TAMPA — A group of young professionals has formed a special society to give back.

The True North Society is making its mark on Tampa Bay.

When Taylor Wallace launched his first business at 22, grooming dogs was the last thing on his mind. He is more of a “techy.” He sold that company and when COVID-19 hit, his life literally went to the dogs. He and a friend opened Paws n Rec, a day care and grooming service for pups.

It was a career-switch that seemed to help Wallace find his passion - or as he calls it, his “true north.”

He has now launched another venture to help the younger generation find their passion as well.

He formed a society of young professionals who want to give back.

“You hear the adage all the time that the first third of your life you learn, then you earn, then you give back, and we are trying to put the paradigm on its head to tell people at any time you can help someone find their true north,” Wallace said.

Taylor, his dogs and the invitation-only True North Society showed up at the Boys and Girls Club.

The children were happy to see them.

“It’s fun. I like seeing new people,” said eighth-grader Juan Garcia. “I like learning new things. And I like to see everything that’s new in the job industry.”

It was just one stop for these mentors. They volunteer directly with the non-profit Think Big for Kids, helping at-risk youth learn about new career paths.

“This is really just giving kids opportunity and access to things they didn’t even know existed,” said Think Big for Kids volunteer Karen Smreker.

The goal is to break generational poverty.

Taylor never had to deal with that. He had lots of mentors growing up. But he finds it rewarding to give back, teaching children about his career and what it’s like being a business owner.

“What gets me really excited is just exposing them to all the things they can do with their passion and get excited about,” he said.

Whether it's working with pets or technology, he’s just excited to be part of a society dedicated to helping children grow.

The Truth North Society mentors children, offers job shadowing and participates in career talks. There are also scholarships for at-risk children.

The founders are hoping to expand their group of volunteers to cover a wide range of professions.