John David Graham

When John David Graham was in his 20s, he thought life was a sprint—and it was won only by those who ran fast and reached their goals early. But John soon learned that wasn't the case—not at all.

After a series of too many career detours, it was not until John was 53 that he found his place when he founded Good Samaritan Home, a non-profit helping people restart their lives after prison. John's intent was to offer housing and support to homeless people struggling more than he did. John employed basic business principles from the outset, primarily by asking what is the need in the community. As a result, we have grown from one employee to 10 now and an annual budget of nearly $2m. It is never too late to start over.

At 61, John finished his doctorate. And at 75, after a lifetime of experiences and ten years of writing, John published his debut novel, RUNNING AS FAST AS I CAN, which has garnered 26 awards, including the prestigious 2024 StoryTrade Book Award for debut novel of the year, and the American Writing Awards Fiction Novel Winner for 2024.

John believes it is never too late to change your life—as long as you keep trying. John's motto is that life is a marathon, not a sprint. Always keep running.