundation, Good Shepherd Services. Then you have the one group, innovation awards. Again, inspiring minds. NYC, I wrote their follow-up essay to be a supplement to their original application, had a great opportunity

00:03:30.490 --> 00:03:49.310 Tommy DiMisa: to meet with Katrina, the executive director, founder out there, and actually she's coming on the show in a couple weeks. Still in the same category. Sorry gang, innovation award, one group team for food justice, the Brave House and Yelena Leadership Foundation. Then you have the your part-time Controller, Yptc.

00:03:49.450 --> 00:04:06.389 Tommy DiMisa: Rising Star Award. You have. I'm gonna skip over one. You have the Andromeda community initiative. You have grassroots, grocery, you have teams for food justice, and then you have an organization called Computers for People, my friend Dylan Shay Jack from computers for people. That's it, brother, you are a finalist.

00:04:06.390 --> 00:04:07.669 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Here. We made it.

00:04:07.670 --> 00:04:20.969 Tommy DiMisa: We're fired up, man. The big events in October. I know nothing more than I know who the finalists are. I'm not allowed to know anything else, because it's best. If I don't know anything else. I got a big mouth, anyway. So, Dylan, let's get into this conversation. Look, I was

00:04:20.970 --> 00:04:45.380 Tommy DiMisa: when I met you the 1st day we did a Zoom Meeting. We haven't actually met in person, but I will tell you this. When I was telling my kids couple of my kids. I was telling them who who's gonna be on the show this morning at 5 45, when we were driving home from the Poconos, I was saying, Hey, listen! I gotta tell you about this young man. He founded this organization. He used to go to thrift shops and computers and all this stuff. I don't know how much of it landed on them, but I know the people that listen to my show. It was early in the morning. Nobody had had their

00:04:45.640 --> 00:04:48.646 Tommy DiMisa: obviously I've had some since then, but it was

00:04:49.130 --> 00:05:12.369 Tommy DiMisa: It's stories like yours. It's stories like my friend Sean and Killian Duke from sale ahead that were 15 and 16 years old when they saw an opportunity to found sail ahead to take veteran sailing. It's my friend Ray Muller, who I reintroduced you to, who founded the little Saint Nick Foundation out of a vision he had when he was 6, 7, 8 years old, because of his experience in the hospital, and I just had an opportunity to talk to Zach Anderson over.

00:05:12.370 --> 00:05:25.010 Tommy DiMisa: I raise our organization because we're gonna do a collaboration in December. So you, my friend, inspired me. The work you're doing. The fact that you drive up and down from Hoboken to Massachusetts and all the stuff we're gonna talk about today. That's inspirational.

00:05:25.010 --> 00:05:43.260 Tommy DiMisa: Young people, older people, old people. Listen to me. If you wanna do the thing, just do the thing. Forget about your age, and all the nonsense and shenanigans, and what outsiders might say. Just do the freaking thing, Dylan. What is the thing that you started to do? Why did it happen? Tell me, Thrift shop, Brooklyn. Let's do it, baby.

00:05:43.260 --> 00:05:45.230 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Let me tell you the thing. I'll tell you the thing.

00:05:45.690 --> 00:05:56.629 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Okay, so my name's Dylan Z. Jack. I founded the nonprofit computers for people back when I was 15 as a sophomore in high school, and it all started because I was just

00:05:56.860 --> 00:06:04.069 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: so interested in business like since I was a little kid. I you know I would sell, you know, pokemon cards. I would sell

00:06:04.090 --> 00:06:09.499 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: tattoos, whatever it was. And then from there I I started a Youtube channel. It was

00:06:09.600 --> 00:06:13.389 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: engulfed in like filmmaking. And this sort of stuff live streaming

00:06:13.706 --> 00:06:21.160 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: mostly video games. But then got into more comedy and all that stuff I I want. That was like, my dream is to be A Youtuber.

00:06:21.680 --> 00:06:25.029 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: My dream came came to an end.

00:06:25.050 --> 00:06:36.369 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: like 6 years in after finding a new passion which was going with my friends to thrift shops in New York City. We'd go on the subway to these different thrift shops.

00:06:36.370 --> 00:07:03.599 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: buy old computers. We would like. These thrift shop owners knew nothing about the equipment we were buying. So we could kind of like, take a computer that was worth 100 and go up to them. It was probably priced at like $10 and be like this is, there's no way. This is worth $10, and then we would get it for like $5, and then we would. We would pile them all up on our skateboards, take them back on the subway, fix them up a little bit and sell them on ebay or Facebook marketplace, make, you know, a thousand percent profit

00:07:04.910 --> 00:07:14.630 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: doing that. And that was like the real start of it is like, Hey, wow! There's all these computers in the world. And where are they going? I started talking to these thrift shop owners.

00:07:14.957 --> 00:07:24.050 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: and the thrift shop owners told me that tons of companies don't know how to get rid of their old computers, so a lot would end up in the landfill getting burned and

00:07:24.680 --> 00:07:27.359 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: leaking toxic chemicals into the air.

00:07:28.690 --> 00:07:50.269 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: And then there's a completely different side which my stepmom told me about, which was like the nonprofit and the side where people don't have access to computers. So there's all these being thrown away. But then tons of people don't have access. So that was like the lightbul moment for me. I was like, Wow, I can collect all these computers, refurbish them and donate them to people in need. And that's where it all started.

00:07:50.270 --> 00:08:14.630 Tommy DiMisa: You start to solve multiple problems like like, that's what I'm hearing like. This is one of those like, you know, win win all the way around type things which we're gonna get into a lot of that today. It's funny, though, I mentioned I don't know if my kids will listen to me. But I I was. When we were coming home this morning I said to my son, You know I tell him about you, and he goes. Did you know this guy like a couple of months ago? I said, well, I met him recently. You know we haven't met you and I in person, but we've done some zoom.

00:08:14.660 --> 00:08:38.119 Tommy DiMisa: And he and I said, Well, why do you ask that? And he goes, don't you remember, like my buddy? And I picked up that computer. And I said, Yeah, but you picked up a computer in front of somebody's house, and then you left it in our backyard and it rained on it 3 times. So even if I could call Dylan Dylan, don't tell me it could have been good cause we got rid of it, anyway, but he's like, Well, why didn't we? And I go dude? But now he knows about it. So he's 13. So now he's thinking about like how he can be part of the solution. You know

00:08:38.120 --> 00:09:00.969 Tommy DiMisa: my kids have had the the benefit of not to be too arrogant to say the benefit of me being their dad. But no, they've had the benefit of seeing me do a lot of work in the nonprofit sector. They've had the benefit of going out and being involved in the nonprofits, because as soon as I said something about a young guy founding a nonprofit, he goes. Oh, that's your buddy with the sailboats, right with the veterans. So this is brainwashed in a good way.

00:09:00.970 --> 00:09:01.650 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Him.

00:09:01.650 --> 00:09:04.110 Tommy DiMisa: That that's being done, you know, and that's

00:09:04.120 --> 00:09:09.548 Tommy DiMisa: and I have a lot of questions for you. But I want to understand. You know you said,

00:09:09.920 --> 00:09:14.700 Tommy DiMisa: it's your your mom or your stepmom that's involved in a nonprofit. Right? Am I right about that? So.

00:09:14.700 --> 00:09:15.220 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Yeah.

00:09:15.220 --> 00:09:17.269 Tommy DiMisa: Yeah. So what what was?

00:09:17.740 --> 00:09:43.119 Tommy DiMisa: Did you understand? Nonprofit? Did you? Were you aware of what she was doing like? How did that conversation start to happen where you realized. Hey, this is fun. I mean, I have this whole a bunch of questions about the pokemon. Maybe we'll get back into that. But it's where you said, this is a fun thing, my friends and I like to do. We're making some money negotiating and beating up on these thrift store guys, the guys trying to make 10 bucks. You're beating them for 5, you know, just killing the guy. We are hardcore negotiating.

