Ford Motor Company gave $30,000 to the Community Leader of the Year Award at the Steve Harvey Neighborhood Awards in Las Vegas over the weekend.
Stan Richards, the author of the “From the Bus to the Bentley” was the 2013 recipient of the grand prize, which will be donated to the nonprofit organization of his choice.
This is the first time that Ford has donated such a prize to the winner of the Community Leader of the Year. In previous years, Ford’s multicultural marketing manager Shawn Thompson has presented the winners a brand new Ford vehicle.
Richards’ story of rags to riches has inspired thousands. The author and motivational speaker propelled himself from an impoverished childhood in Washington D.C. to becoming one of the most impactful leaders in business.
When Richards made it to the top, he reached back to show others the way to individual success in the D.C. area through the founding of the entertainment company, Positive Black Men Coalition, in 1992.
Richards and his wife also joined a business venture 5LINX, a global telecommunications and energy company. Within 18 months, he garnered enough success to leave his tenure as senior vice president at Metro, where he enjoyed a prosperous 18-year career.
