A Little Kindness Wouldn’t Kill You

When an act of kindness occurs in the business world, it caught us by surprise. Then there was a second.

Earlier this month, we got a press release saying that 3DPrinterOS, along with Montclair State University, was going to try to find a way to detect gun parts for the FGC-9, almost totally print-at-home, therefore unrestricted assault rifle. It seemed like the right thing to do for a saint. But I couldn’t wrap my cynical mind around a company doing it, especially one that would benefit from more 3D printing. There may be a human-interest angle. Was someone at 3DPrintOS a victim of gun violence?

I asked their PR firm to find out. A human-interest angle may spice up the story. I was told that there was no more to the story. It ran as 3DPrinterOS and Montclair State Take Aim at 3D Printed Guns without a sad story. In fact, the effort to find a way to detect gun parts was not about the FGC-9 specifically.

“3D printed guns have been in the media and in practice for the past decade, and we've always had this topic in the back of our minds,” said Rene-Oscar Ariko, VP of Global Sales at 3DPrinterOS. “We've also explored this in the past, mainly due to the interest of our customers.

The joint effort was also because 3DPrinterOS was in a unique position to detect gun parts.

“3DPrinterOS has over 16 million CAD files stored in the system and more than 1800 years of 3D printing hours from all of our users, so that gives us an advantage in spearheading preemptive measures for detecting objects like guns,” said Ariko.

OMG. 3DPrinterOS just wanted to do the right thing.

Not long after that story ran, my cynical mind was blown again when I listened to engineer, inventor and business owner Andy Wells tell his story on the Being An Engineer podcast.

A 2^nd Second Chance

Andy Wells, founder and CEO of Wells Technology, shown above being congratulated by President Barack Obama after receiving the Minnesota State Small Business Person for the Year, credits his growing up on a farm in a one-room house on the Red Lake Indian Reservation in northern Minnesota for his start in engineering. The resourcefulness he had to have to cobble together (go-carts, scooters, rockets) from junkyards and trash, plus having to maintain and fix all sorts of farm equipment, fully equipped Wells for what was to become an engineering career.

But Wells has found that engineering is more than putting bread on the table for his family. It is about helping other families who are not as fortunate, those who may be denied the opportunities Wells had.

A case in point is an ex-convict who interviewed for a position at Wells Technology, but because of his past, Wells had to tell him he couldn’t hire him. His company had the usual rules about not hiring felons. Still, the man was polite, shook Wells' hand, and thanked Wells for taking the time to talk to him. He had been looking for a job for 6 months, he said.

Wells watched out his window as the dejected applicant went back to his car in which there was a woman and children. Wells imagined how bad the poor guy must have felt to tell his family that, once again, he had been denied a second chance.

Wells rushed out to the parking lot and knocked on the roof of the car. He asked the man to come back the following Monday, and he would show him around to see if any of the jobs there would be of interest to him.

I imagine they shook hands. In the car, sadness turned to joy. The woman thanked Wells. I imagine tears in her eyes.

It is a classic 2^nd chance story. The man worked for Wells for several years.

Wells repeated the giving of 2^nd chances over and over. He started the Well Academy in 2009, a non-profit that teaches CNC as well as personal and success skills. It has 01ver a hundred graduates.

By focusing on individuals often overlooked by conventional hiring processes, Wells Technology has become a beacon of hope, demonstrating the profound impact of compassion and second chances.

Once questioned on the wisdom of hiring felons, presumably by someone afraid of meeting one, Wells had this response:

“How would you rather meet them? Would you rather meet them here? When they're in training or have a job and income, they are appreciated and part of a team. Or would you rather meet them out on the street because nobody gave them a chance, and they can only steal or sell drugs?”