Scott launched a nonprofit five years ago, with an ambitious plan: to build a bridge over the Anacostia River. If he is successful, in 2019 there will be a $45 million, three-acre park connecting long-divided neighborhoods Anacostia with Capitol Hill. We talked to him about how he's turning this vision into a reality, and what it takes to build an organization to accomplish such an audacious goal.

The idea was first hatched by Harriett Tregoning, the former Director of the Washington D.C. Office of Planning. She recruited Scott to see if it would be feasible to transform an old freeway bridge into a park and activate the large amount of green space along the underused river. The bridge would serve four ambitions: improve the health of local residents by providing access to safe places to play in the adjacent neighborhoods; re-engage residents with the Anacostia River; stitch together the city; and become an anchor for equitable and inclusive development in an often neglected part of the city.

Before embarking on this quest, Scott worked in museum education for 20 years, most recently as Vice President for Education at the National Building Museum. But he left all that behind to form an organization to build the bridge.

Now you can find him, or one of his staff, out most evenings, engaging with the community and raising community support and funding for the project. According to Scott, building a nonprofit is all about building trust, and jealously guarding your time.