When it began, InnerCity Weightlifting was simply an answer to a problem. It was uncomplicated, and was focused in a local area. Created to help those "written off by society," its basic program of uniting people through a common program of weight training provided a unique outlet for those who previously had none like it.
And Jon Feinman, who built on his experience with AmeriCorps to help start InnerCity, remains unchanged in his view of the organization as one that, despite its success spanning several years, remains in its infancy.
“I still feel like we’re really at the starting line of this," Feinman said, "compared to where we really want to be.”
It's a typical statement from a member of the InnerCity team, and showcases the kind of work ethic that's made them so successful.
With BostInno's annual State of Innovation rapidly approaching, it's worth noting that InnerCity is an Alumni Impact award winner from 2014. They have continued to progress since being identified early as an organization with promise.
Beginning in Dorchester, InnerCity has now grown to include a Kendall Square location. And the new gym is already up and running.
"The update on Kendall Square is that it’s open," Feinman mentioned. "We’re actually ahead of our projections.”
One of the challenges that inevitably arrives for a startup that's branching out is in the difficulty it encounters in continuing to deliver top level quality (that originally made the group so successful). Feinman acknowledged the challenge, but had a reasonable take on it.
The next step is can we identify the right people to get involved in our organization at every level, especially on the ground level where we have coaches who are driving students around, picking them up and getting them to the gym safely. Helping them get to interviews, and helping them build a network. And I think that that’s the part that. If the bottleneck to our growth is finding the right people, I’m totally okay with it. I think the part that I’d have a hard time with is if we have the right people lined up, but we don’t have the money to be able to afford them.
That said, given InnerCity's success in finding funding so far, being able to get the "right people" in the right places doesn't appear to be an issue.
And Feinman, like anyone involved with InnerCity, isn't doing this for the relaxed hours. On the contrary, given the organization's nature, he's fully committed around the clock.
“There’s no real such thing as a day off anymore," he said, "and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
InnerCity, if you haven't seen it, was featured on ESPN in 2013, and have attracted national attention for the work that they've done:
Still, Feinman realizes that change in a community isn't guaranteed. For all of their hard work, InnerCity can only help up to a point.
“I think part of it too is just understanding that we can’t force change," Feinman admitted. "But what we can do is create an environment that empowers someone to want to change.”
And even with their growth, the secret to the organization's success is found in a basic formula.
“Success for us starts by earning our students’ trust, and ultimately creating hope for an alternative path.”