00:09:43.446 --> 00:09:44.100 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: For free.

00:09:44.100 --> 00:10:00.969 Tommy DiMisa: Yeah, so he won, anyway. So he, whatever he made, was a win, anyway. Man, it was sitting on the shelf. I remember I was on Second Avenue one time, right? There used to be these antique shops. And I bought this. It's actually over there. It's a it's like a statue. It's like a brass statue. This was a like an antique shop

00:10:00.970 --> 00:10:29.389 Tommy DiMisa: where I think I don't know why I was working in the city at the time, and I would go in these antique shops every so often, and I wasn't trying to be a shrewd negotiator. But nobody goes into these stores right? So if you go in there, they think they got like a fish on the hook, and if you make it to the door and start to walk down the street. The price that was 100 is 60. Then it's 40. Then it's 30. By the time you're halfway up the block the guy just wants to give it you for 5 bucks. So I wasn't even trying to negotiate. But I ended up getting a lot of stuff out of that. So

00:10:29.590 --> 00:10:37.449 Tommy DiMisa: look. They see you in the store. They probably wanted to move it like, let me get some green out of this kid's pocket, and and then he can have the computer. Speaking of Green.

00:10:37.750 --> 00:10:44.489 Tommy DiMisa: we're gonna talk about that vest in a couple of minutes. But you know, I want to know what it was for you that you said. You know.

00:10:44.580 --> 00:10:54.700 Tommy DiMisa: nonprofit, while there's people that need computers. And there's these companies that need to get rid of that. Why did it become your mission to be the guy who's going to solve a lot of these problems.

00:10:54.950 --> 00:11:11.369 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Yeah, I think one of the biggest factors as a kid was so there's like my stepmom who worked in nonprofits. And then my real mom, who who took me to all these different volunteering, you know events as a kid stepmom and real mom.

00:11:11.370 --> 00:11:13.949 Tommy DiMisa: Both. But again both sound mission.

00:11:14.380 --> 00:11:34.479 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Extremely mission driven people that want to help the world and do so much work in their local community. And that really, like I, I definitely absorbed that as a kid, right? So we would always like we would be going and painting stuff in hospitals to hang up. We would be doing food drives and all these all these different like volunteering activities which

00:11:34.850 --> 00:11:36.870 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: honestly, as a kid, I was like.

00:11:37.770 --> 00:11:39.770 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: it was awesome. But I was like

00:11:40.010 --> 00:11:46.990 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: I feel like I could do so much more like like, where is this like we would? We would collect all this food, and then it would go into

00:11:47.090 --> 00:11:48.490 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: a place with like

00:11:49.250 --> 00:12:07.959 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: insane amount of food, and then we would hear from the people that ran the food shelter, that there are all these other problems like, how do we distribute this food? How do we make it equitable? All these different ideas? So that when when I actually got to like the oh, there's so many computers in the world that are being thrown out.

00:12:07.960 --> 00:12:20.729 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: and there's so many that people don't have access to. I was like, wait a second, I could actually do something that I really enjoy, build a business around helping people and make a real difference in the world.

00:12:20.730 --> 00:12:34.609 Tommy DiMisa: Yeah, yeah, I mean, I'm hearing as as you're saying, that story, everybody. This is what I if you close your eyes and you listen. That story. I see you being a bridge. Right? You're the conduit. You're the connection. You're the logistics to get these computers that are

00:12:34.820 --> 00:12:47.279 Tommy DiMisa: all but worthless. Right going into a landfill, ending up on a thrift store shelf for for Guy to skateboard, to to come in and and and purchase. But really you you saw. Hey? There's a need

00:12:47.280 --> 00:13:08.669 Tommy DiMisa: right? And I can be that bridge right? Is that what cause? That's what I'm hearing you say is like you said, well, now, I can solve this problem by it's not as simple as it sounds. It's not just pick up the computer and give it somebody who needs it. Obviously, we're going to go into that today on what it is you all do. But it's really, I think, at its core. It's a logistical situation. It's moving a product from one side to the other. Isn't that right?

00:13:08.880 --> 00:13:33.530 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: I think everything that we're doing at computers for people is a logistical technology problem and a connection problem. What we do is partner with 500 nonprofits that nominate people in need to get a computer, 500 nonprofits serving who knows how many communities along with partnering with over 1,000 computer donors.

00:13:33.530 --> 00:13:52.779 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: And it's getting those donors, you know, getting the computer, refurbishing it, cleaning it and then getting it to the exact person that needs. It's all a logistics technology. But at its core, a connection problem. That's the whole problem with the digital device. It's a connection problem. It's having access.

00:13:52.980 --> 00:14:05.600 Tommy DiMisa: Wow. So from a technology perspective, are we talking about? You have some kind of Crm where you're tagging every piece of equipment that comes through your system. Right? Is that is it? Talk! Talk to me about that.

00:14:05.600 --> 00:14:17.640 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Yeah, since the beginning I've been. I've been like thinking about this like, how do we make this? The most efficient process possible? Right? And to do that, we needed to build like

00:14:17.640 --> 00:14:40.299 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: I built an inventory system myself. We built a CRM system. They all integrate to each other, and we're not even there yet. But there's all these ideas around how we can get it to the point where we're almost at the point where someone donates a computer. And then a week later, they get sent an email saying, Hey, your computer went to this person and made this impact. And very soon, very soon we're going to get there.

00:14:40.300 --> 00:14:40.960 Tommy DiMisa: That's real.

00:14:40.960 --> 00:14:42.140 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Technology.

00:14:42.140 --> 00:14:51.340 Tommy DiMisa: Now you didn't. It didn't make sense. When you went out to the marketplace to look at something that might have been there. You felt it made more sense. You and the team to build something in-house.

00:14:51.730 --> 00:15:08.570 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Totally totally. I I was just at A at the biggest electronic recycling convention conference in the world. I just got back last night, and I saw a lot of the inventory systems there, and they were. Let's just say it's it looked like they were built in the 19 nineties.

00:15:08.570 --> 00:15:09.020 Tommy DiMisa: Really.

00:15:09.322 --> 00:15:15.380 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: But they. But for what we're doing, it's so unique, it's so different that it needs a custom solution.

00:15:15.380 --> 00:15:30.170 Tommy DiMisa: I love it. Who knows? And you know I know you're an entrepreneur. I know you're in business school right now, and you know, maybe that solution won't just be your solution. But maybe that becomes an industry standard that you can then sell to the marketplace. Right? I'm sure that's something you guys talk about.

00:15:30.470 --> 00:15:55.030 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Yeah, yeah, I mean, there's there's so many different ideas here. Like, what if there was a blockchain solution where we can track, you know technology from where was made, like all the way to like, where the cobalt is coming from to the manufacturer to the end of life, the circular economy to who it went to at the end, and then where it went back to, and how those pieces got broken up, and then what they got turned into next right.

00:15:55.030 --> 00:16:16.769 Tommy DiMisa: I love it. You know what I'm you know what I'm fired up about, man, that I get to be a witness to what the work you're doing, man, I get to watch what you're gonna do over the next 5, 1015, 20 years, because we're gonna stay connected. And I'm fired up about that, because in the small amounts of conversations you and I've had so far, you know, leading up to today, I'm like, Wow, this kid is super smart. He's got a vision. I was even explaining to my kids this morning how you chose

00:16:16.770 --> 00:16:38.049 Tommy DiMisa: when you had the opportunity. We'll get into this today. But why, this is a nonprofit and not a for-profit, because you shared that piece of information with me, and I almost cried when you told me that. Why would Tommy d cry? Because I was touched? All right. So we'll be right back. This is a quick break, Dylan, Z. Jack. Computers for people, and the one and only nonprofit sector connector. We'll be right back philanthropy and focus.

00:18:48.460 --> 00:18:53.520 Tommy DiMisa: Tommy. It is attic joy, Tommy. It is attic. Alright. Maybe we'll sing. Maybe.

