Sometimes the idea for an organization begins with a personal turning point. For Jonathan Gardner, it was a moment that changed the way he thought about opportunity, careers, and the role relationships play in opening doors. That realization eventually led to the creation of GardHouse in 2019, an organization built on the belief that talent and hard work matter, but access to opportunity often begins with connection.
After moving to Charlotte for law school, Jonathan found himself pursuing a role that aligned with his desire to work at the intersection of community, students, and business. When he was initially passed over for the position, he was told he lacked the necessary experience. Later, he learned the person who had been hired instead had secured the opportunity through a family connection.
“The connections that you make while in college, as well as those that you just have in life, are extremely important for you to leverage when you’re trying to find an opportunity.”
The realization helped shape the foundation of GardHouse. While education, skills, and hard work matter, Jonathan recognized that access to professional networks often plays an equally important role in determining who gets opportunities and who gets left behind.
Today, GardHouse works to bridge that gap by helping college students gain meaningful work opportunities, expand their networks, and build the social capital needed to successfully launch their careers.
“No college student is going to college just to be in college,” Jonathan shared. “They’re going for a job.”
Growing Professional Confidence
While internships are one of GardHouse’s most visible programs, Jonathan believes the organization’s impact goes much deeper than helping students secure work experience.
At its core, the work is about confidence, communication, relationship building, and helping students learn how to navigate professional environments.
One story that stands out involved a student who entered the program quiet, reserved, and hesitant to speak up. Through his internship experience and coaching, he learned how to navigate difficult conversations, communicate effectively, and advocate for himself. After graduating, he successfully negotiated a starting salary of nearly $100,000.
For Jonathan, that outcome represents what GardHouse is really working toward: helping students develop the skills, confidence, and relationships needed to create opportunities for themselves long after graduation.
That same philosophy is shaping the organization’s next chapter. GardHouse is currently developing Career Launch, a new initiative designed to help students build professional skills, confidence, and networking experience before they ever begin applying for internships.
Inspired by what Jonathan describes as “pressurized environments,” the program will create opportunities for students to practice navigating real-world workplace situations before the stakes are high. Through hands-on learning, coaching, and relationship-building, Career Launch is intended to help students strengthen the soft skills, confidence, and professional instincts that often determine whether opportunity becomes accessible in the first place.
Scaling with Intention
As GardHouse continues its third year as an SVP Charlotte Investee, Jonathan reflected on the growth of both the organization and his own leadership journey.
“If I had it the way I wanted it at the start of this organization, we’d be in 50 major cities across the U.S.,” he said. “I don’t think we’d be nearly as impactful as we are now.”
Along the way, he has learned the value of patience and intentional growth. During our conversation, he compared building an organization to preparing a good meal.
“Take your time. Season it. Let it marinate. Let everything you’ve poured over it soak in. Then take your time cooking it.”
That mindset has shaped GardHouse’s approach over the past several years. Rather than expanding too quickly, the organization has focused on strengthening its programs, deepening employer relationships, and building a strong foundation for the future. That growth has also been reflected internally. Jonathan credits much of GardHouse’s success to the people who have helped build it along the way. For years, he and Lizzy Randolph, Associate Director of Career Readiness, worked side-by-side to grow the organization’s programs and support students as they prepared for their careers.
As GardHouse continued to grow, so did the need to strengthen its employer partnerships. Earlier this year, a SVP Spark Team partnered with GardHouse to refine the organization’s employer recruitment process in preparation for welcoming Kelsey Boyd, Strategic Partnerships Associate. Her addition to the team has expanded GardHouse’s capacity to cultivate and deepen employer and community relationships while supporting the organization’s next phase of growth.
Like many growing nonprofits, GardHouse’s ability to invest in people has been an important milestone in its evolution. For Jonathan, building a strong team is about creating a more sustainable organization and increasing its capacity for long-term impact.
As GardHouse has scaled with intention, Jonathan points to the SVP partnership as a source of both support and perspective along the way.
“I think this partnership serves more like an advisory committee,” he shared. “The money was great, but that opportunity to be strategic and think through things has led to more dollars being able to come toward us. I wouldn’t trade that.”
Over the past three years, that partnership has taken many forms. In addition to strategic guidance and board development, SVP has created opportunities for GardHouse students to strengthen their professional networks through SoCap Soirées with our uocorporate partners. Designed as interactive networking experiences, the gatherings give students the opportunity to meet professionals, practice conversation and relationship-building skills, and grow the confidence needed to navigate future career opportunities. One of those gatherings marked GardHouse’s first SoCap Soirée outside of a corporate office, hosted in the home of SVP Partner Raj Merchant and his wife Leigh Ann, reinforcing that meaningful networking can happen in any environment.
One example Jonathan did point to is LaQuandra Bass, who was introduced through the SVP network and now serves on the GardHouse Board of Directors.
“She has been, by far, the model of what a board member should be,” Jonathan said. “She’s just a very, very supportive person.”
When asked how the community can continue supporting GardHouse, Jonathan’s answer returned to the same principle that inspired the organization from the beginning: relationships matter. Whether through employer partnerships, networking opportunities, mentorship, or simply making introductions, every connection has the potential to open a door.
For Jonathan, the work has always been deeper than internships. It’s about helping students gain access to the relationships, experiences, and confidence that can change the trajectory of their lives. As GardHouse looks ahead, that mission remains unchanged. Because when opportunity is paired with connection, potential has room to grow.
To learn more about GardHouse, its programs, and opportunities to get involved, visit gardhouse.org.
