Now free, Tyree Wallace wants to support underserved communities. He’s getting plenty of help from a longtime SI member and other business leaders.
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There are many reasons companies and CEOs choose to get involved with particular nonprofit organizations. Sometimes those reasons are complicated. Other times they’re remarkably simple.
For longtime Satell Institute member Alan Cohn, the motivation for supporting a new nonprofit called Systemic Reformative Change (SRC) came from a single conversation he had with the organization’s founder, Tyree Wallace.
“His story invigorated me,” says Cohn, co-president of Sage Financial Group and one of SI’s most active and engaged members. “Tyree’s vision and path to progress really resonated with me.”
Wallace’s narrative is pretty extraordinary. Convicted more than 25 years ago of a murder he was wrongfully accused of, he never gave up proclaiming his innocence or fighting to have his case reconsidered. Last fall, his determination paid off when a court reviewed the evidence, acknowledged a grave injustice had been done — and set Wallace free.
Since his release, Wallace has dedicated himself to helping other people through the launch of SRC. The organization’s mission, he explains, is to “identify systems that harm vulnerable communities. In the short term, we fight to uplift those communities. In the long term, our goal is to reform the systems.”
Working with business is a big part of how Wallace envisions SRC making an impact. In addition to having the involvement of leaders like Cohn, the nonprofit has created a program in which corporations donate goods and services to the community. In return, SRC helps drive customers to those businesses.
It’s a great example of the good that can come when companies and nonprofits team up. It’s also the embodiment of the Satell Institute’s motto, “COMMUNITY IS EVERY LEADER’S BUSINESS.”
Righting a Wrong
Tyree Wallace was only 19 when he was arrested in the killing of a South Philadelphia store owner in 1997. No physical evidence tied him to the crime. He didn’t match the description of the suspect. And three key witnesses ultimately recanted their testimony. Nevertheless, Wallace was prosecuted and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
It took more than two-and-a-half decades, but justice was eventually done. Crucial in making it happen was the support of several community and business leaders who took up Wallace’s cause, including attorneys, led by David Perry, from the law firm Blank Rome, as well as former Philadelphia public defender Keir Bradford-Grey. After hearings last year, during which evidence was presented that showed the entire investigation had been flawed, an agreement was reached to set Wallace free.
Alan Cohn was introduced to Wallace through White Men for Racial Justice (WMRJ), an organization started by Jay Coen Gilbert and several business leaders and entrepreneurs. The group had taken an interest in Wallace’s case, and one day last fall Cohn found himself on a Zoom call with Wallace. He heard his story, and his vision for SRC.
“Since then,” says Cohn, “we’ve had a budding friendship that’s led to me being on the board of SRC, being treasurer of SRC, financially supporting SRC, and introducing SRC to many folks in my network.”
Wallace’s vision for SRC is bold — he envisions a national organization that can help create significant social change — but he’s starting by focusing on one community, the Philadelphia suburb of Norristown, and small, concrete actions that improve people’s lives.
“Dirty neighborhoods are detrimental to the well-being of communities, so SRC’s Street Captain initiative is focused on cleaning up the community,” Wallace says as an example. “That’s the short-term benefit. Long-term, you’re talking about legislative action that changes systems.
“I have big visions,” he continues, “but I need people like Alan Cohn and others to help make my big visions come to fruition.”
Partnering With Business
Wallace is getting businesses involved through the CARS program (short for “Customer Acquisition and Retention Strategy”). Though still in its early stages — the chain Five Below has announced it will participate — it’s an initiative that creates multiple beneficiaries. The community gets the benefit of companies’ excess inventory. Companies get tax breaks and customers. And SRC earns trust.
“The CARS program is truly a win-win-win,” says Cohn. “And it’s a great example of something Satell is very passionate about — using capitalism and our economic system to benefit those who are less fortunate.”
Tyree Wallace is still adjusting to life outside prison. After being released on November 4, 2024, he used a cell phone for the first time. But he believes his nonprofit can scale quickly, and Cohn agrees with him.
“One of the other things I find unique about SRC is that the leader has lived experience. That can be very helpful in effecting change.”
Wallace will attend the Satell Institute’s Nonprofit Summit on March 12th. It will be a chance for him to share his vision for SRC, learn from other nonprofit leaders, and take inspiration from the many powerful for-profit/nonprofit partnerships that the Satell Institute champions.