My name is Henry Ganzorig, and I am a senior at UC Berkeley studying Political Economy and Data Science. But before I was a student, I was a kid who grew up watching my dad work in the trades. That is where I learned that the backbone of this country is not polished boardrooms or flashy tech startups. It is hard-working men and women who build, repair, and keep America moving forward. The trades represent everything the United States stands for: grit, independence, and the dignity of honest work.

What pains me is seeing how contracting companies exploit that hard work. Too often, they take 20 to 40 percent of the pay from skilled tradespeople while inflating costs for customers. These companies do not swing a hammer, wire a home, or pour a slab of concrete, yet they pocket the biggest share. That is not just unfair. It is broken.

O'Henry TradeHub was created to cut out the middleman. This is a direct-to-consumer platform where customers connect directly with certified, experienced tradesmen without paying unnecessary markups. Workers earn more, customers pay less, and the value of labor stays where it belongs: with the people who actually do the work.

This is more than just a business. It is a passion project. My mission is to employ as many hard-working Americans as possible while pushing back against the tide of automation and the AI takeover that threatens to erase traditional jobs. Technology should serve people, not replace them.

O'Henry TradeHub is about fairness, freedom, and opportunity. We are here to create a system where honest work is rewarded, families can thrive, and communities can grow stronger through affordable, quality trade services.

We are just getting started, but the vision is clear:

• Empower workers by giving them control over their income.
• Lower costs for customers who deserve affordable, honest work.
• Preserve the trades as the foundation of American strength, resilience, and independence.

This is the fight of our time, and O'Henry TradeHub is proud to lead it.

And this is only the beginning. Our goal is to bring as many people as possible onto our new app platform, SkillBlu, launching in late December. We are starting right here in Roseville, but the mission is to expand far and wide. SkillBlu is designed to give skilled tradesmen the ability to become freelancers and work for themselves. No more companies. No more middlemen.

The platform will accommodate any budget, distinguishing workers by experience level while letting customers and tradesmen communicate directly. A transparent rating and review system will ensure accountability, rewarding the best workers and weeding out those who do not measure up.

SkillBlu is also a one-stop shop for anything trade-related. No more endless deep dives on Google trying to find unaccountable contracting companies that do sub-par work on the homes and properties you have worked so hard to get. With SkillBlu, you will have direct access to trusted, reviewed tradesmen who are committed to delivering quality work every single time.

SkillBlu is not just an app. It is the future of work in the trades. A future where workers take home what they have earned, customers get affordable and reliable service, and America's backbone, the trades, remains strong.