00:18:53.520 --> 00:18:57.740 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Where do you get all this music from? Where was that? Where was the intro song from.

00:18:57.740 --> 00:19:13.070 Tommy DiMisa: So that's actually like the bed for my little theme song. There, my little Jingle, my Buddy Brendan Levy, of the Queen's Chamber of commerce which we're going to get you wired in over there. In fact, I'm going to be out Tuesday night. I'm going to be out with them at the met game.

00:19:13.070 --> 00:19:36.760 Tommy DiMisa: the Queens Chamber of Commerce. I do a lot of work with Brendan Levy, who manages business development. The CEO Tom Gretsch so much going on in Queens, which you know there's a whole Queens tech council. Dylan we gotta talk about actually, let's put a PIN in that, Louis. I know you're listening, making note of that Queen's tech Council. Thanks, Lewis, for all the work in getting Dylan and I together today appreciate Lewis on your team. We're gonna talk a bit about your team today, because I know how important your team is to you

00:19:36.760 --> 00:19:54.740 Tommy DiMisa: and really to the vision of the company and the organization. But to answer your question, my friend Brendan Levy and I. We wrote the lyrics of that song. Nonprofits need connections to moving the right directions, so cut through all the static, join Tommy and his attic, and now, like my younger son, loves to sing that song and make.

00:19:54.740 --> 00:19:56.469 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Is it on spotify.

00:19:56.470 --> 00:20:20.820 Tommy DiMisa: That's all of this stuff is on spotify, you know, every this episode is, gonna be on spotify. The the song is the whole song that you know, 5 or 9 seconds, or whatever it takes when we come back from break. That's the whole song we never wrote. We never wrote anymore. It was just that, that was all we wrote. But I was thinking, I've been telling people I'm big into the Reggae man. So I think we can eat a Reggae version of of the philanthropy focus song. So we gotta work some stuff out so

00:20:20.820 --> 00:20:27.720 Tommy DiMisa: more to come on all that. But we get. You know what, Dylan? Well, we should probably get you a computers for people theme song. We'll work that out, man.

00:20:27.720 --> 00:20:47.910 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Hey? I need that. I've been talking to people. I had my cousins working on it for a while. They they were texting me. They're like, Hey, we wanna make you a theme song. So I was like, Hey, go for it! And they they've been asking me for advice on it. I. They just keep asking me for advice, like every couple of weeks on, like how it should be sound. I'm like, just like, Go for it. I still haven't gotten the 1st 1st version of it yet.

00:20:47.910 --> 00:20:49.780 Tommy DiMisa: Are they musicians, or what?

00:20:49.780 --> 00:20:54.490 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: No, they're like they're very young. I don't. I don't think they're musicians, but.

00:20:54.718 --> 00:21:04.760 Tommy DiMisa: Hey! Listen! You know what what I learned about creativity is because, like for, like 35, or 36 years, I was telling myself, I'm a salesman. I'm a salesman. I'm a salesman, right? I didn't think of myself in a creative mindset.

00:21:04.810 --> 00:21:26.439 Tommy DiMisa: but I believe we're all creatives. Man. I really believe that. And this is a hundred 70 second or 173rd episode of something. That was an idea. Dylan was just an idea, just like your organization was just an idea. You saw the pieces. And he said, I'm gonna solve a problem right here. So maybe we'll talk to Uncle Brendan. That's my uncle, Brendan Levy. We'll have maybe have him write a song for you, you know, and we'll give you a cousin's credit for it. How about that?

00:21:26.440 --> 00:21:43.460 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: That'd be great. I think one of the coolest parts of that is like like my cousins don't need to be musicians so like become musicians, right? Like all they need is an Internet connection. And I learn all these songs on the guitar just from, you know, Youtube video. And just imagine if you didn't have access to a Youtube video or.

00:21:43.460 --> 00:21:43.920 Tommy DiMisa: Do you have a.

00:21:43.920 --> 00:21:45.320 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: But what you couldn't do.

00:21:45.320 --> 00:21:52.220 Tommy DiMisa: Youtube is the absolute shout out to Youtube, they don't sponsor the show cause clearly cause no one sponsors the show. At this point I sponsor the show.

00:21:52.220 --> 00:21:54.729 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Streaming the show, though they're the show in the world.

00:21:54.730 --> 00:22:18.120 Tommy DiMisa: We are on Youtube. No, I listen sometimes, like my wife will say, how long to the kids, how long you been on that device. How long you been on that device? Right? So we look at my device. Sometimes I'm on my device for like 10 HA day. But honestly, do you know how much Youtube I'm consuming? It's probably 90% of that is me consuming Youtube. And it's be, it's not about election stuff or none of that nonsense. It's about like learning dude. If I don't know how to do something.

00:22:18.120 --> 00:22:29.380 Tommy DiMisa: I don't Google it, I Youtube, it because I want to watch like, I'm sure, like like, correct me if I'm wrong, because I think you might have even told me this when you all were rebuilding these computers. Where'd you learn how to do a lot of that stuff.

00:22:29.380 --> 00:22:51.179 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Yeah, it's all Youtube. There's millions of videos on how to fix computers. It's way more simple than you think. It's all like a Lego set right. You just look up the exact model how to replace the battery in an X tube. Blah, blah blah, and then boom! You learn how to do it, and all you got to get is a screwdriver, and you can do whatever you want.

00:22:51.180 --> 00:22:52.880 Tommy DiMisa: Yeah, yeah, I don't know about you.

00:22:52.880 --> 00:22:55.100 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: You could also use. You could use that for evil too.

00:22:55.100 --> 00:23:19.879 Tommy DiMisa: But I always, you know, not always cause. I don't want to say that. But oftentimes, when I put things together there's extra pieces, and I don't think the company sent extra pieces, brother, I think I just forgot to put them all in so like in our house, like we get a piece of furniture like back in the day when, before we had kids, we go to Ikea a lot, you know, when we 1st got my wife, I 1st got married we go to Ikea, and she like put the Ikea and all the different stuff.

00:23:19.880 --> 00:23:44.540 Tommy DiMisa: She's like nasty when it comes to putting stuff together. She's really good. I'm less good at these things, but like when I when I do accomplish something like that, it's a big win for me, man like. I think we got to celebrate our wins all the time, Dylan, you know, like, even like in in an organization like yours, right? You've referred to in our conversations as your organization as a startup. Right? Because you're a startup. You happen to be a nonprofit organization, right? But in in Startup

00:23:44.540 --> 00:24:06.310 Tommy DiMisa: I have some friends who run some startups and a lot of mistakes, or maybe not mistakes. But there's a lot of failures, a lot of things that go the right way. I'm going to take that word back mistake because it's not a mistake. It's just an opportunity. We realize. Okay, that's not the way that's not the way to do that. You run up against a lot of that. I have to assume a lot of iterating a lot of trying stuff out. Let's talk about that.

00:24:06.310 --> 00:24:20.254 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Yeah, I mean, from the very beginning I had to deal with some major major areas where things went totally wrong, and, like the the organization almost died at the start.

00:24:20.900 --> 00:24:33.959 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: I'm just thinking about. When I was in high school, I was graduating high school. A lot of people were like, okay. So what happens when you go to college? Right? You're going to get a girlfriend. You're going to go to college. You're not going to want to do this anymore.

00:24:34.190 --> 00:24:48.852 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: And I was like that. That was the opposite of what I was. Think the complete opposite. I was like, how do I make this thing live way past when I go to college. And how do I do this full time while I'm in college? While being, you know, 250 miles away in Boston.

