Bronner Group works primarily in public housing, and education, sectors where constituents are largely people of color, yet no one in their office reflects the end-recipient of the services / 'solutions' offered to education and housing clients by Bronner.
While everyone in the office is well educated, and eager to read on new techniques to implement in the daily work, there is a lack of 'real knowledge' of what is going on in the communities being served, the history of the communities being served, and the underlying social and historical drivers of issues in these communities.
- Internal operations and culture are completely opposite of external brand. For example: Bronner is not open to Section 3 hiring due to stigmas of quality of employees coming out of Chicago public housing. The company would rather pay a fee than train up people, but Bronner works with housing authorities to increase self-sufficiency in PH residents. Internally however, it does not want to contribute to those training and education opportunities.
- Utilizing prominent figures in Chicago education to spread education reform across the country, even though many of the fiscal, charter, and overall curriculum models have not, or have barely succeeded long -term in Chicago
- The company uses its minority employees as 'tokens' to show potential business clients that Bronner has someone who looks like, and understands the people. To the point where, PoC within the firm are stretched thin
- Lack of clear organizational structure as leadership transitions creates directional voids and mis-communications which may interfere with deadlines and client deliverables.
- Poor benefits, minimal contribution to long-term savings, minimal PTO
