About Tim McCarthy
A quick look at my path — from building wealth to giving it away — and why this journey matters more than the last one.
Tim’s Story
Tim is the 9th of 10 children raised by an MD and a journalist in a small town on Lake Erie. He did 12 years of parochial schools, then wound up at Ohio State where he received his BS in Political Science while working campaigns to pay for school.
After four full time professional years in Michigan politics followed by 10 years in NYC-based advertising agencies, Tim started his own marketing business in 1988. Nineteen years later, he sold that business to private equity. As he wound down that business, he helped his son in 2004 establish the Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers brand in Ohio. Seventeen years and 44 restaurants later, they sold that operations back to the franchisor.
Now, at 73, he is 20+ years into using the wealth gained from these businesses in service via his private 501c3, The Business of Good Foundation. Blessed by 50 years with Alice, three forty-something children and six grandchildren ages 1 to 14, Tim is now back home in a small town on Lake Erie.
Tim’s life and foundation are devoted to advancing economic inclusion — a challenge with real solutions. Through The Business of Good Foundation, he invests in opportunity across three pillars: education, small business entrepreneurship, and social enterprise.
Helping first-generation college students graduate through America Mentors.
Funding coaching and capital for Northeast Ohio entrepreneurs through NEO Fund and ACAP.
Helping mission-driven founders build sustainable businesses through SEA Change.
“I’ve overcome a lot of issues by learning how to compartmentalize; look at the good and the bad dispassionately as possible, then put each where they belong. Think of your life as a two-story home…two thirds of what you need sits on the second floor or the basement”.
What I’m doing with the rest of my life is compiling a knowledge base for others to use
when faced with similar situations that I’ve faced. Tap keywords if situation described is
similar to yours.
1975-1987
Getting and keeping my first job out of college
Changing careers from professional political manager to advertising executive
1988-2007
1988-2007
Morphing my business model from consulting to fulfillment center to database media company
1997-present
Starting a non-profit foundation
Using wealth to build a foundation from $250,000 to $50 million corpus
2003-2021
Starting a business with a family member
Growing a capital intensive business from 1 restaurant to 44
2003-2021
The fascinating story of Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers
2014-present
Planning for another business exit, liquidity event
Using diversification to create long term, stable business
Click the different images to see the pieces of my life come together.
