By just about any account, Will Allen has had a very successful life. He was the first African American to play basketball at the University of Miami (Fla.). He played professional basketball for a time in the American Basketball Association and in Europe. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami and had a successful career in marketing with the Procter & Gamble Company.

After all those accomplishments, Allen became a pioneer in urban agriculture and runs an organization in Milwaukee called Growing Power, which, according to its website, promotes the “development of Community Food Systems that help people grow, process, market and distribute food in a sustainable manner.” Growing Power is, essentially, a farm in the middle of the city.

Many of our clients conduct business in the agriculture category, and many others are deeply involved in sustainability and environmental management, either as a part of their business model, a social cause or both.

So it’s logical that I’d take particular interest in Growing Power, apart from the fact that our offices are not far from where Growing Power does such wonderful work.

This all is very impressive right? Well, Allen stands to top it all Wednesday evening as a guest of President and Mrs. Obama at a White House state dinner honoring the President of Mexico. Evidently Allen and his development of Growing Power caught the attention and admiration of Mrs. Obama, and the next thing he knew he had an invitation to a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

What those in attendance probably won’t realize is that they have a unique opportunity as well. To meet a man who is helping communities feed themselves. All from a farm in the middle of the city.