Our Story

Bob Chapman is no stranger to community, hard work, and enterprise. With a family history rooted in St. Louis-based manufacturing firm Barry-Wehmiller, Bob grew up respecting the value of good management, creative problem-solving, and business acumen.

Through both business and personal experience Chapman came to realize that managers use people for their own successes while leaders inspire and equip them for the success of all.

Chapman made the conscious choice to stop managing and start leading. Chapman began calling the 7,000 employees in his care “teammates” while fostering a culture where dignity and trust flourished.

True to the new corporate culture he was building, Chapman instituted a training program for budding leaders to learn how to listen empathetically and authentically care for their team members. The manufacturing firm transformed itself into a place where people cared about each other first.

What happened next came as a surprise: graduates of the training program reported that the experience was life-changing, not only in their work relationships but in their personal lives, too. These graduates stated how their experience enhanced their personal relationships, with some mending long-broken relationships or connecting with specific individuals for the first time.

This profound impact on team members’ lives led Cynthia Chapman, Bob’s wife, to a pivotal point– “We have to find a way to share this with the world!” In 2010, the Chapmans offered the first communication skills training program to the community at large, starting in the town of Phillips, WI.

Today, more than 13,000 people worldwide have healed relationships and developed concrete leadership skills through this powerful three-day communication class called “Our Community Listens.” The class, and the Chapman’s foundation, the Chapman Foundation for Caring Communities (CFCC), is changing the definition of leadership while paying homage to the family whose generosity spurred us into being.

Staying dedicated to the mission of creating a society in which people care for each other first, we at CFCC remain committed to creating the relational tools necessary for empathy, authenticity, care, and service to become a part of our everyday lives. With our partners around the world, we continue to write our story in a way that allows us redefine leadership through a more compassionate lens.