This is my real-life account of recent events, receipts included, and I couldn’t be happier about it. Last week, I was playing with toys; this week, I get out of the sandbox.
Friday night, I took a Lyft to a friend’s. It was your usual vibe at first, casual conversation. What caught me by surprise was the humanitarian side of my driver, let’s call him Robert.
He seemed like an older Playboy, but he said he was a retired marketing executive. We connected fast. I told him about Amplified Aid, my nonprofit that uses music and media to fuel the fight against global hunger. He lit up and told me about his nonprofit. He was heading to Ukraine in a week for a concert, and had connections in that music scene that could help my first artist donate a song. He resonated with my mission and music, and I thought, this is it. He gets it. I knew it with all my heart.
20 minutes after arriving at my destination, we exchanged contact info and parted for the night, but the seed was planted and had already started to sprout leaves. I woke the next morning with a plan, and I emailed Robert with my website and other ‘get to know me’ info, and texted him a proposal to send clothing and hygiene essentials with him. His response? “We can go bigger.” Finally, I had found my ‘Business Bro’.
We talked about three cities, Cleveland, Chicago, and Detroit, their Ukrainian communities, and setting up recurring essentials donations. I was instructed to make a mission statement. Inspired, I also drafted project strategies, logistics, and a new name. “Amplified Outreach” was a mashup of my nonprofit and his. I thought we were combining forces, and I was willing to redo the work I’d done alone, sure that it could only be better together.
But I could tell something was off, no matter how hard I tried to ignore it. Always trust your gut, kids!
I hadn’t told him, but I looked online to see some of his work, and couldn’t find anything about him or his nonprofit. No EIN. No website. No public record. No social media. With every reply was the command to write outreach emails, and I could no longer ignore the elephant in the room. Finally, I bluntly asked for clarity on how we’d present ourselves to partners, and which of our nonprofits we’d use if he didn’t want a merger. His response?
“Romero, I can make you an EIN for any nonprofit name you want.”
“What?” I thought to myself, absolutely shocked, I wish I could’ve seen my face. His statement was no red flag, it was a tornado siren to GTFO.
Let’s be clear: There was no scam. No money lost. No legal wrongdoing. Yet, I ignored Robert’s lack of transparency, his dismissal of structure, and his insistence on skipping steps that matter in this profession.
Nonprofit work demands honesty, accountability, and clarity. If we can’t even define who we are, how can we ask others to believe in us?
Sorry to lose my partner, but not sorry he didn’t get a chance to land us in jail. I’ve stepped away from that partnership. But have no fear, I’m not stepping away from my mission or the project. I just had to simplify it for a sucker with no support.
On Monday, May 19th, Amplified Aid launches its first on-the-ground project — a humanitarian effort focused on clothing, hygiene kits, and emotional support items for Ukrainian communities, beginning in Cleveland. It’s real. It’s now. It’s all built on what’s true, and it all comes from my heart.
I’ve learned something critical this weekend: Big visions don’t require big talk. They require small, intentional steps. Done honestly.
This is mine! I can’t wait to show you what comes next. Join my journey, and let’s work together toward the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals! And enjoy the new #EndHunger2030 Podcast Episode 021: Ukraine’s Hunger Crisis – made the night this all started. After learning more about their situation, I knew I wanted to help all I could.
– Romero Cleveland
05/19/2025-5:25 pm Update:
Everyone has stuff tucked away that could be GIVEN away,
If you live in Cleveland, PLEASE CHECK, and set the items aside.
Fingers are crossed, making a wish. I hope we get a drop-off location soon 
