20 Under 40: Robert Grand

Fire Captain and Paramedic, Eugene/Springfield Fire Department

Co-founder, Grand Realty

Age: 39

I believe in creating an environment that builds impactful relationships in our community. Everyone has a duty to their community, it’s up to us to act upon it. I was taught this by my mother, and have channeled this through all of my life. My biggest impact has been from my work as a fire captain for the Eugene/Springfield Fire Department for the past 17 years. Helping people in their moment of need is the greatest service one can have.

It’s this service that first drove my passion to give back. In June of 2017, I started ImpactClub Eugene, which has been my greatest accomplishment. It took courage and faith. Taking it from one member to over 120 has been challenging, but rewarding. As a group, we have donated over $91,000 locally in just 24 months. That’s community and that’s impact!

I have also transformed Grand Realty from a real estate sales company to an impactful business. We invest in deteriorated houses in the Eugene area. We rehabilitate these houses to provide quality rentals to solve a local housing problem. The biggest lessons I have learned from my experiences is to never stop learning and never quit. It takes perseverance to start something and see it through. Quitting is easy, but it’s not as rewarding as overcoming obstacles. Success isn’t easy, it is earned. Focusing our energy on finding solutions forces us to think creatively and grow. It’s that growth that allows us to tackle the societal problems we face.