Today we’d like to introduce you to Ty Richardson.
Hi Ty, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I spent more than 14 years building my career within a Fortune 500 multinational corporation before making the decision to leave corporate America and pursue entrepreneurship full-time. That journey eventually led me to Silicon Valley, where I launched what was originally intended to be a social networking platform. While the company did not succeed in the way I first envisioned, the experience became one of the most important pivots of my life. What started as a failed start-up eventually evolved into YoPro Global, a global social enterprise focused on celebrating and supporting youth and young professionals as they prepare for and transition into the workforce. Today, that mission continues to guide much of the work I do around the world.
In parallel, I founded One Global Business Financing Corporation, an organization focused on providing access to capital and financing solutions for businesses and real estate ventures globally. Through our platform, clients are able to access a wide range of funding solutions, from SBA loans and business lines of credit to commercial real estate financing and institutional capital placement. In 2022, OGBF became an approved direct commercial lender in the United States, allowing us to underwrite and fund loans directly for real estate investors across multiple lending products. At the core of this work is my belief that access to capital creates opportunity and lays the foundation to build generational wealth, particularly within underserved communities.
Throughout my career, I’ve leaned heavily into my top Gallup strengths — Significance, Activator, Arranger, Command, and Maximizer — to bring together high-performing teams and execute high-impact projects. As a certified Gallup strengths-based coach, I’ve had the opportunity to work one-on-one with entrepreneurs, executives, and high-performing professionals, as well as larger groups and organizations, helping them unlock greater performance by building from their strengths rather than focusing solely on weaknesses. I’m passionate about helping people identify their potential and create alignment between who they are and how they lead.
Following the pandemic, I entered a new season with renewed purpose and expanded my work into coaching, branding, strategic networking, and experiential marketing. I launched an agency designed to help solopreneurs, entrepreneurs, and organizations build stronger brands, create meaningful community engagement, and increase visibility through strategy, PR, and experiential experiences. Over time, that work evolved into my broader coaching practice, where I also began helping individuals leverage their personal stories, influence, and community presence to become recognized leaders within their local markets and grow companies. Having lived in six cities around the world, I’ve always believed that influence begins with relationships and meaningful human connections.
In 2022, I partnered with The Business Advisory as a Business Strategist, helping entrepreneurs and organizations scale from six figures to nine figures through strategic growth, systems, positioning, and leadership development. I later became Vice President of Coaching, Consulting & Business Solutions, overseeing consulting delivery, coaching experiences, client services, and event experiences for the organization. Around the same time, I co-founded Pinnacle & Beyond Enterprises alongside two fellow entrepreneurs and Trident Fellowship graduates after we were awarded $50,000 to acquire a company with an intent to disrupt and modernize the coaching industry through acquisitions, operating partnerships, and scalable infrastructure.
From January through December 2024, I also had the opportunity to lead operations for The Advance Innovation Society, a global community of strategic collaborators. In that role, I oversaw member engagement, operations, community development, chapter growth, and worldwide event experiences. During that time, the organization expanded into 28 cities and experienced significant growth under my leadership.
Beyond business, community leadership and service remain deeply important to me. I currently serve on the Board of Governors of the Tower Club Fort Lauderdale and as of next month, am in incoming Vice Chair of the board; recently as a Board Member and Chair of Government Affairs, and Chair of the Council of Chairs for the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, as a Board Member of the Animae Caribe Digital Arts and New Media Festival, and as a Commissioner for the Fort Lauderdale Housing Authority. Currently, I have been elected as the interim President & CEO of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, until the organization hires someone permanent for that role. No matter the venture, the title, or the industry, my mission has remained consistent: creating opportunities, building meaningful relationships, and helping people and organizations move from potential to purpose while creating long-term impact and generational opportunity.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has absolutely not been a straight line or a smooth road, and I think that’s one of the most important parts of my story. From the outside, people often see the businesses, the leadership roles, the growth, and the community impact — but behind all of that have been major pivots, setbacks, financial losses, reinventions, and moments where I had to completely rebuild.
When I left corporate America after more than 14 years at American Airlines, I did so with the understanding that I had a two-year window where I could potentially return to the company if entrepreneurship didn’t work out. At the time, that gave me the confidence to take the leap into Silicon Valley and pursue the vision I had for building a technology platform and social network. But during that period, American Airlines merged with US Airways, organizational structures changed dramatically, and the opportunity to return was no longer viable. In many ways, the bridge back disappeared while I was still trying to build the next chapter of my life. That was one of the first major moments where I realized entrepreneurship truly meant betting on myself fully.
