For Domonique Gilmer, entrepreneur, educator, and writer, business goes beyond the bottom line; it’s about social impact. As the founder of Acres & A Mule Investments, a social equity firm and a parent company with many verticals within, he helps children and adults grow. Whether through equity consulting, teaching, or offering job opportunities, his mission is clear: to give back to disadvantaged, misrepresented, and underserved communities.
Based in Minnesota with operations nationwide, Acres & A Mule, run by passionate educators, brings a unique fusion of dedication and expertise to the table. All about giving back, the company provides team members, mostly former students and their parents, with opportunities to pursue vocational training, encouraging lifelong learning and constant growth.
Gilmer built King Movers, Queen Cleaners, and Greenwood Acres, three companies under the Acres & A Mule umbrella, on these same values. At Greenwood, Gilmer handles property management and remodeling, with King Movers and Queen Cleaners elevating the process. Though on the surface, moving, cleaning and property management differ significantly, Gilmer connected them to fuel his human-centric goal. “When you acquire, build, or renovate, you need movers’ assistance. But to alleviate the already stressful process of moving, you need the help of cleaners,” he explains. “It’s all about making life simpler.”
This approach also supports Gilmer’s mission to upskill communities and build bridges between the underserved and opportunities. Through his companies, he hopes to provide grants to employees to learn new skills frequently, opening the doors to climbing the ladder. For him, this commitment is personal, rooted in Gilmer’s former career in SPED (Special Education). He understands the importance of empowerment and positive influences firsthand, having witnessed the immense role educators play in the youth’s mindsets.
His entrepreneurial journey has been shaped by the same principles, as Gilmer views every business as a chance to help children and adults learn new skills. With the importance of soft skills becoming more and more evident, he often focuses on problem-solving, communication, teamwork, and other skills alike. Additionally, through Acres & A Mule and its verticals, individuals can expand their skill sets through courses and certificates, for instance, learn how to do electric work, masonry, and even massages.
Established on the pillars of community upliftment, innovative business models, youth development, and urban mobility, Gilmer’s firms don’t react; they respond promptly and with purpose. “We do everything you don’t want to do,” he shares. “And with that, everyone benefits. It’s like a positive circle of growth and communication: I give them my expertise, they give me theirs, and we work together to address every client’s needs effectively.”
Gilmer’s hiring tactics focus on three groups: teens or youth looking to earn money in their free time, adults who already have jobs but need supplemental income, and former and current students. By giving people a chance, Gilmer nurtures not only their business growth but also personal development. “A few of my students have dealt with serious behavioral issues in the past,” he says to offer an example. “Today, they’re some of my best employees, enjoying their lives outside of labels.”
In life and in business, Gilmer leads by the example of his grandma Mary, who, as he recalls, “always gave her all to everybody.” Raised by positive influences who didn’t discriminate, philanthropy has always been central to his life. “Kids will misbehave, they will get lost, and they will make mistakes. I’m not saying it should be ignored, but it should not be a burden they have to carry forever,” he adds. “Because sometimes, all it takes is for one person to give you a fighting chance at success.”
Looking into the future, Gilmer envisions his high-reward endeavor spread nationally, with franchises across the US standing as beacons of hope for all. With a genuine passion for seeing youth and the underserved win, he plans to pass down the business torch to his students, enabling them to hone their leadership skills in an environment that truly supports them.
In a world where entrepreneurship is often nothing but a buzzword, professionals like Domonique Gilmer enrich it with substance, purpose, and authenticity. His ultimate vision? For his empire of King Movers and Queen Cleaners to inspire other entrepreneurs and people of power to simply do good, without compromising the bottom line.
“Business and selflessness can go together,” he reflects. “With a clear business plan and a genuine drive for empowering others, true magic can happen. That’s how tangible impact is born, and that’s how powerful legacies begin. And none of this would have been possible without my wife.”
