Rodney Carroll
Founder & CEO
The founder of Business Interface, Rodney J. Carroll, brings a unique perspective to BI’s work. Raised in an impoverished neighborhood in North Philadelphia, his experiences helped to lay the foundation for his future endeavors. As a UPS executive, he crafted innovative transportation solutions with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority; most significantly the creation of new bus routes to move low-income workers from outlying suburbs to fill critical entry-level jobs at the Philadelphia Air Hub facility. The employment model drew the attention of the Clinton Administration, who recruited Mr. Carroll to serve as an executive on loan to the Welfare to Work Partnership, a national advocacy organization established under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1996.
Mr. Carroll has gained a reputation for eloquent speeches with a powerful underlying philosophy: “I was once where you are, and you can be where I am.” His motivational and inspirational presence has brought his message to places as diverse as Lancaster, PA, New York, NY, and Glasgow City in Scotland. In August 1999, Mr. Carroll reached national visibility when he co-moderated a Town Hall meeting on welfare reform with former President Clinton at The Welfare to Work Partnership’s One America Conference in Chicago. Mr. Carroll was honored with the Mickey Leland Humanitarian award from the Congressional Black Caucus in 2000 and again in 2003 with the Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award from the University of Georgia Perimeter College. As a follow-up to the One America Conference in 1999, Mr. Carroll co-moderated a second town hall meeting in 2002, Working Towards Independence, with former President George Bush.
Mr. Carroll released his first book, No Free Lunch, illustrating the realities of life on welfare and the challenges faced by a forgotten group of Americans who want to reclaim their independence through work. He is currently working on a second book that will chronicle his knowledge of and experiences working with the nation’s public workforce development system. He has been featured on such programs as the Paula Zahn Show on Fox News, the Diane Rehm Show, and NBC’s Today Show.