Once I was in Silicon Valley, I invested heavily into an accelerator program to help build and launch our platform. We did the work, built the product, prepared the company, and committed ourselves fully to the process. But when pitch day arrived, the accelerator failed to deliver the investor network and opportunities that had been promised, and ultimately, we were unable to secure the funding needed to continue scaling the platform. At the time, it felt devastating because I had sacrificed stability, career security, and financial certainty to pursue this vision. Looking back now, however, that experience became the catalyst for the evolution of YoPro Global into the social enterprise and global community it is today.
About a year later, I accepted a contract leading product management for another app-based project, which initially looked like a strong rebound opportunity. Unfortunately, that project ended abruptly as well, and once again, I found myself needing to pivot quickly. Rather than seeing it purely as failure, I embraced uncertainty and became a digital nomad, living and working from multiple cities around the world. That season ended up being transformational for me personally and professionally. It exposed me to different cultures, communities, leadership styles, and entrepreneurial ecosystems that fundamentally changed how I think about relationships, business, influence, and global connectivity.
After returning to the United States, I experienced a very successful period of rebuilding and momentum — until COVID disrupted virtually every industry. Just prior to the pandemic, I had also lost a significant six-figure capital investment, which created tremendous financial and emotional pressure heading into one of the most uncertain periods in modern business history. Ironically, it was during that difficult season that I was recruited into the coaching and consulting industry, which ultimately opened an entirely new path for me professionally. What initially looked like another setback became an opportunity to expand into leadership development, consulting, coaching, business strategy, and community-building at a much larger scale.
Even recently, the lessons have continued. Last year, I lost a major contract when a client unexpectedly retired in the middle of a project. Shortly afterward, I experienced another engagement that ended poorly and resulted in another six-figure loss. That was one of the more difficult seasons I’ve faced because it challenged not only finances, but trust, momentum, and confidence. Entrepreneurship can sometimes feel incredibly heavy when you’re carrying the responsibility of rebuilding while continuing to lead teams, organizations, and clients at the same time.
What I’m most proud of, however, is my ability to continue evolving and pivoting. Every setback forced me to become more adaptable, more strategic, more relationship-focused, and more intentional about how I build businesses and partnerships. As I continue rebuilding and expanding my capital firm and broader ecosystem of companies, I’ve intentionally diversified revenue streams, strengthened strategic partnerships, and focused heavily on sustainable long-term growth. Today, I’m on track to generate more than double the revenue I produced in 2025.
More than anything, these experiences reinforced my belief that success is rarely linear. The difficult seasons, pivots, losses, and reinventions are often the very things that prepare you for the next level of impact. They taught me resilience, humility, adaptability, and the importance of continuing to move forward even when the path changes unexpectedly.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At One Global Business Financing Corporation, we specialize in helping businesses, entrepreneurs, investors, and developers gain access to the capital, strategy, and relationships needed to grow and scale. Our work spans everything from SBA lending, business acquisition financing, working capital, and commercial real estate loans to larger institutional debt and equity placements. We support clients at multiple levels — whether it’s an entrepreneur looking for growth capital, a business owner navigating expansion, or a developer structuring a complex real estate transaction.
What makes our organization different is that we don’t approach funding as a transactional business. We approach it as a strategic partnership. A lot of firms can broker loans or connect people to lenders, but we focus heavily on understanding the client’s broader vision, helping structure deals properly, positioning businesses for long-term growth, and leveraging our network to create opportunities beyond capital alone. In many cases, we become trusted advisors throughout the process, helping clients think strategically about growth, partnerships, community positioning, and legacy — not just financing.
A major part of our brand identity is also rooted in community leadership and service. I’ve always believed business should serve a bigger purpose than profit alone. Through my work with organizations like the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, the Fort Lauderdale Housing Authority, the Tower Club Fort Lauderdale, YoPro Global Foundation, and other community-focused initiatives, I’ve intentionally built a brand centered around impact, connection, and contribution. That philosophy carries directly into how we operate at One Global. We want to be known not only as builders of businesses and transactions but as builders of ecosystems, relationships, and stronger communities.
