Susan Jacobs

Social Responsibility Expert/Entrepreneur

Wheels of Success was established by Susan Jacobs in 2003 after a personal experience gave her insight into how critical reliable transportation is to maintain employment.  After leaving a domestic violence situation, she found herself without a car to get to work and realized that maintaining stable employment without a vehicle was a Herculean task.  After hitch-hiking to work for several weeks, she was lucky to have an acquaintance lend her a car, albeit a clunker, while she saved enough to buy a reliable vehicle.

Several years later while running a staffing agency, Susan again saw this need with many of the job seekers she was working with and subsequently founded Wheel of Success to address the need.  To date, the nonprofit organization has provided nearly 1000 vehicles and car-related services to Tampa Bay area families so that they can maintain their employment and their self-sufficiency.

In 2008, Susan also established Automotive Buying Center (known as ABC) as a social enterprise to assist people who do not qualify for the Wheels o Success program but who have limited funds to purchase a reliable vehicle.  This service helps people buy a reliable vehicle with a limited warranty and no interest without the stress and unnecessary expenses involved with purchasing a vehicle from a ‘buy here, pay here’ car lot.  The reasonable profit made from these ABC transactions are donated to Wheels of Success and help fund the operating costs of the nonprofit organization.

Susan is an expert on developing grassroots nonprofit and social enterprise organizations by partnering with corporate sponsors to build social responsibility.  Susan is available to speak to your organization and provide advice and insight on establishing new social enterprises to benefit our community.