Lloyd Lewis is the CEO of the Arc Thrift Stores of Colorado, one of Colorado’s largest nonprofits, employers of persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and relief organizations. Under Lewis’ tenure, Arc Thrift has funded over $250 million to nonprofit causes and charities since 2005.
Lewis is a passionate champion on a crusade to promote a new way of thinking about inclusion and diversity.
Lewis has received the Civil Rights Award and the World Citizenship Award from the International Civitans, an honor that has included such noted past winners as England’s Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Eunice Shriver, the founder of Special Olympics. In May 2024, Lewis was given the Distinguished Alumni Award in Public Service by his alma mater, the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.
Lewis sits on the board of The Arc of the United States Foundation and is treasurer of Inclusion International, a worldwide organization advocating for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, with members in over 100 countries.
Lewis has a 19-year-old son with Down syndrome.
He is the author of Why Not Them?, a book about how the birth of his son transformed his life. In it, Lewis hopes to change the way our communities think about, connect with, and employ people with disabilities.
Why Not Them? is about a purpose-driven organization, arc Thrift Stores, whose mission is the success and inclusion of all its employees, regardless of their abilities. It’s about opening doors, challenging how we do business, and touching hearts and minds.
Written from the perspective of a father and a businessman, it asks us all to join in the fight for inclusion and understanding. It is educational and moving and challenges us – as individuals and as a community – to perhaps look at the world just a little bit differently.