00:24:49.350 --> 00:25:17.120 Tommy DiMisa: Those are well-meaning people, though, but you know what we appreciate you. We love you, but don't get in somebody's way when they got the real stuff going on. You know what I mean. They will just try to say, hey, man, you know what you know how many crabs you need to put in a bucket to keep all the crabs in the bucket. If you put 1 1, 1 crab's able to get out right. If you put 2. The other crab is just going to pull them down. So crabs are like people, and people could be like crabs. Sometimes they're trying to rein on our parade man, and you can't do it. You got to put your head down and move forward right.

00:25:17.120 --> 00:25:28.130 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Yeah, I've never went crab fishing. But I I can get the reference. But yeah, I mean, yeah, they're very well-meaning people and great people.

00:25:28.130 --> 00:25:28.790 Tommy DiMisa: Course.

00:25:29.060 --> 00:25:32.532 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: But that almost like fired me up even more right.

00:25:32.880 --> 00:25:41.659 Tommy DiMisa: Did you hear this thing? So I'm listening to the sports radio on the way back right today, somehow. So wait. So you're you're originally a Jersey kid, or or New York City.

00:25:41.910 --> 00:25:44.019 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: I'm a Hoboken kid.

00:25:44.020 --> 00:25:44.669 Tommy DiMisa: Mobile. I live in.

00:25:45.040 --> 00:25:45.779 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Both worlds.

00:25:45.780 --> 00:25:50.530 Tommy DiMisa: Alright, so do you. You root for any specific sports? Do you have a particular team that you're into.

00:25:51.015 --> 00:25:54.260 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Not team. I I play sports. I don't watch sports.

00:25:54.260 --> 00:26:17.940 Tommy DiMisa: Alright, that's cool, all good. But you know who Patrick Mahomes is right. And apparently one of these other teams had, like a kermit the frog. This is all over. The radio this morning had like a kermit the frog cause they say his. His voice sounds like Kermit the Frog, I guess, but it was like dressed up like a stuffed animal dressed up like with a Mahomes jersey on. And they just keep poking this guy. I'm going, you know what that does that all that they didn't like physically poke the

00:26:17.940 --> 00:26:42.049 Tommy DiMisa: curb the frog. But I mean just messing with this guy dude. The guy's gonna win another frigging super bowl like that's what happens like, it's like, look, I'm a New York guy, right? Everybody I love Tom Brady. I said it here. I love Tom Brady. I love that guy that go because these guys, they just you just fire people up. So in your case, maybe that was more fuel to your fire for computers for people and make this a thing right? Just you know people saying, Hey, man, maybe you're gonna give up, or whatever right.

00:26:42.430 --> 00:26:54.860 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Yeah. And it's I wouldn't say that was like all of my motivation. But that definitely fires you up a little bit. And you're like, well, yeah, I can use this fire for good, you know. Why not? It only helps so that was like.

00:26:54.980 --> 00:26:57.800 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: I had like 6 months to make this thing like a

00:26:58.350 --> 00:27:13.510 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: build this up to the point where it could run on its own without me. Physically. Here and I applied for like tons and tons of grants. There were 3 big ones that I was applying for that I was like, we need to get one of these 3 big ones to keep computers for people alive.

00:27:13.510 --> 00:27:20.260 Tommy DiMisa: What does that mean? Because you weren't going to be here to do it? So would you mean to pay staff and pay for a place, and all that kind of stuff.

00:27:20.260 --> 00:27:32.789 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Exactly. We needed to hire staff member at least one staff member to like. Take the computers in, manage the volunteers, all of that along with the space and all the supplies needed to do this. This sort of operation.

00:27:33.020 --> 00:27:38.489 Tommy DiMisa: It was probably for you, because you have years of grant writing, so it was probably no big deal for you to get those grants right.

00:27:39.690 --> 00:28:03.240 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: No big deal, no big deal. No, that's the complete opposite of what happened. I applied for these 3. I was like, Yeah, I'm going to get all 3 of these? 1st one comes back denied. Second, one comes back denied. 3, rd one comes back denied. And then I was like, Okay, what do I do now? I was like, I don't have any money. There's this thing like we had an office space, too.

00:28:03.240 --> 00:28:26.760 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: We had all these computers. It's like I need to make this work. So like maybe 3 weeks, 3 or 4 weeks before I went back, I went to college for the 1st time I was like, Okay, I'm having a fundraiser event at this bar. I can't drink, but I'm just gonna go there and tell them like we're having a bar. We're doing open bar. And then I was like, Okay, I gotta sell

00:28:26.780 --> 00:28:44.039 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: 100 tickets to this event and get some big sponsors. And within like 2 weeks we sold over 100 tickets. We got the mayor, mayor of the town there. We had all these people there and we raised $30,000 at one night, and that like solidified

00:28:44.260 --> 00:28:53.039 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: like, okay, we can make this work. We hired someone within like a week. And then he started working, and he worked for computers, for people, for like 2 years.

00:28:54.510 --> 00:29:11.709 Tommy DiMisa: And that was that was so. But you had to kind of shore things up because you were going away to school, too. So we got it. You're gonna take a break now. But when we come back, so you're shoring things up, this thing's going to exist right? And you're at the time you're 1817, change 18, whatever going away to school, you know. How old are you now?

00:29:11.890 --> 00:29:13.150 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: I'm 21 now.

00:29:13.150 --> 00:29:29.669 Tommy DiMisa: 21. So we got we got a lot of story left. I mean, not even what's going to happen in the future, which we'll talk about towards the end of the show. How where you're going to go, how big this is because I mean you, you're solving the world's problems. That's what I believe gang I get to hang out with people who solve the world's problems. We'll be right back.

00:31:32.000 --> 00:31:38.980 Tommy DiMisa: You know, like episode one. Through 10 of this program I used to threaten my guests that they were gonna have to sing the jingle when we would come back, you know.

00:31:38.980 --> 00:31:41.580 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: I'm ready. I'm ready. I I already have it memorized.

00:31:41.580 --> 00:31:56.700 Tommy DiMisa: I did such tough one to memorize. Man, I will tell you. You know somebody, my buddy, Mick Collins, checking in on like I don't know where he's checking in on Youtube, and he's making a comment about you know that he thinks a great theme song, for you would be imagine, you know, as in like in in the John Lennon song

00:31:56.971 --> 00:32:17.840 Tommy DiMisa: and he also, you know, he mentions but not a parody, though something that's real and cause you are changing the world. Imagine all the people that get a computer in their hands that needed one because of the work that you and your volunteers and your team are doing so. That's incredibly important. But I want to talk parody real quick. My younger son likes to parody my song he likes to give. He's 9.

00:32:17.840 --> 00:32:24.369 Tommy DiMisa: He's Tommy D's son, so you can imagine. Likes to give me to business a little bit, you know. So he messes, you know

00:32:24.370 --> 00:32:32.689 Tommy DiMisa: messes with me with this song, anyway, that's a whole nother show. So this young man was 15 years old when he founded this organization. He has

00:32:32.710 --> 00:32:43.930 Tommy DiMisa: put with his team of the volunteers 3,000 computers in the hands of people who need them not to mention, though there's also obviously all these partnerships 500 different nonprofits.

00:32:43.930 --> 00:33:06.769 Tommy DiMisa: a thousand different supply sources that you're getting these computers from, like we're going to talk about. But it's also to me. It's also training. I remember there was a big part when we had our discussion around when I interviewed you for the Imagine awards, it was about the training that goes along. It's not just a piece of equipment right? But there's some education and stuff so we can get into that soon, too. But let's get right back to where we were.

00:33:06.780 --> 00:33:16.759 Tommy DiMisa: You're 18. You gotta figure this thing out. You raise 30 grand. The company is gonna be sustainable, albeit 30 grand is not a million dollars. So how long was it gonna be sustainable? Right? We gotta keep.

00:33:16.760 --> 00:33:17.500 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Analog.

00:33:17.500 --> 00:33:22.680 Tommy DiMisa: You got to keep priming that pump right? Right? So what happened? So you're going away to school? Let's let's go.

