Cool People, Good Work: Shea Serrano

Cool People, Good Work (CPGW) highlights people and institutions doing meaningful work to uplift their communities. Today, that spotlight is on Shea Serrano.

Shea, a proud San Antonio native, is the author of several New York Times bestsellers, including The Rap Year Book, Basketball (and Other Things), and Movies (and Other Things). He’s written for The Ringer, co-hosts the podcast Six Trophies with Jason Concepcion, and even co-created the sitcom Primo. His latest project, Good Movie, offers film critiques that infuse clips with a running commentary style that makes re-watching them fun once again.

Clearly, Shea is accomplished—and because he writes about basketball, rap, and movies, he’s right up our alley at IndiWealth. His approach on Good Movie (along with his appearances on The Rewatchables, another favorite) has inspired our own Stocks and Flicks podcast. More than that, we admire how he communicates ideas simply, and with a sense of fun.

But the real reason for this profile is the FOH Army—and the good work it’s done, both publicly and quietly.

Like Shea, we’ll stick to the first rule of FOH: we don’t talk – too much – about FOH. (Supporting Shea’s work is a good way to find your way in.) What we can say is that membership often leads to unexpected emails about Shea’s side projects—digital books, a Prison Mike bookmark (a personal favorite in my house), or something else entirely. Just as often, it means jumping in to support strangers in need.

Some of the Army’s mobilizations:

• 2017: Hurricane Harvey relief—over $130,000 raised in one night.
  
• 2020: COVID relief—over $65,000 in three days, sent directly to individuals with bills.
  
• Ongoing: Many, many individual acts, from funding a quinceañera to sending a student to Turkey to teach English.

These efforts usually come in one of two forms:

1. A direct ask—“Here’s someone we can help, are you in?”—with immediate, overwhelming response.
   
2. A misdirect—Shea asks for support on a small project, only to reveal later that the funds went to a person or cause in need. Usually he tells us we were suckered into doing it – and no one complains. 

Supporting Shea is easy because he’s creative and funny. The bonus is knowing that, often, your support might be used to lift someone else up. It’s philanthropy in guerrilla style—immediate, unpolished, and very effective.

That mix of humor, generosity, and community is why Shea Serrano belongs in Cool People, Good Work.