With special guest:
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Marco Renai
… in conversation with Bill Kable
What comes across very clearly when we speak with Marco Renai is that he is a ball of energy.
After Marco left school he had a path available to him in his family’s catering business. His first solo business venture was to set up a gym where members could improve their physical condition and wellness under Marco’s guidance. This was Marco’s first attempt at interacting with the community but alas Covid 19 struck. When the members stopped coming, the business folded.
This is where Marco’s strong family background and personal experience in the field of education shaped what happened next. While Marco had struggled with the discipline and uncompromising system of education he always had his loving and supportive family to fall back on. But when he was asked to volunteer some mentoring to local youth in the Gold Coast region of Queensland he realised that for many young men this safety net was not available. Sure enough, for many of the young men dropping out of the education system led on to big trouble with society and the law.
Having recognised the problem Marco set about doing something about it. Marco rounded up some 100 local businessmen for an Italian lunch and over a pasta or two came up with a plan to raise $1million to help these young men. Being a force of nature this daunting sum did not pose a problem.
There was the idea at one function of selling a brick for $1000, there was the fund raising idea of paddling around the Isle of Capri in Surfers Paradise and lots more activities. Before you knew it the $1million target was raised.
Then Marco faced other problems taking what was initially an 8 week course into building a secondary school for boys in Years 11 and 12. Happily the venture was so successful that now Marco runs his Academy with teachers attracted to the system and other schools referring students. Marco has found that even the toughest of teens are responding positively to the care and love they find at the Academy.
The first differences that can be noted at the Academy are that the students are offered meals, haircuts, driving lessons and career advice. This is because Marco and his teachers are able to recognise what the students really need. There is also psychological assessment because many boys do not learn in the same way as, for example, female students.
This is such a great story and it is continuing. The Academy now has State and Federal funding but not satisfied with what he has achieved already Marco is going to raise $28 million to fund a High School taking students from year 7 right through to year 12. And when you listen to Marco there is no way you could doubt whether this will happen. Marco is a clear demonstration of the good that can be done in the community when you set your mind to it and is an inspiration to all of us.
Marco Renai
Marco Renai is the founder of Men of Business (MOB) Academy, a senior secondary school focusing on empowering at-risk-young men with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to be happy, healthy and successful.
After doing some volunteering in youth justice, Marco realised there were no programs for young men who struggled to engage with life and education. Inspired by his Italian heritage, which holds that family, food and doing good can make a difference, he piloted the first MOB program in 2011.
Marco and his community raised $1 million to open the MOB Academy in 2020. Young men participate in education, work pathways and social and emotional wellbeing programs. Meals are provided and they can also engage with community in real-world experiences.
Today MOB is a federal and state-funded accredited academy with two branches, 35 passionate staff, thousands of past graduates and 195 thriving students.
Song selection by our guest: The Sound of Sunshine by Michael Franti