00:33:22.870 --> 00:33:25.260 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Yeah. So I was going away to school. And I think

00:33:25.310 --> 00:33:42.389 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: this is one thing that, like I'm almost, I'm so grateful for is like going to school and being forced to make this thing sustainable without me. Right? And that's been my mindset like the entire time is like, how do I get computers for people to the point where it's like a well-run oiled machine where it can

00:33:42.400 --> 00:33:50.459 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: like. That's the only way to actually grow a nonprofit and get it to somewhere where it's not just founders. Let like founders led right? Because

00:33:50.650 --> 00:33:51.849 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: I'd actually know.

00:33:52.350 --> 00:34:04.690 Tommy DiMisa: Such a blessing, man, because, like, there's a big thing in the nonprofits base called founder syndrome. I'm sure it happens for profit with startups and things like that, too. But the fact that you are building this organization to stand on its own

00:34:04.780 --> 00:34:12.400 Tommy DiMisa: not no disrespect, but with or without you. Is it game changer? Right? Because then it can long last the level of impact right?

00:34:12.409 --> 00:34:17.849 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Yeah, I mean, what happens if I die tomorrow? Right? Does does the whole organization just crumble?

00:34:18.039 --> 00:34:19.149 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Now.

00:34:19.279 --> 00:34:22.299 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: that's just like you have to think that way, or else

00:34:22.848 --> 00:34:37.279 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: like, you're not going to build a sustainable organization, because one day, you know, the founders not going to be able to do their job anymore. And and that shouldn't be the reason that a whole organization could collapse like the whole point of business, is like, build a

00:34:37.399 --> 00:34:40.299 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: build a company that is able to to run itself.

00:34:40.489 --> 00:34:44.269 Tommy DiMisa: So what? So yours? Where do you go to school? Tell us that, and tell us, what are you studying in school?

00:34:44.270 --> 00:34:54.942 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Yeah, I go to Babson College, up in Wellesley, Massachusetts, studying business and entrepreneurship so you know, all over all over the place in terms of marketing finance. All that stuff

00:34:55.630 --> 00:34:57.070 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: over at school. Yeah.

00:34:57.070 --> 00:35:14.519 Tommy DiMisa: So I I know this cause. We've talked about it. But how much has the work you do at school? Inform the work you do, and vice versa. How much has your experience in this running, founding, and running this organization, given you practical understanding and knowledge to what you're learning out of a textbook. You guys still have textbooks in college. I we had textbooks when I was in college.

00:35:14.520 --> 00:35:16.490 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: I think we do. I don't read any of them.

00:35:16.490 --> 00:35:17.440 Tommy DiMisa: Perhaps.

00:35:18.550 --> 00:35:21.172 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: So I'm pretty sure we do

00:35:23.482 --> 00:35:28.823 Tommy DiMisa: What, whatever your your ipad, or wherever your wherever the words are that you're reading.

00:35:30.730 --> 00:35:32.669 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: What I will say is.

00:35:32.870 --> 00:35:36.680 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: is running an organization. You won't learn more

00:35:37.319 --> 00:35:53.410 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: about how to run a company. Then running and failing and running and failing over and over again. That's where I've learned the absolute most and I think learning like quickly, is like running the organization. Every day I I face a new challenge.

00:35:53.820 --> 00:35:57.110 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: what I do learn in college, which is

00:35:57.180 --> 00:36:02.950 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: beneficial is one, I think the connections you make in college, and like socializing, like

00:36:03.200 --> 00:36:05.039 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: building, emotional intelligence.

00:36:05.040 --> 00:36:05.490 Tommy DiMisa: Yeah.

00:36:05.490 --> 00:36:16.179 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: My college is amazing for that and meeting new people that you would never meet before, like my professors, and all all the connections that they've made to other people are amazing.

00:36:16.320 --> 00:36:16.870 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: They've made.

00:36:16.870 --> 00:36:22.121 Tommy DiMisa: So so connections that they have made for you and C. 4 P. Is that right? That.

00:36:22.430 --> 00:36:49.859 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Yeah, it's it's really cool at Baps. And there's a lot of professors that like, we're big time entrepreneurs started massive fortune 500 companies. And then after that, they're like, Hey, you know I'm not. I'm not really fulfilled in my life like these are people that are like hungry to make insane amount of money and change the world, and they're like, I'm not fulfilled with building a fortune. 500 company. Let me go and teach at a university cause. I want to inspire the next generation.

00:36:50.226 --> 00:36:54.973 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: So those are like the type of professors that you know. I get to learn from

00:36:55.390 --> 00:37:04.160 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: and connect with it's more like the connecting after class. Like I. I don't. I'm not good at just absorbing information. I'm usually like thinking about. You know

00:37:04.620 --> 00:37:07.761 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: how to get computers or something like that. But

00:37:08.290 --> 00:37:19.338 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: but yeah, it's connecting after class. And you know, showing them how our logistics works right now, how our sips systems are built out and getting their advice or.

00:37:19.720 --> 00:37:32.560 Tommy DiMisa: They must dig that whole thing. These professors to just see, you know, like not to make a big deal about. You're young, but you're young, right, and not that you're the only young person that does this, but a lot of your I don't know. Maybe not a Baptist, but a lot of other college students

00:37:32.560 --> 00:37:50.850 Tommy DiMisa: are not doing stuff, you know, like they might be partying, playing around. Maybe they got, you know, a job at the pizza join, or something like that. Not everybody is running an organization that they found it 6, 7 years ago, when they were 15 years old. Right? I mean, you gotta be somewhat of a you know, in a smaller group of people, right? A minority there.

00:37:51.040 --> 00:37:53.639 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Yeah, I mean, it's it's really interesting. It's like

00:37:53.690 --> 00:38:18.099 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: small fish, big pond, big fish, small pond. Who knows what that means. But I also, like, I go over to some of the schools in Boston and see some of the startups kids. I know people that are younger than me that raised 80 million so far, and are building these incredible startups to change the world. Some of them are also not changing the world, and they're probably hurting the world.

00:38:18.100 --> 00:38:23.620 Tommy DiMisa: Well, so that's interesting. You bring that up because you know, I I'll tell you.

00:38:24.490 --> 00:38:36.549 Tommy DiMisa: I kind of brag on the fact that you know, I get to hang out with nonprofit leaders and stuff like that. And you know, even in our business and vanguard benefits. You know, we spend a lot of time in the nonprofit sector, and I think in terms of

00:38:36.550 --> 00:39:00.549 Tommy DiMisa: you know, when you're in a business building a business you can decide you could work with or serve whoever you want to work with. And we made this effort to say, we want to work with the nonprofit sector, and every day kind of I get to spend with nonprofit leaders who are changing the world and are making an impact. And I'm not gonna knock or beat up on any other industry, although I've been known to say certain things about other industries. But I'm just saying generally you make a choice.

00:39:00.600 --> 00:39:24.999 Tommy DiMisa: and I'd much rather hear from people like you who are actually on the front lines doing the work than somebody who might be. I don't know I'm gonna say it. But like in finance or something like that? And is there really impactful things for human beings that are going on? I'd say, maybe not, you know. Anyway, there we go. I made enemies. But but the thing about it is, you actually are making a change for people. Right? That's a big difference.

00:39:25.000 --> 00:39:41.970 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Yeah. But I also, I do know a lot of people that are in like finance or in many other professions that are like very mission driven people that they work insane hours on their job, and then they take that money that they made there, and then go invested in in amazing organizations.

00:39:41.970 --> 00:39:44.419 Tommy DiMisa: I love, that I love, that I love, that.

00:39:44.420 --> 00:39:45.289 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Really impressive to me.

00:39:45.290 --> 00:39:55.050 Tommy DiMisa: And I and I dig that and kudos to those people. So you're right on. They're then taking the fruits of their labor and turning the world into a better place. Home, run.

00:39:55.050 --> 00:40:00.060 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Majority probably aren't. And maybe they want to. Maybe they want to, and they don't know how to get into it.

