CAO founder Jordan D’Silva in 2017 working with kids as part of a Student Heroes project. Student Heroes is the organization that inspired D’Silva to co-found CAO.Community Action Organizers (CAO) was created in February 2019 by University of Oklahoma graduates Jordan D’Silva and Martha Nguyen as a way to empower Dallas residents to start service initiatives in their own communities.
Jordan and Martha were previously leaders of a college service organization called Student Heroes which enabled college students to work with city leaders, nonprofits, and citizens on real-world community projects. Student Heroes quickly grew from its inception in 2017 to have over 200 active members and 25 completed projects by the beginning of 2019.
This model of volunteerism and community impact is now the same driving force behind Community Action Organizers.