David Todd was 11 years old when he started cutting hair. His aunt had a pair of old clippers in the linen closet that he used to practice, and as the years passed by he grew more confident as the family barber who would cut his cousins’ hair for special occasions. Between neglect and poverty, David turned to the streets and would not pick up clippers again until after his release from prison in 94’. Upon release, David attempted to enroll in barber school but was met with financial barriers. In order to pay for tuition, he returned to the streets and found himself back in prison within 5 months. For the next year, the prison cell became a revolving door. However, when David returned to Cook County for a first-degree murder charge he returned to cutting hair throughout his pre-trial period awaiting trial. There, he honed his craft and, upon release, gained employment at one of his friend’s barbershops. Within a year, David would open up a small barbershop himself, but this achievement was short-lived as he was convicted for first-degree murder and sentenced to 40 years in prison. Throughout his 20-year period of incarceration, he continued to cut hair and completed his cosmetology hours. Upon release, He received his license and opened his own barbershop: GroomFly. GroomFly would serve as a business, but would later develop into a mission-based initiative reflective of both his ethical and spiritual commitments. David understands his talent as a public good— emboldened by biblical guidance found in James 1:27 that instructs us “to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” In 2019, David was reminded of this verse after running into an associate from prison who was unhoused at the time. The associate asked for a cut and David promised to return the following day, but when he did his associate was nowhere to be found. Instead, David cut the hair of two other men underneath the viaduct that day. This outlook led to more consistent community-based work, providing free haircuts for at-risk youth and visiting encampments to service unhoused individuals. David observed how service-based haircuts brightened those he serviced, but also saw how it could ignite compassion in both himself and others. David’s commitment to community service through personal grooming and hygiene education would later develop into a charitable organization called “Clippers Change Communities” founded in 2023. Looking towards the future, David’s mission is to provide youth empowerment through mentorship and personal hygiene, ultimately contributing to a world where marginalized youth have the tools to care for themselves and their own communities.