What sets us apart is that we understand the intersection between business growth, leadership, visibility, and community influence. Many of our clients are not simply looking for funding — they’re looking for alignment, strategic relationships, market positioning, and ways to expand their influence and impact. Because of our extensive involvement in business, civic, and entrepreneurial communities, we’re often able to connect clients to opportunities, partnerships, and networks that extend far beyond the transaction itself.
Brand-wise, what I’m most proud of is the reputation we’ve built around trust, relationships, accessibility, and contribution. We’ve created a company that is equally comfortable sitting at the table with institutional capital providers, entrepreneurs, civic leaders, and community organizations. Our clients know that we genuinely care about helping them grow sustainably while also encouraging them to think about the broader impact they can have through their success.
Ultimately, I want readers to understand that One Global is about more than finance. It’s about helping people unlock opportunities, create wealth, build influence, strengthen communities, and leave lasting legacies. We believe business can be both profitable and purposeful, and we’ve intentionally built our brand around that belief.
One of the initiatives closest to my heart is YoPro Global’s Unsung Heroes Program, which was created to recognize and elevate young people and emerging leaders who are making meaningful impact in their communities but are often overlooked by traditional recognition systems. The program focuses on identifying individuals whose stories may not always make headlines, but whose leadership, resilience, creativity, service, and influence are actively changing lives around them. I know this is also a mission that strongly aligns with the work your organization values — creating visibility, opportunity, and platforms for individuals whose impact deserves to be seen and celebrated.
As YoPro Global continues to grow, my vision is for Unsung Heroes to evolve into a global movement centered around storytelling, empowerment, mentorship, and creating pathways for emerging changemakers to lead within their communities and industries.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I would say the most important qualities behind my success have been relationship-building, community engagement, and my ability to bring people together around a shared vision. Throughout my career — whether in corporate leadership, entrepreneurship, finance, coaching, or public service — I’ve learned that long-term success is rarely built alone. The strongest businesses, organizations, and movements are built through trust, collaboration, and aligned partnerships. Much of my work has centered around connecting people, opportunities, and ideas in ways that create value not just for individuals, but for entire communities and ecosystems.
I’m a strong believer in strengths-based leadership. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned over the years is that high-performing teams are built by identifying and maximizing people’s natural strengths rather than trying to force everyone into the same mold. That philosophy has influenced how I lead organizations, build partnerships, and structure teams. I intentionally surround myself with people whose strengths complement my own because I believe diversity of strengths creates stronger businesses, better decision-making, and more sustainable growth.
In my business ventures and life really, I lead from my top five Gallup strengths: Significance, Arranger, Activator, Command, and Maximizer. Those strengths have shaped the way I approach leadership, business, and community-building. Significance drives my desire to create meaningful impact and build organizations that matter beyond revenue alone. Arranger allows me to bring together the right people, resources, and opportunities to execute complex ideas effectively. Activator pushes me to move ideas into action quickly and help others gain momentum. Command helps me lead decisively, particularly in high-pressure or high-growth environments. Maximizer fuels my focus on excellence and helping individuals, teams, and organizations reach their highest potential.
Community leadership has also played a major role in shaping both my philosophy and my approach to business. My involvement with organizations like the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, the Fort Lauderdale Housing Authority, the Tower Club Fort Lauderdale, and YoPro Global
has reinforced my belief that leadership is ultimately about contribution, service, and creating opportunities for others. I’ve always believed businesses should exist within the larger context of community impact and relationship-building, not just profitability.
Partnership has been a major part of my journey as well. One Global Business Financing Corporation is very much a family business rooted in trust, relationships, and shared purpose. Pinnacle & Beyond Enterprises was built alongside two strategic partners who each bring unique perspectives and expertise to the table. YoPro Global continues to thrive because it’s driven by a broader community of leaders, activists, entrepreneurs, and advocates who are all passionate about creating impact. Even beyond those ventures, I’ve consistently chosen to build businesses and initiatives collaboratively because I genuinely believe collective vision and aligned partnerships create outcomes that are far greater than anything one person could accomplish alone.
At the core of everything I do is the belief that success becomes more meaningful when it’s shared — when businesses become platforms for connection, empowerment, leadership development, and long-term community impact.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://oneglobalfinancing.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.tyrich
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Oneglobalbf
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drtyrich/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@coachcontv
- Other: https://drtyrichardson.com/