00:40:00.060 --> 00:40:10.110 Tommy DiMisa: If they want to. If they did want to. You go to computers for people.org. If you wanted to make an impact, my Guy Dylan, and you give him some dough, and he'll help you change the world.

00:40:10.110 --> 00:40:13.889 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: To change the world together. All you gotta do is just email me.

00:40:14.180 --> 00:40:14.530 Tommy DiMisa: Sorry about.

00:40:14.910 --> 00:40:15.290 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Takes.

00:40:15.290 --> 00:40:16.259 Tommy DiMisa: Got it, Adam.

00:40:16.260 --> 00:40:20.580 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: That's should I get yeah, Dylan zayjack at computers for people.org.

00:40:20.580 --> 00:40:23.330 Tommy DiMisa: Spell that out. They're not gonna get that one spell out.

00:40:23.330 --> 00:40:28.370 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: OILA, NZAJ. A. C. At computers for people.org.

00:40:28.654 --> 00:40:30.364 Tommy DiMisa: Perfect, alright, very good, very good.

00:40:30.650 --> 00:40:32.169 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: And then we'll change the world together.

00:40:32.170 --> 00:40:48.279 Tommy DiMisa: And we'll change the world together. Man, listen. No big deal, no big deal. Just I always say no big deal, just changing the world. That's what I say, cause it's kinda it is a big deal. But you know, I'd say it is a cute thing. I wanna understand your vision, you know. And let's talk about this thing about why did you decide? Cause? Look.

00:40:48.480 --> 00:40:50.190 Tommy DiMisa: it's not lost on anybody.

00:40:50.260 --> 00:41:06.140 Tommy DiMisa: Intelligent young man, driven focused right. This could have been a business strike, that it is a business. This could have been a for-profit business, not a nonprofit organization. If you don't mind me putting you on the spot because I did when we 1st met. Why.

00:41:06.580 --> 00:41:09.709 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Yeah, it's a good question. I get the the question a lot.

00:41:10.116 --> 00:41:20.150 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Like, why don't you like people? Even big entrepreneurs tell me like this should be a for profit like you could accelerate this way quicker, and, you know.

00:41:20.180 --> 00:41:31.011 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: make a lot more money on it that way. You can, you know, be financially sound. I I disagree with that. I think I could be financially sound making a nonprofit. And I think,

00:41:31.340 --> 00:41:42.720 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: when I 1st started computers for people. I really didn't know that the difference between nonprofit and for profit, like the real tax implications and all of that right. I had no idea. But I knew that, like

00:41:43.130 --> 00:41:55.059 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: there was a mission behind computers for people, and the mission was to provide access to the digital world as provide as many people access as possible. Now, you know, 5 years later.

00:41:55.270 --> 00:42:02.700 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: I I still completely agree with that wholeheartedly. Now, knowing what a North nonprofit versus a for profit is, you know.

00:42:03.220 --> 00:42:08.020 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: and all the legal implications of that. And the real reason is.

00:42:08.120 --> 00:42:13.145 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: I really don't think anyone should own what I'm gonna build here at computers for people.

00:42:13.460 --> 00:42:14.609 Tommy DiMisa: Let's let's

00:42:14.670 --> 00:42:22.499 Tommy DiMisa: because I don't want. When I hear things like that, I want people to really grasp what you're saying. Okay, cause that's like a very thoughtful

00:42:22.720 --> 00:42:31.079 Tommy DiMisa: part of what I think makes up your vision, but makes up you as a person. You don't think that it should be owned by anyone. What! What is that?

00:42:31.340 --> 00:42:33.169 Tommy DiMisa: Expand on that one for me?

00:42:33.490 --> 00:42:35.409 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Yeah, yeah, I.

00:42:35.740 --> 00:42:40.289 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Th, there's a lot of motivations behind different companies. Right? There's

00:42:40.590 --> 00:42:55.119 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: there's increasing the stock price. There's making more, you know, making a bigger, sal bigger, and bigger salary. There's changing the world. And you know a mission. We have a mission there are plenty of companies that are for profit, and have a mission too.

00:42:56.170 --> 00:42:56.830 Tommy DiMisa: Sure.

00:42:57.260 --> 00:43:00.949 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: But there's always that like go back to like, you know.

00:43:00.960 --> 00:43:02.870 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: increasing the

00:43:03.690 --> 00:43:05.669 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: how much the the company's worth.

00:43:05.670 --> 00:43:06.320 Tommy DiMisa: Yeah.

00:43:06.530 --> 00:43:25.890 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: And I think it computers. People like, I'm I have a massive vision of, you know, I want this to be a global organization bridging the digital divide all over the world and solving the default, the problems of the future. We even look at like a company like Openai that started as a nonprofit, and then, somehow, they.

00:43:26.030 --> 00:43:43.189 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: you know, used all these practices to turn into for profit. Now Microsoft owns it all this stuff, and and they're no longer. There's a lot of issues around AI now. When it was originally made with the mission to prevent what might happen with AI. So I want to keep computers for people

00:43:43.310 --> 00:43:47.789 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: a nonprofit, so that everyone we're motivated by the mission. And that's it.

00:43:47.790 --> 00:43:48.340 Tommy DiMisa: Yeah, we're.

00:43:48.340 --> 00:43:50.140 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: We're not motivated by owning it.

00:43:50.140 --> 00:43:53.100 Tommy DiMisa: Yeah, you're not motivated by what was the last part.

00:43:53.600 --> 00:43:55.059 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Download by owning it. Yeah.

00:43:55.060 --> 00:43:58.000 Tommy DiMisa: Holding it. Yeah, yeah, there.

00:43:58.710 --> 00:44:22.889 Tommy DiMisa: there's some level. And this is my words, not Dylan's. But there's some level of purity to that. You know where it's not gonna be tainted by. Hey? We're gonna try to make more dough out of this thing, or, you know, gotta be, you know. Figure out how to. We're gonna sell this thing one day, and we're gonna turn it around, or we're gonna go public. Or there's there's not going to be that in this model, you know, you're never gonna have that. So you you don't have to kind of serve those masters right?

00:44:22.890 --> 00:44:38.259 Tommy DiMisa: And you're not gonna have like Vc. Or angels come in and and take a bunch of the company because you needed money to do something, and then they have a different agenda. It's really going to be driven towards the mission. That's what I'm feeling. Is that is that really what your thoughts are around? That too.

00:44:38.260 --> 00:44:46.690 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: 100. It's 100 mission driven. We have a mission, we have a goal. How do we get to that goal? And that's all we think about all day.

00:44:46.690 --> 00:45:07.500 Tommy DiMisa: That's awesome. Yeah. And so that's all we think about, not Dylan, but the team. So when we come back we take a quick break. I want to know what you all think about all day, and I think it's the future, probably. But I want to know, what does it look like your vision of the future. And let's talk a little bit about the team and stuff like that. So vision and team, when we come back, philanthropy and focus Dylan Zayjac computers for people right back.

00:45:07.840 --> 00:45:08.520 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Books.

00:47:09.230 --> 00:47:33.380 Tommy DiMisa: Me in my attic every single Friday morning. I'm gonna only do the show for the rest of my life. I'm gonna after that I can't promise anything. I plan on doing 5,000 episodes of this show. Eventually, we're gonna do the show Monday through Friday in the morning, because I like to start my day feeling good, and nothing makes me feel better than hanging out with nonprofit leaders. I was just chatting in the little chat like, you know gang. I always wondered what the talk show host and the guests were talking about

00:47:33.380 --> 00:47:54.319 Tommy DiMisa: like when Conan O'brien leans in and talks to like Johnny Depp when they go to commercial break. And I'm like, Oh, I want to be part of that conversation. So I'm going to let you all in on a little part of my conversation with Dylan. He's like, let's talk about some things in the future. What's upcoming. And his response to me is, Yeah, we got to talk about pepper fest. So right quick, I Google, what is he talking about? I don't Google like, I don't type in what is he talking about.

