Joy Barr - STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS
Joy Barr, Strategic Partnerships
The patchwork pattern of a quilt is made more beautiful by the variety of colors and shapes. Delicately arranged, each piece connects, contributing to the wholeness that is the quilt. Joy Barr never thought her interest in quilting would develop into a familiarity with fabric which would find an application in a collective response to a pandemic and a new role in strategic partnerships. Though that is the path which led her to theClubhou.se in the spring of 2020.
When the world began to consider how to handle the lack of facemasks, Joy looked to her experience in sewing with a variety of fabrics to create masks for her family and friends. In the midst of deciding on best options, she discovered a makers group via social media. Eric Parker, president of theClubhou.se, posed a question to the group about filtration as he was in the midst of a mask project as well, and was looking for a solution. Joy happened to have already acquired a material which was being sought by the Valor Mask team. The seemingly random intersection would prove to be a fortuitous moment of synchronicity.
With the sudden transition to being home 24/7, Joy was able to embrace the opportunity to volunteer and be heavily involved with the Valor Mask Project. Latasha Louis, member of theClubhou.se community and Start-Up Life graduate, linked up with Joy as she was also creating mask solutions for her network. The two of them collaborated on designing a sandwiched filter, affectionately called The Panini. Joy was impressed with the trust shown by everyone to share resources and solutions to further develop a collaborative relationship.
This series of events set the stage for Joy to fully embrace the uniqueness of theClubhou.se. “I have rarely seen anything else like theClubhou.se, the culture is wholly solution-focused,” shared Joy. “The entire experience showed me what theClubhou.se was all about. This culture of open invitation where if you have an ingredient to add to this concoction or suggestion on tweaking an existing one, you speak up and move the process forward to a solution. Everyone is invited to contribute.” Right off the bat, Joy began to exemplify theClubhou.se core value of Sharing Solutions. “It is the value that comes most naturally for me,” she says. “The culture at theClubhou.se is so healthy it seems effortless. Most organizations talk about collaboration and team effort, though very few execute these as well as here at theClubhou.se.” Joy shared about this observation, “Consistency is key! Even though the membership, and the team, at theClubhou.se have grown over the years, there is still a solid core of “long- timers” who have been part of the organization for many years and anchor the culture of cooperation and curiosity that make this environment so unique. Eric, Grace and Chase have years together and that symmetry allows for new growth while maintaining strong roots.”
“I love people and solving problems, being in a professional space where those two intersect is my sweet spot.”
Following the Valor Mask Project, Joy was brought onto theClubhou.se team as the new Strategic Partnerships Manager. Joy expressed, “I love people and solving problems, being in a professional space where those two intersect is my sweet spot.” She is currently focused on building and strengthening local relationships to create and enhance our current programs, as well as connect our members to resources and relationships which help our community grow through innovation and strong entrepreneurship. She is also exploring an Apprenticeship program for our Code Boot Camp graduates that will support local non-profits with essential, but often unattainable, digital services along with a technology recycling program and a long-term solution to gaps in areawide internet access and digital literacy.
Joy worked for Forces United (previously Augusta Warrior Project) for several years as the Development Manager. She received her introduction to coding there, migrating data to an initial CRM system. This was impactful as she experienced making a machine work for her to organize data. “I think that data analysis is critical for any business or entity. Before you can use it to analyze your situation, you have to organize it.” Joy explained how many businesses recognize the importance of capturing data, though, “they then need to organize it to provide insight,” to aspects of the business like customer churn. Along with the potential positive impact the data analysis can provide, Joy sees the human component is still essential, to “lend perspective in telling a story by interpreting the data into a narrative clients can understand.”
Along with making data work for theClubhou.se, Joy has an interest in tackling the gaps in digital access and literacy. “There are two hurdles for many people gaining digital access,” explains Joy, “availability via their location to connect to the internet and affordability. With digital literacy, there is also a challenge in understanding the language of ‘being online’. Improving digital literacy is essential to combating cyclical poverty.” Joy points out that changes due to COVID have highlighted the gaps in digital access and literacy, from distance learning to online grocery shopping, we can clearly see many people struggling without a strong ability to navigate the online information database in a crisis.
As for her personal interest in being a part of theClubhou.se, Joy is enthusiastic about her plans for the laser cutter, “I want to cut all sorts of stuff!” In the same vein as making the CRM work for her, the laser cutter will replace the scroll saw and dremel for many of her projects.
Speaking to her new role with theClubhou.se and what it presents for her, Joy shared, “I encounter something new every single day at theClubou.se! From learning how to operate a 3D printer, to hosting an entrepreneurial roundtable for startups to share with our local Congressman, to sharing our mission and vision with a local Rotary Club, everyday is a patchwork of activity and ideas that when stitched together, provide far more than they ever could as individual pieces.”