Part 6: A Passion For Helping
By: Rob Mulligan, CEO & President of Renaissance
In part six of our six-part entrepreneurial leadership series, Rob Mulligan explains why giving back is at the core of the Renaissance DNA.
It’s almost impossible to be good at something you’re not passionate about. It probably sounds funny to some people, but I am passionate about insurance, and so are the people I work with. That passion has allowed Renaissance to become a much larger player in the insurance field.
Renaissance is committed to improving the oral and overall health of children. We do that through the Renaissance Family Foundation. Earlier this year, we brought our literacy-based oral-health education program called Brush!® to 40 counties in Georgia. Brush!® is a 52-week program aimed at improving the oral health and school readiness of children entering kindergarten.
Kids in Georgia don’t have it easy when it comes to good oral health. The state ranks 49th in the country for the number of dentists per capita, with only 4.4 per 10,000 people. Believe it or not, there are 16 counties in the state that don’t have a dentist at all. Things are so bad in parts of the state that many children in Georgia have already
failed a dental exam by the age of five.
Because of our passion for dental insurance, we knew we wanted to help. That’s why Renaissance donated $35,000 to Head Start programs in Georgia to fund Brush!® for 4,000 preschool-aged children, their parents and teachers across the state. We also awarded $41,000 to the Georgia Department of Health to help to expand the state’s Oral Health Prevention Program. Thanks to that contribution underserved children across the state were given access to a much-needed dental sealant program.
We’re helping to teach kids not only about oral health, but also reading, science and math skills. The Renaissance Family Foundation has donated more than $120,000 to support the oral health of children in Georgia since 2013. The programs have been so successful we’re hoping to expand to Florida in the near future.
Our hope is that these kids will share the passion for oral health that we have at Renaissance. Having healthy teeth from the start will give all of these kids the chance to succeed as they start their education. As the CEO of Renaissance, I’m proud to be part of the plan that will hopefully help change the future for thousands of children.