00:47:54.320 --> 00:48:08.450 Tommy DiMisa: But I found the website. So I'm going to share it right quick. This is actually going to be October 5th from one to 5 in Hoboken. What the heck are you talking about, Dylan? Z. Jack, I'll share the website. What is going on, man?

00:48:08.450 --> 00:48:17.600 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: So we have some. We have some really great and inspiring volunteers here at computers for people and one of them is is a guy named Sasso Chavez.

00:48:17.600 --> 00:48:18.000 Tommy DiMisa: Okay.

00:48:18.000 --> 00:48:30.063 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: And Sasha. Yeah, Sasha, a couple of years ago, started telling me that he's growing peppers in his apartment in in Hoboken, like really spicy pepper, like Carolina reaper type.

00:48:30.440 --> 00:48:35.389 Tommy DiMisa: Like you're like, like you're in trouble. If you eat one of these seeds, or you bite the pepper kind of stuff like.

00:48:35.390 --> 00:48:38.379 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: But you're you're having a rough couple days, if you yeah.

00:48:38.380 --> 00:48:39.609 Tommy DiMisa: Days, days.

00:48:40.207 --> 00:48:41.999 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Possible. Yeah. Yeah.

00:48:42.000 --> 00:48:43.180 Tommy DiMisa: All right.

00:48:43.180 --> 00:48:48.630 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: You have your days? So he. Then he shows me this video of a pepper eating competition.

00:48:48.630 --> 00:48:49.110 Tommy DiMisa: Okay.

00:48:49.110 --> 00:48:55.469 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Of like rounds where it's a spicier and spicier pepper every single time, and and then people tap out.

00:48:55.470 --> 00:48:58.660 Tommy DiMisa: Yeah. So you know, as far as you can go, and then you tap out, okay.

00:48:58.660 --> 00:49:02.469 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Exactly so. And then the last person left last person alive.

00:49:02.700 --> 00:49:11.849 Tommy DiMisa: Pause. Timeout flag on the play. The last person alive! Do people die? Dylan? What are we talking about here?

00:49:11.850 --> 00:49:16.149 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: People. Ta! Have you ever seen like a like a Ufc match?

00:49:16.480 --> 00:49:23.720 Tommy DiMisa: I have. Yeah, yeah. So they guys like, tap out like, have you seen this other thing? You've seen this craziness on the Internet where people do like slap, content.

00:49:23.720 --> 00:49:24.829 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Slap, gosh, guys.

00:49:24.830 --> 00:49:26.090 Tommy DiMisa: Dude. Do you see that like.

00:49:26.090 --> 00:49:27.290 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: This this is

00:49:27.300 --> 00:49:29.539 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: this is more intense than a slap. Content.

00:49:29.540 --> 00:49:31.459 Tommy DiMisa: Oh, my God! Alright! So tell me about it!

00:49:31.460 --> 00:49:33.270 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: It's a must see event.

00:49:33.270 --> 00:49:47.590 Tommy DiMisa: Well, I see. So I see these costumes. I see people wearing cool pepper hats. I see people dressed up like a pepper like I can get down with that I will tell you this. I don't have a couple or 2 or 3 days to be sick from eating peppers, so don't, I'll come and hang out.

00:49:47.590 --> 00:49:54.220 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Okay. Okay, yeah, that's the thing, though you might not have 2 days. But there's a lot of people that have 2 days and wanna eat those spicy.

00:49:54.220 --> 00:50:01.819 Tommy DiMisa: I'm thinking it. I'm gonna be there. I'll make sure I'm there on October 5.th I'm just saying I I'm not Gonna do. Don't don't try to convince me, brother, I'm not doing it.

00:50:01.820 --> 00:50:03.320 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Won't unless you want to, unless you.

00:50:03.320 --> 00:50:05.160 Tommy DiMisa: No, I don't. I definitely don't. I definitely don't.

00:50:05.160 --> 00:50:08.609 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Plenty of people that want to be in the competition, and think that they can win.

00:50:08.610 --> 00:50:15.928 Tommy DiMisa: That's that's insane. Right? So people cause there's people think it's never hot. It's never hot enough. Man, never hot enough. Man, put more sauce right like.

00:50:16.200 --> 00:50:18.950 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: They, they, they figure it out.

00:50:18.950 --> 00:50:19.360 Tommy DiMisa: Yeah.

00:50:19.360 --> 00:50:21.310 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: These these Hoboken peppers.

00:50:21.660 --> 00:50:22.030 Tommy DiMisa: So.

00:50:22.030 --> 00:50:23.170 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Peppers are hot.

00:50:23.170 --> 00:50:26.620 Tommy DiMisa: So who is Sasha he's on? Is he a volunteer like? How do you connect with him?

00:50:26.620 --> 00:50:33.190 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: He's a volunteer. He works at the Hoboken Library. He's been a family friend actually, since. I was like 5 years old.

00:50:33.430 --> 00:50:40.750 Tommy DiMisa: Let me ask you, aside from growing the peppers. Sorry to cut you off, but aside from growing up, does he? Is he like it hot? Does he like the peppers, or is he just, you know, growing.

00:50:40.750 --> 00:50:43.520 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: He loves the peppers, he is, he is King Pepper.

00:50:43.520 --> 00:50:44.179 Tommy DiMisa: Yeah. He drank.

00:50:44.180 --> 00:50:53.050 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Messes up as a pepper and we gave him a pepper suit, and he walks around Hoboken wearing that pepper suit like if you. If you come to Hoboken, you might see him walk.

00:50:53.050 --> 00:50:55.870 Tommy DiMisa: Oh, you just like regular on on the regular. Okay?

00:50:55.870 --> 00:51:00.468 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: All the time all the time. If you go to one of the one of the bars in Hoboken, you might see him

00:51:00.660 --> 00:51:01.360 Tommy DiMisa: All right.

00:51:01.360 --> 00:51:02.952 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: All peppered out, yeah,

00:51:04.060 --> 00:51:09.221 Tommy DiMisa: So glad I asked you that question in the chat, man. We would have got to this or not.

00:51:09.480 --> 00:51:11.020 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: But do it.

00:51:11.020 --> 00:51:12.569 Tommy DiMisa: That's October 5th festival.

00:51:12.570 --> 00:51:18.669 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: October 5, th going to be the biggest pepper festival of all time. The second annual pepper Fest. We have

00:51:18.760 --> 00:51:27.700 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: some big big sponsors coming out. We have drinks, food, hot peppers. You don't have to eat any hot peppers, but you get to watch people eat.

00:51:27.840 --> 00:51:31.930 Tommy DiMisa: Yeah, that's gotta be fun, too. So you got. Here's what I got, is it? Says, contest

00:51:31.940 --> 00:51:33.610 Tommy DiMisa: Chili peppers include

00:51:33.790 --> 00:52:02.110 Tommy DiMisa: Carolina Reaper. Anything that is called the reaper. Do you understand the grim reaper gang? That's someone that comes when they're taking you away. You're dead. So you call something you're gonna put in your body and eat a reaper. That's that's then you have ghost, pepper and dragons breath. These would be things you should not ingest. I'm just selling public service announcement. I have no clinical background, and whether you should read these should or should not eat these peppers. But I'm just saying, if you're if you're an adult and you're over 18, eat whatever you want. I guess this is funny.

00:52:02.110 --> 00:52:04.529 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Yeah, these peppers are definitely FDA approved.

00:52:04.800 --> 00:52:15.350 Tommy DiMisa: They are, FDA approved. Yes, you can eat them, eat them all you want. Just don't put them in my iced coffee, all right. So what? What's the? Let's talk about your team? Because I know how important that.

00:52:15.350 --> 00:52:16.180 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Is her.

00:52:16.380 --> 00:52:24.549 Tommy DiMisa: Team culture. Obviously, you guys have a lot of fun. But team culture and your vision of this organization. You said global. I love that word. Talk to me about that.

