Across the United States, the dreams of countless individuals with special needs are often overshadowed by the harsh reality of underemployment. In 2023, the unemployment rate for disabled people was, on average, a record low of 7.2%. Yet disabled people actively seeking work still struggled to obtain employment at much higher rates than nondisabled people, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Some say that employers may think people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are less likely to be able to grasp training or will be out more often, but this is not true. This lack of opportunity limits their financial security and hinders their sense of purpose and social connection.
Roderick Batson, serial entrepreneur and owner of Howdy Homemade Ice Cream, has dedicated his businesses to serving people living with special needs, not just with delicious treats but with life-changing opportunities for inclusion and empowerment. Through his approach, Batson is scooping up a brighter future for Houston’s special needs community, one meaningful job at a time.
Batson’s journey to his purpose began after the passing of his cousin with Down Syndrome. It sparked a desire to create a world where individuals with disabilities could thrive and actively contribute their unique talents.
The Defender spoke with Batson to learn about the work he is doing in the community.
Defender: Your dedication to serving Houston’s special needs community is remarkable. What inspired you to embark on this path?
Batson : I graduated with a college degree in sociology and a master’s in mental health psychology. I never imagined owning multiple businesses. I came from a middle-class family. My mother was a teacher, and my dad was a biomedical engineer. I grew up being two hardworking individuals, but not per se business owners. Yes. My dad tried to dibble and dabble with various side hustles to make a passive income. Some may have been successful, and some may have not, as it all happens with all of us. But I didn’t have experience with being around entrepreneurship. I always wanted bigger things in life. I knew that to have those things, I had to think outside the box. My drive to travel outside of Houston and see things outside of what I was shown as a kid inspired me to explore avenues.
Defender: You’ve launched multiple businesses. How did this prepare you for the community work you’re currently doing ?
Batson : My very first company was called Caliber Avant Solutions in 2016. It’s a medical implant company. I worked as an investigator for Child Protective Services. I started another venture called Surgery Center Solutions. And that company is about helping surgery centers become more efficient through various software programs we’ve developed. From there, I saw a need within the community to bridge the gap between minorities and mental health services. It took off pretty well until COVID-19 slowed the medical space down.
I had to start thinking outside of the box. I did some soul-searching and realized God blessed me with two companies that generate a lot of income, but I want to return to my roots. I love the feeling I had when I was an investigator, even though I only made $45,000 a year. I didn’t feel fulfilled in the medical space, making millions of dollars. Who am I helping besides my pockets and interest? That’s how Howdy’s homemade ice cream came about. I had a cousin from the Third Ward who had Down syndrome, and he passed away during COVID. I always wanted to do something for the less fortunate. And I was in a position where I had a lot of liquid. I had two thriving companies, and it was my calling to give back now.
Defender: How were you able to finally build your team and grow the ice cream shop?
Batson : During COVID-19, I saw on TV the founder of Howdy, Tom Landis, in Dallas, talking about closing the doors of the ice cream shop he started. It was just one store because COVID-19 had depleted his funds. He was paying all of his employees during that pandemic.
And he ran out of money, essentially. He said it’s been a nice five-year run, but I will close the doors. So, I called him and offered him a check to bring that concept to Houston in memory of my little cousin. And I didn’t know how the community would embrace it, but I didn’t care. If my overhead is X dollars, I’ll pay it out of my pocket as my way of sewing back to the community. It would give those individuals a chance to work and be highlighted.
And then it gave my sister, a teacher at the time, a chance to get out of that public school system that she dreaded. It forces teachers to teach the test and not focus on what kids need to learn to thrive. The politics killed my sister’s joy. The ice cream shop gave my sister a chance to get into a teaching setting outside of a classroom where she could teach kids with disabilities how to count currency, serve ice cream, greet people, shake hands, retain information, and all the soft skills she taught them. On top of that, it allowed Houston to have an opportunity to see these individuals because I had to see my cousin and all the amazing things that he exemplifies, but I knew the community hadn’t. I brought it to Katy, and I didn’t know if people would come out. In the first week, I don’t think there were fewer than 50 to 75 people in line daily. It was kind of unreal.
Defender: What else have you been able to accomplish since then?
Batson : Everything I do is based on helping others. I have Katy Angels, a nonprofit, but one hundred percent of the money I raise goes back to the community. I did a gala in February. We raised $130,000. And that same night, we returned it to children’s and battered women’s shelters. I opened an ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) called Essential Speech and ABA for kids with autism. It’s a clinic where they get behavioral, occupational, and speech therapy.
Defender: How important is networking and collaboration in this journey?
Batson : Howdy has been the biggest blessing because of the amount of unique and diverse individuals that I’ve been able to meet through that venture. The bigger point is I’m just trying to be a pioneer to show people that this group of individuals deserves a chance. It just gives these heroes I’ve employed a chance to be seen. When they get to go to stadiums, when they get to go to schools, when they get to go to Carnivals, all the various events we do in the community, it allows them another opportunity.
If you remember, in school, they segregate this population. They’re in certain classrooms. They don’t get to integrate and interact with, quote-unquote, the normal kids. Because of that, normal kids don’t know how to interact with them. So that’s the bad part. So, when you see these people in public, you’re like, do I speak to them? Do I look at them? Do I say hi? Do I not say hi? Am I supposed to be grossed out if one of them coughs? You don’t know how to act.
That’s why we slowed everything down in the ice cream shop. It’s not transactional, it’s interactional. We have people sit down and interact with them, play games with them, and eat ice cream with them. You can see that you have more in common than you do differently. They have a lot of abilities, and they are some of the most amazing people. But if you never experienced it, you’re just going by the stereotype. The networking piece is amazing because it allows me to shake hands with people from various walks of life to profess my message and show them what I’m doing, which may inspire them to give a person an opportunity they may not have had before.
