Nancy Bolzle: Founder of The Pencil Box, Providing free school supplies to teachers of disadvantaged students

In this episode

In this episode I sit down with my friend and sorority sister Nancy Bolzle, the founder of The Pencil Box — a Tulsa nonprofit that operates like a free store where teachers can "shop" for the school supplies their students need. Nancy shares her path from at-home mom and volunteer to contract lobbyist at the Oklahoma State Capitol, and how that work advocating for children, family, and education planted the seed for what she'd build in retirement.

I love that Nancy leads with a simple conviction: every child deserves a quality education regardless of their ZIP code. She walks us through the sobering numbers — Oklahoma consistently ranks near the bottom for education — and how something as small as a pencil can shape a child's grades, creativity, confidence, and belief in their own possibilities. Since the first distribution in 2015, The Pencil Box has given away $6 million worth of supplies and impacted more than 200,000 students and 1,700 teachers.

We also get honest about what it really takes to start and grow a nonprofit — the years of legwork before the doors ever open, the challenge of funding an organization that gives away tangible product, and how the team pivoted during the pandemic by delivering supplies straight to schools. If you've ever dreamed of turning your passion and purpose into something that serves your community, this conversation is full of encouragement and practical wisdom. Keep going.