Meet Donovan Richard | Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Donovan Richard and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Donovan, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
Our business journey began somewhat unexpectedly. As real estate investors, we (Donovan and Bryant) initially transformed some of our properties into group homes. Our intention was to create transitional housing for individuals in our community who had fallen on difficult times, were coming out of inpatient facilities, were experiencing homelessness, or just needed support while getting back on their feet.
What we didn’t anticipate was the deeper need we would uncover. As we worked closely with our residents, we noticed a concerning pattern: many were struggling with significant mental health challenges and weren’t receiving adequate professional care. For most of us, witnessing someone experience a mental health crisis firsthand was eye-opening and profoundly moving.
These experiences revealed a critical gap in our community’s support systems. We saw firsthand how proper mental health care could be the difference between someone successfully reintegrating into society or continuing to struggle.
This realization became our calling. We recognized that our community needed more comprehensive mental health services that were accessible and compassionate. That understanding ultimately led us to establish HomeRoots Wellness, an outpatient mental and behavioral health clinic dedicated to serving individuals of all ages.
Our name, HomeRoots Wellness, reflects our foundational belief that healing begins with creating a sense of belonging and stability—the very things we initially sought to provide through our group homes. Now, we’re able to address the deeper roots of our clients’ challenges through professional mental health services while maintaining that same commitment to creating a supportive community.
What began as a real estate venture evolved into a mission-driven healthcare business born directly from witnessing the needs in our community and feeling compelled to address them. The one thing that has stuck out the most is that mental health challenges don’t target any specific socioeconomic status. Anyone can be affected.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Our Business Journey: HomeRoots Wellness
HomeRoots Wellness is an outpatient mental and behavioral health clinic dedicated to providing compassionate care to individuals of all ages in our community.

What Sets Us Apart
What truly sets us apart is our unique origin story and approach to care. Unlike traditional clinics that began with a purely clinical focus, HomeRoots emerged organically from our work in transitional housing. This foundation gives us a holistic understanding of how environmental factors, stability, and community support intersect with mental health. We see the whole person, not just their diagnosis.
We’ve created a space that intentionally feels nothing like a typical medical facility. Our clinic environment is designed to feel welcoming and homelike—reflecting our belief that healing happens best in spaces where people feel safe and comfortable.

Most Proud Of
We’re most proud of the work we are doing in the community with other organizations to provide the best posssible continuum of care for our patients. These moments validate our mission and remind us why we started this journey.

Our Journey & Challenges
Transitioning from real estate investors to healthcare providers wasn’t easy. We faced significant challenges in navigating healthcare regulations, insurance credentialing, and establishing clinical credibility in a field where we didn’t have traditional backgrounds.
The learning curve was steep, and there were moments when the financial investment and regulatory hurdles nearly derailed our vision. We overcame these challenges by surrounding ourselves with experienced healthcare professionals who believed in our mission, investing heavily in proper training and certification, and staying deeply connected to the “why” behind our work.

Lessons Learned
The most important lessons we’ve learned include:

The power of starting with “why” – Our purpose has sustained us through difficult decisions and challenges
The value of lived experience – Our background in housing gives us unique insights into community needs that many clinicians never see
The importance of humility – Being willing to learn from experts while contributing our unique perspective has created something truly special.

What We Want the World to Know
At its core, HomeRoots Wellness represents the belief that healing is possible when people feel seen, supported, and connected to community. Our story demonstrates that meaningful innovation often happens at the intersection of different fields—in our case, housing and healthcare.

We want people to know that sometimes the most transformative business ideas come from simply paying attention to unmet needs in your community and having the courage to address them, even when it means venturing into unfamiliar territory.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Terry Black’s BBQ, Stock Yards, Sundance Square, Cylde Warren Park, Texas Live, Fort Worth Zoo. Take the trolley through Uptown Dallas, stopping at different eatery and drink spots. If you love crawfish, you have to go to Nate’s in Addison.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
We absolutely recognize that HomeRoots Wellness wouldn’t exist without the support of several key people and organizations who deserve recognition in our story.

First and foremost, we want to shout out our earliest residents in our transitional housing. Their courage in sharing their mental health struggles opened our eyes to a greater community need and ultimately inspired our entire business model. Their trust in us during vulnerable moments gave purpose to our work.

We must acknowledge the mentorship of Marques Singleton and Nicole McCance, experienced behavioral health professionals who guided us through the complex process of establishing a proper mental health clinic. Their expertise and willingness to share knowledge was invaluable as we navigated unfamiliar healthcare regulations and best practices.

Our families deserve enormous credit for supporting us through the uncertainty of pivoting from real estate to healthcare. Especially Donovan’s wife, Brittnay. Her belief in our vision gave us the confidence to take this significant professional risk.

WestAid Food Pantry provided critical early partnerships that helped connect us with clients who needed our services most. Their collaborative spirit helped us establish credibility in the mental health space.

Finally, we’re indebted to the book “The Power of Unlimited Imagination” by Neville Goddard, which transformed our approach to possibility thinking and manifestation. This resource helped us envision what our clinic could become and inspired us to create healing spaces that transcend traditional healthcare models. The book’s emphasis on the power of focused thought and visualization continues to guide how we approach both business growth and client healing journeys.

Website: https://www.homerootswellness.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homeroots_wellness/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hrwellness1