BTM Founder and Philanthropy Mission Spotlighted

“Our employees know that the leadership team cares—not just about revenue,” explained BTM founder and ­­CTO Andy Huynh in this month’s issue of Twin Cities Business Magazine.

In a look at philanthropic efforts of companies and individuals around the region, the magazine came across our work with families in Minnesota and Vietnam. We believe it’s our responsibility to give back to the communities in which we live and work, and so we donate time, materials and financial support to create a brighter future for children.

In Vietnam, we are long-time supporters of causes that ensure decent housing, education and welfare for families. We support children with school supply donations, scholarships, and with funding safe, adequate housing. In addition, we are a major supporter of Kids Promise, a nonprofit organization founded by three BTM colleagues. All have a deep passion for changing the lives of children throughout Vietnam.

Here’s an excerpt from the interview with Andy. You can read more about BTM and other corporate philanthropic efforts here and here.

Twin Cities Business: You’ve made it a priority to give back since the inception of BTM Global in 2004—but without any of the hype we see from some mission-driven brands today. So where do your business and your philanthropic goals intersect? And how do you manage both?

Andy Huynh: In order to help others, you’ve got to make sure you’re successful in whatever you do first. I really wasn’t thinking about doing charitable work when I started this business, after working in the field for many years. But when we opened our office in Vietnam 14 years ago, a couple of charitable organizations approached and asked me to visit their orphanages. I looked around and thought, they need a lot of help. So BTM started donating clothing, food, and supplies. Then I started looking to do more.

Our company is built around having good people—we are a service business. If you want a company to grow, your resource is the younger generation. That’s why our focus is around children. In a better environment, kids can strive for a better life. Education is a vehicle to get out of poverty.

We give back because it comes from our hearts. But after so many years of doing this work, we had people who wanted to help. We recently started a foundation so we could take donations. We are small. We want 99 cents of every dollar going directly to families, to children in need. We all pitch in. We just try to do as much as we can with our time, with the resources we have.

Every day, we do the work we enjoy and also get the chance to help others as much as we can. Our employees know that the leadership team cares—not just about revenue. We want to make sure people [at BTM] are successful and also help others so that someday they’ll have a chance to get to where they want to be. And maybe someday, they’ll come work for us.

We also support organizations like Together for Good, which provides practical help and relational support to families. We partner with Apple Valley High School and its E3 STEM Program, in which our employees mentor students on a variety of projects and lend their expertise to various events, such as workshops and competitions.

We’re proud of our culture and of our employees’ enthusiasm for making a difference!