00:52:24.550 --> 00:52:29.179 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Yeah, I I mean, the team is everything. I I've been learning that over the past 5 years, like I

00:52:29.440 --> 00:52:43.289 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: computers for people is the 1st company that I ever worked at, so I never like, really knew what a company culture would, should or would look like but I've been able to talk with so many people and and really build it over time. So we have. We've built

00:52:43.400 --> 00:53:01.909 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: a great team here at C for P. And now it's it's not only in New Jersey we don't have one office, but we have another office in Boston, so we have employees in both locations every week pretty much. Now I drive back and forth, but focusing on the team.

00:53:02.190 --> 00:53:28.810 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: it's from a really widespread of different people people that even people that have gotten computers from us before have signed on to be interns volunteers, and some of them even employees at C for P. Whether it's recycling, you know, helping to refurbish. Pick up computers helping more on the computers. Class side. We teach 2 in person classes every day across. You know, 3 boroughs in New York City, as well as New Jersey.

00:53:28.810 --> 00:53:30.929 Tommy DiMisa: Let's let's talk about that. What do they.

00:53:30.930 --> 00:53:31.670 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Yeah.

00:53:32.110 --> 00:53:33.760 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: we like

00:53:34.070 --> 00:53:40.449 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: all the basics of a computer, like most people think that if you're watching this right now, you know how to turn on a computer. You know how to get on.

00:53:40.910 --> 00:53:58.729 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: But there's a lot of people that don't know how to turn on a computer, how to create an email address or all of those basic skills that you need. For example, we work with an organization called the Fortune Society in New York city. And we work with people that

00:53:59.230 --> 00:54:05.509 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: you know formally incarcerated, and many like. We had one gentleman who actually came to our fundraiser event

00:54:06.360 --> 00:54:10.509 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: in May, and he was incarcerated for 35 years.

00:54:10.510 --> 00:54:13.209 Tommy DiMisa: Right. So there was no Internet when he, when he went in.

00:54:13.220 --> 00:54:16.856 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Yeah, it? Well, there were computers, but they.

00:54:17.220 --> 00:54:17.910 Tommy DiMisa: What not what else.

00:54:17.910 --> 00:54:23.169 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Be able to tell that this is also right. You get out, you get out, and you see this thing.

00:54:23.170 --> 00:54:23.660 Tommy DiMisa: Right.

00:54:23.660 --> 00:54:25.130 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Like, you know?

00:54:25.810 --> 00:54:28.560 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: How do I even get one of those? How do I buy one? How do I use it?

00:54:28.560 --> 00:54:38.440 Tommy DiMisa: But it's like being from another planet. It's like all of a sudden, like for 35 years. And what's gone on being dropped onto this planet and go here. Now you're in this paradigm that's got to be unbelievable for somebody to have to learn that stuff.

00:54:38.440 --> 00:55:08.009 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Totally. And there's a lot of initiatives coming out of the woodwork saying like, Hey, we should really be teaching digital skills. And all these things in the prison, not when they get out. But we work with a lot of people that are formally incarcerated. And we've given a lot of computers away and also done a lot of training classes to teach people how to use computers, and hundreds of them have been able to get jobs, because now they're able to create a resume and apply for a job. And indeed.

00:55:08.355 --> 00:55:11.010 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: and that's all because they have access. And they're connected.

00:55:11.010 --> 00:55:35.280 Tommy DiMisa: I love that access. You keep saying that word access right? And I keep using that word bridge. So I love that we're gonna run out of time, which we do on the show. It's kinda how the show goes. We run out of time before we run out of words. I've always said that. So I wanna get from you first.st I wanna talk about this whole thing about people who are formerly incarcerated. I love that we're giving them. You know, these individuals, once they've served their time. Now they're part of society. Let's get them back. Let's get them the training and opportunities they need couple quick things.

00:55:35.330 --> 00:55:41.689 Tommy DiMisa: What do you need? And when do I get a green vest like you have on? Those are 2. You answer them in whatever order you want.

00:55:41.690 --> 00:55:55.550 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Those are great questions, and both equally important. But for to start, if anyone has computers, or they work at a company where they possibly get a laptop or see desktops or technology around them in an office.

00:55:55.720 --> 00:56:02.150 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Please go and and ask, you know, hey, can we donate this technology when it's at end of life, or when we're not using it anymore.

00:56:02.210 --> 00:56:17.460 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: And computers for people, you, you just go to our website. Computers for people.org fill out a very simple form. We come, pick up for free, give your tax, write off, wipe all of the data, and then we provide it to people in need. And we can tell, you know who who actually it went to and how it impacted them.

00:56:17.580 --> 00:56:18.529 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: He'd have him.

00:56:18.690 --> 00:56:24.888 Tommy DiMisa: Very interesting today, the organ donor. Not that it's the same. But what you were saying, that very interesting cause. It's a

00:56:25.210 --> 00:56:28.070 Tommy DiMisa: a life changing situation, right?

00:56:28.070 --> 00:56:30.570 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: I I model it after like blood donation, like.

00:56:30.570 --> 00:56:31.000 Tommy DiMisa: Yeah.

00:56:31.000 --> 00:56:44.080 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: I worked at the New York Blood Center, and their technology is really cool. You donate blood. And then a month later, you get an email saying it went to the New York Presbyterian Hospital to do blah blah. Blah, yeah.

00:56:44.080 --> 00:56:44.920 Tommy DiMisa: Pretty, awesome.

00:56:45.390 --> 00:56:49.360 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Yeah, I mean, I I think it should be the same thing in the technology world.

00:56:49.610 --> 00:56:59.999 Tommy DiMisa: What else? Any yeah, what anybody else? I'm sorry to rush you but anybody else that we should get you connected to anything else other than I have computers. Who else do you? You want to work with other organizations, other nonprofits.

00:57:00.290 --> 00:57:17.169 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Yeah, totally, we want to work with more nonprofits. We want more nonprofit partners so that we can get the community computers to communities in need. So if you have a nonprofit, please reach out to us. We have a partner form on our website, and then also foundations and individuals that want to get involved to support our cause.

00:57:17.850 --> 00:57:26.100 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: you know, the more funding we have, the more we can invest it in systems to to multiply our impact by like a hundred times. So.

00:57:26.100 --> 00:57:51.640 Tommy DiMisa: And that's what it's gotta be gotta be. Continue to multiply. I'm looking on the website now. It does. PC team building courses. There's digital courses go to the website. Computers for people.org. I wanna get my kids plugged into some of the building classes. You do, because it's a good thing. I can't let this question go unanswered. When we started. When we got when we started the show before we even went live. We talked about that is some best. What's the deal with the best? Where is that? Is that standard issued? What's the story.

00:57:51.640 --> 00:58:02.829 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Oh, yeah, these are these are custom. Now, it's the other side custom computers for people best with unlock access to the digital world on the back week, Tommy, we gotta get you one of these.

00:58:02.830 --> 00:58:20.549 Tommy DiMisa: Listen, Bro. A whole jumpsuit would be great. If you have a whole thing. I wear the whole thing. Whatever you want to do, I'll dress like pepper. Don't feed me, peppers, that's my new hashtag hashtag no peppers for me, but definitely vest vest no peppers. What do you want to leave them with. We got to go, my brother, what else can we leave them with before we head out.

00:58:20.890 --> 00:58:23.599 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: Access is everything. It should be a human right

00:58:23.750 --> 00:58:25.380 Dylan Zajac - Computers 4 People: access. Make it one.

00:58:25.380 --> 00:58:38.989 Tommy DiMisa: Love it, dude! I'm so fired up to have known you, or to know you now. Glad I met you. Shout out to the New York City mange. It wasn't Mckenzie and his vision. You and I probably don't meet this way. Make it a great day, everybody. We'll see you next Friday. Thanks so much later.

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