Catamount Nation: Painting a Brighter Community

Zach Dunn ’23 says his alumni-run business is primed to help curb a troubling trend in his community. Dunn, who recently earned his degree in Business Administration, is the co-founder of Painting With Purpose (PWP), a professional residential and commercial painting service with a dual mission to beautify the greater Burlington area while helping to end homelessness in Vermont. PWP donates a portion of its profits to the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity, funds which help the unhoused secure a place to call home by providing money for security deposits, first month’s rent, and other move-in expenses.

“These are people that have a high likelihood of remaining homeless unless a helping hand is extended to them. It's hard to try and see a way out when no one is helping make a way out,” says Dunn. “Every day I put on the painter’s whites, I know that I'm working for something bigger than myself. I have a purpose directing me to do what I do, and there's nothing better than that.”

Dunn was the 2022 grand prize winner of the Grossman School of Business's Annual UVM Business Pitch Competition.

He says his vision is to create a “positive feedback loop” as part of a sustainable business model in which PWP and its community partners not only help those in need find permanent housing but also offer employment and training with PWP to those who are interested. Dunn says the idea for the enterprise came to him in a Grossman School of Business class focused on social entrepreneurship. To date, Dunn says PWP has passed the 100-job milestone, led a clothing drive, and donated over $14,000 of its profits.

“People are starting to demand that companies are more invested in the communities in which they operate, and they are choosing their brands based on their values. I’m committed to this business model and determined to grow my business. When my business grows, I grow, my message grows, and everyone we've been able to help gets an opportunity to grow.”

Zach and his business partner, Jake Falanga ’24, received significant recognition and a financial boost when Painting With Purpose was awarded the $212,500 grand prize in the Grossman School’s inaugural Joy and Jerry Meyers Cup this April.

Photo by NECN & NBC10 Boston