Tom Cottar is a native Texan, author, award-winning songwriter, and entrepreneur.

Tom and his wife, Heather, founded Backpack Friends Incorporated in 2018 to combat food insecurity among children in central Texas. They began by feeding 12 children in the Pflugerville ISD and now have fed almost 100,000 children to date across the area. And it’s growing literally by the minute.

With a fierce passion for creating a great community, Tom believes leadership isn’t about being in charge. It’s about caring for those in your charge.

Tom lives in Pflugerville with his wife, two dogs, three kids, and 11 guitars. You can find out more at backpackfriends.com or tomcottar.com, or by following @BackpackFriendsOfficial across social media.