Pepperdine University Hosts Thomas Vozzo, Former CEO of Homeboy Industries, for a Lecture on Faith and Business
Pepperdine University’s Faith and Business Initiative hosted Thomas Vozzo, the former CEO and current senior advisor of Homeboy Industries, for a lecture on faith, service, and lessons learned as a C-suite executive in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors.
“Tom exemplifies the attributes of servant leadership that I seek to develop in my students,” said Regan Schaffer, divisional dean of Seaver College’s Business Administration Division. “It’s not just the ministry and philosophy of Homeboy, it’s also Tom. His story and his storytelling are so powerful that anytime is the right time for a visit from him.”
During his remarks, Vozzo walked attendees through his career arc, describing the journey he underwent to become Homeboy’s CEO. He related how his career began in the for-profit sector as an executive at Aramark—a food services and facilities management provider. Vozzo served as CEO of Aramark’s uniform and career apparel group, valued at $1.8 billion.
The Homeboy Way—Vozzo's recently published book
Immersed in the corporate world, Vozzo found that the goal of increasing shareholder value outweighed all other aspects of the business practice. After accruing 26 years of experience as a leader in an industry that prioritized capital above all else, he left Aramark and began volunteering at Homeboy Industries—a Los Angeles-based nonprofit focused on reentry services for formerly incarcerated gang members.
Two months into his time as a volunteer, Vozzo was asked to take over as Homeboy’s CEO. When he began his tenure, the nonprofit was worth $11 million with few liquid assets to speak of. Homeboy’s financial situation stood in stark contrast to Vozzo’s previous experience with a profitable company, but it wasn’t overcoming cash-flow obstacles that reshaped the CEO’s perspective on business and leadership; it was the people he worked with.
“I often think back to beatitudes, where Jesus says blessed are the poor in spirit, for they shall inherit the kingdom of heaven,” said Vozzo. “Jesus is talking about our people. They are authentic. They have, in my observation, a true sense of God. They are our guides and witnesses on how to find faith.”
Working side by side with Father Greg Boyle, the founder of Homeboy Industries, Vozzo was introduced to an upside-down business model—one that prioritized people over profits. He learned to find joy in serving others and being relational with those the nonprofit sought to uplift. In the process, Vozzo’s faith grew.
The former CEO closed his comments by citing the lessons he learned while working for Homeboy. He discussed the importance of being in relationship with people living at the margins of society, Jesus’ ministry of forgiveness, and God’s heart of compassion. Vozzo encouraged attendees not to “Underlive life,” but instead to live it in full knowing that, “you’re exactly what God wanted you to be.”
Vozzo's talk was sponsored by Pepperdine's Faith and Business Initiative
“Once people heal, they love others,” he explained. “They love others when they learn to love themselves. And they love themselves, when they find, deep down, that God loves them.”
Vozzo’s lecture at Pepperdine was sponsored by the University’s Faith and Business Initiative in partnership with Pepperdine Libraries. The Faith and Business Initiative is a three-year project funded by a $260,000 grant from the Templeton Foundation in 2025 to foster a deeper theological exploration of business. It is led by three Seaver College faculty members—Schaffer; Chris Collins, associate professor of organizational behavior and management; and Jooho Lee, associate professor of business ethics and law.
“I can’t think of many places better than Pepperdine to study the relationship between business and the Christian faith,” said Lee. “We look forward to continuing the conversation here in the coming years.”
Learn more about Pepperdine's Faith and Business Initiative by listening to the PeppTalk Podcast.