Our Mission
At The Back Pack Barber Foundation, we believe in the transformative power of collective action and the profound impact a united team can have on the community. Our work goes beyond the confines of our office walls; it extends to the heart of society, aiming to make a positive difference in the lives of those around us.
Youth
To educate and empower our youth to believe in themselves and their future through education, dedication and follow through.
Families
To ensure families always have the means to be safe and secure.
Homeless
To inspire and give new purpose by creating a plan to ensure a new start to live life.
What's the drive
- The Mission
I have always been very involved with charity events and giving back by cutting hair in local shelters and for low-income kids. That just wasn’t enough, I needed to do something different. That’s when I decided to just be fearless and go right into the middle of the homeless area and start cutting hair. I also wanted to leave them with something they definitely need. I give each man or woman a backpack filled with hygiene products, water, and a snack.
Sure, it’s amazing having a clean cut when you haven’t had one in a long time but for me, it’s about the connection I make with that individual who is trusting me to give them a fresh beginning with a haircut. We talk, we share stories and we realize we are more alike than different. We are human. It’s very simple. We are no better and no less than the man next to us. This is the point I am trying to get across, we must reach out and do for others.
Our Team
Meet our excellent team
Greg Young
Greg Young is a South Florida-based barber and co-owner of Noblemens Cut & Shave in Fats Village, Ft. Lauderdale. His passion for his craft stems from a unique desire to make a direct personal connection with each and every client who sits in his chair. Young graduated from the Florida Barber Academy in 2009 after working in the culinary industry for nine years. He transitioned into the barber industry to engage more closely with his clients and continuously seeks the very latest intel to better serve his patrons. Born in Florida and living in Broward County since 1995, Young has a vast network that encompasses several industries. He now looks to further develop his own brand while also being the CEO and President of his nonprofit foundation, The Backpack Barber Foundation.
Established in 2018, the foundation’s focus is to directly work with the homeless community and troubled youth while providing them with haircuts, backpacks filled with hygiene products and meaningful conversations. The passion for this foundation comes from the life experience Young has had being homeless while battling alcoholism. Greg has been sober since July 7th, 2013 and gives all of the glory to God and to continually doing the next right thing, one day at a time. Young has huge plans for the future, including creating his own product line and expanding his foundation into multiple chapters across the country.
Christopher Salerno
Christopher Salerno serves as the Vice President and Senior Relationship Manager at Fratarcangeli Wealth Management (FWM) Group. In this capacity, he assumes responsibility for overseeing the advisory group while also serving as a Senior Relationship Manager. Chris’s primary focus lies in delivering comprehensive financial guidance to FWM’s high net worth clientele. His areas of expertise include retirement plan analysis, investment planning, portfolio optimization, and risk mitigation strategies.
Beyond his professional pursuits, Chris is driven by a passion for fostering connections within his community and empowering others through education and engagement. He dedicates his free time to mentoring young adults, advocating for fitness and nutrition, and immersing himself in the excitement of attending sporting events. Chris’s commitment to bringing people together and empowering them underscores his belief in the transformative power of community service and education.
Dan Sokoloff
Before starting his own tax and consulting practice almost six years ago, Dan Sokoloff worked for Marcum, LLC, a large national firm in downtown Ft. Lauderdale, FL. He is a licensed CPA in Florida and has been practicing for more than 20 years. Daniel has also been involved with charitable organizations over the years. He has served on the board of the Backpack Barber Foundation, Inc. for the past five years. During his time at the larger firms, he gained extensive knowledge, worked on highly complex situations and used his experience to help many businesses and clients.
In only a short period of time since the inception of his practice, he has built up a client base of over 270 businesses, 400 individuals and more than 80 monthly write-up accounts. With respect to consulting and planning for his clients, he has recently helped secure millions in PPP loan forgiveness and has assisted many others in various credit opportunities with the IRS. Some of his clients include large real estate property groups, over two dozen operating restaurants, mortgage brokers and their agents, manufacturing businesses, professional service companies, family businesses and high-net-worth individuals.
Dean Hogan
Dean Hogan is a Kentucky native who transplanted himself to the vibrant atmosphere of South Florida more than two decades ago. For over seven years, he has been an integral part of the Holman family, specifically in the internet sales department at Holman Honda. Here, he has adeptly merged his passion for customer service with a keen understanding of digital platforms.
Beyond his professional endeavors, Dean is deeply engaged in the Fort Lauderdale community. He actively contributes as a member of The Holman Community Committee, where he plays a pivotal role in selecting sponsorships for local nonprofits. Dean’s commitment to lending a helping hand underscores his belief in making incremental improvements, embodying the ethos of making the world a better place, one step at a time.
Moses Petracco
Moses Petracco grew up in North Jersey and completed his undergrad double major in management and marketing. One month after graduation, he took a leap of faith and started a job in healthcare in South Florida. Fast forward twelve years later and he’s still in South Florida and still in the nonprofit healthcare world. In August of 2021, after a 3-week bout with COVID plus a hospitalization, Moses had an epiphany on how life can be cut short. He then had the pleasure of joining The Backpack Barber Foundation as Director of Fundraising & Sponsorships.
Moses’ barber, Greg Young, had long philosophical talks with him, and their missions for the betterment of the less fortunate aligned beautifully. Greg then offered him a spot on the board. Moses is currently the Sales Manager for the Resnick Assisted Living Facility on the MorseLife Health System Campus in West Palm Beach, FL. He simply loves helping people – young, old and everyone in between. The Foundation really helps him to continue to connect with and learn from South Florida’s most vulnerable populations, which include at-risk youth and the homeless. Thank you, Greg, South Florida and the rest of the foundation for such a wonderful opportunity!
Trudi King
Trudi King has lived in sunny South Florida for most of her life, since 1992. A sincere lover of people, she has a passion for helping others and has loyally served the community on various occasions throughout the years. Trudi has a career of 18+ years in property management and business management. She serves as Director of the Board for the Foundation and provides executive administrative support for the Board Officers.
