UNCOMMON CONSTRUCTION’S BOURBON STREET BENEFACTOR RENEWS $300,000 SUPPORT 10 YEARS LATER

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Contact: Mary Bliss McCrossen

504-421-1792

marybliss@uncommonconstruction.org

 

10 YEARS AFTER A CHANCE ENCOUNTER ON BOURON STREET, PHILANTHROPIST BROOK T. SMITH RENEWS HIS TRANSFORMATIONAL DONATION TO LAUNCH NONPROFIT’S NEXT DECADE OF IMPACT

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana, November 13, 2025—Ten years ago this week, a chance encounter on Bourbon Street led to a transformational $300,000 gift to unCommon Construction in the organization’s first year. Now, the organization’s “Bourbon Street Benefactor,” Brook T. Smith is renewing that donation with another $300,000 donation.

Since that meeting, the New Orleans-based nonprofit has validated a new model for workforce development that hires cohorts of high school students - called “apprentices” - for an on-the-job training program that positions them as leaders of themselves, each other, and adult partners on day-to-day construction projects. unCommon’s holistic “earn-and-learn” program provides apprentices with soft and technical skills, hourly pay, school credit, and the opportunity to earn scholarships based on their earnings and attendance.

“The way that unCommon Construction has taken shape over the past decade is nothing short of spectacular,” said Smith. “Its impact is far-reaching, with so many wonderful outcomes. The elements of unCommon are unique - on the job training that gives young people skin in the game with a share of the revenue in these projects, which are also investments in each other and their community. The diverse impact it has had locally and nationally is really unprecedented and is changing the game for education, workforce, construction, and more. The best is clearly yet to come.”

As the legend goes, unCommon’s founder, Aaron Frumin, ventured to Bourton Street on a Sunday afternoon after losing a bet to sing karaoke with out-of-town guests. On a pitstop at a nearby dive bar, he had a happenstance meeting with Smith, an entrepreneur and philanthropist visiting from Louisville, KY. In their initial conversation, unCommon’s mission and emerging impact struck a chord for Smith, inspiring him to make a $50,000 commitment to the organization. Over the course of several months, Frumin invited Smith to become more immersed in the nonprofit's work, resulting in him multiplying that gift by six “to send unCommon into orbit.”

“It’s a different spin than, ‘Let’s teach people construction,’” Smith said about his first gift to unCommon. “It’s more thoughtful. It’s not all about how you use a hammer - it’s how you’re interacting with someone else and thinking ahead and strategy. It’s time to put the wind in the sails of those that are making a difference in the world.”

The gift was the catalytic investment that fueled the organization’s growth from just 15 apprenticeships in 2015 to 100 in 2025. Over that time, unCommon has hired students for more than 550 apprenticeships, earning them more than $715,000 in wages and scholarships. The program’s success has also garnered national support and partnership from philanthropic funders such as the Catalyze Challenge, the Yass Prize, corporations such as Wolverine Boots, Lowe’s, and Sherwin-Williams, and workforce development advocates such as Mike Rowe.

“From a chance meeting on Bourbon Street to a decade of partnership, Brook has been part of unCommon’s story from the very beginning,” said Aaron Frumin, Founder & CEO of unCommon Construction. “His belief in our apprentices and in this work gave us the confidence to take big swings early on, and his renewed support today helps launch us into our next chapter. Brook’s trust and partnership remind us how far we’ve come — and how much more we can build together.”

Original 2015 story

About unCommon Construction
unCommon Construction (uCC) is a nonprofit that empowers youth with the skills, networks, and resources to lead the workforce. Through their construction apprenticeship program, high school students earn hourly pay, scholarships, and school credits by working alongside a diverse team of peers, educators, and industry professionals to build a house or other construction project. Through hands-on training, leadership opportunities, and professional development, uCC prepares students to succeed in the construction industry and beyond. Since its founding in 2015, uCC has created more than 550 apprenticeship roles that have collectively earned over $600,000 in net pay and scholarships. uCC is headquartered in New Orleans where they recently opened the unCommon Campus to expand their programming to adults and youth of all ages. To learn more, please visit http://www.uncommonconstruction.org/, or visit our social media accounts on LinkedIn, Instagram or Facebook (@uncommonconstruction). 

About Brook T. Smith

Brook Smith lives in Louisville, Kentucky. After graduating from Clemson University with a degree in finance, he returned to Kentucky and launched a career in the insurance industry, specifically surety, as a broker with his agency Smith Manus (now Acrisure) and as a risk-taker when a partner in Lexon Insurance Group (sold to Sompo). He is a serial entrepreneur and big supporter of numerous philanthropic endeavors. He started owning and racing horses 20 years ago, but has been most active in recent years primarily through his Rocket Ship Racing, winning a handful of stake races while having several runners graded stakes placed. Most recently, Brook joined Coolmore and their connections and is a co-owner of the Breeders’ Cup Classic winner, Sierra Leone.