Purpose-Driven Business Summit
Explore the Companies and Changemakers Leading the Purpose Revolution
Featuring speaker insights, company spotlights, and direct links to learn more.
Welcome !
I am so excited to share tips and stories from the variety of entrepreneurs, companies, and causes featured during the Summit I hosted.
I was inspired to create the Purpose-Driven Business Summit to gather founders and thought leaders, have them share their stories and insights, and invite other purpose-driven business leaders, aspiring entrepreneurs and changemakers to attend to be inspired and think about their own next steps.
There are many companies of all sizes out there that have great products or services that are doing real good and creating movements to involve customers in their causes. We may have heard of Toms Shoes or Newman’s Own but too many of us haven’t yet heard about the amazing accomplishments of other purpose-driven businesses. It is exciting to see how much change is happening through these companies and the passion and vision to change the world each founder has. I have long believed that purpose-driven business is the way to effect real change in the world.
Each company’s story of how they address social or environmental challenges is so unique that it will not only inform you about the amazing work these companies are doing but really inspire those of you looking to pivot from whatever they have been doing. You’ll get to see what’s possible to not only earn a living but be a true changemaker, too.
Nineteen founders and thought leaders spoke at the Summit. I hope you will find inspiration for your own business journey and learn which companies to support as they continue their missions of change.
What You'll Find on This Page
- 4Ocean – Alex Schulze
- Alloy Impact – Teresa Desnmore
- Big Purpose Big Impact – Sue Hyatt
- Bokk Baby – Margaret Davidson
- DONEGOOD – Cullin Schwarz
- Generous Coffee – Ben Higgins
- Izzo Associates – Dr. John Izzo
- Kite+Dart Group – Nate Ishe Lappegaard
- Lady Justive Brewing – Betsy Lay
- ONEHOPE Wine – Tiffany Wojtkiewicz
- Regenerative Innovation – Adrian Reif and Mansi Kakkar
- Sarabella Fishing – April Archer
- Savanna Sandals – Kerrie Gill
- Shell Creek Sellers – Melanie Avjean
- Soapbox Soaps – David Simnick
- StartSomeGood – Tom Dawkins
- Takataka Plastics – Paige Balcom and Peter Okwoko
Purpose on Purpose: 24 Real-World lessons to Launch or Grow a Purpose-Powered Business is the summary I put together of key insights from the Purpose-Driven Business Summit condensed into key bite size chunks. Click here to download.
NOTE: The underlined speaker and company names links take you directly to the speaker summary for more detail.
In the section below, each speaker is listed in alpahbetical order with a brief summary of their company and links to the company’s website and social media.
Alex Schulze
Co-founder, 4Ocean
Alex Schulze is co-founder and CEO of 4ocean, a purpose-driven business with a mission to end ocean plastic pollution.
4ocean conducts ocean cleanups daily with crews working globally at operations in Florida, Bali, Haiti and Guatemala. The cleanups are funded entirely through product purchases with one pound of trash removed for every product purchased. As a result, the team has pulled more than 9 million pounds of trash since the company was founded in January 2017.
4Ocean is a purpose-driven business with a mission to end the ocean plastic crisis. Their goal is to clean the ocean and coastlines while working to stop the inflow of plastic by changing consumption habits. They pull one pound of trash from the ocean and coastlines for every product purchased.
Teresa Densmore
Founder
Seven Tips for Securing Funding
Founder and Managing Director of Alloy and former director of Art Restart, a social enterprise providing women experiencing homelessness earned income from their original art.
Just as alloy metals are created by mixing the right elements to forge a material that is stronger than the elements independently, Alloy Impact combines the best elements of the nonprofit sector with business concepts to strengthen nonprofit organizations, drive measurable results, advance missions, and improve communities. They strive to be a trusted advisor to forward-thinking bbusinesses and nonprofit organizations, lifting the sectors as a whole, one client at a time.
Sue Hyatt
Founder, Social Impact Advisor
Tips for Measuring the Impact of Your Purpose-Driven Business
Big Purpose Big Impact has been working with businesses, nonprofits, AmeriCorps programs, and government agencies to design effective approaches to creating social and environmental change and measure their impact since 1995.
Sue is on a mission to empower purpose-driven entrepreneurs and business leaders to leverage their business as a force for good in the world using high impact business strategies. She strongly believes a business is NEVER too small to make a difference when using proven win-win purpose-driven strategies that benefit both the community and the company.
Margaret Davidson
Co-founder
Bokk Baby is a sustainable baby clothing company born out of the belief that businesses can and must be a force for social good and environmental wellbeing. They commit to speaking up about issues that are important to them: inclusive environmentalism, racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights, global reproductive healthcare, and more. And, they are commit to bettering their brand in the process.
Their donation program helps parents easily give back to others and the planet by recycling outgrown baby clothes. They provide packaging and pre-paid labels so parents can donate clothes, blankets, and accessories of any brand from home. They partner with local nonprofits to donate what can be worn again, and responsibly recycle the rest.
Cullen Schwarz
Chief of Good Thoughts
DoneGood makes it easy to shop sustainable and ethically online. They look for brands that “make great stuff and make the world better.” These are ethical, sustainable businesses that create unique products built to last, and are doing so with the production practices that are good for people and the planet.
The DoneGood Shopping Assistant Chrome Browser Plugin automatically notifies shoppers of DoneGood approved brands while we shop on Amazon, Google or other big-name retail websites.
Ben Higgins
Co-founder & President
Ben Higgins and Riley Fuller had a dream to beat the for-profit system, and change the way that people viewed capitalism. As capitalism is a widely accepted religion in the world, Generous was set on a mission to keep the core foundations of capitalism, but to do what they believed capitalism was always meant to do.
Generous is a for purpose business that aims to make the world better with every business decision and believes in the unique value of every human being. Generous invests 100% of profits from their coffee, t-shirts and other products into life-changing work done by non-profits.
John Izzo, PhD
Owner
John Izzo is a businessman, corporate advisor, speaker, bestselling author and an advocate for sustainable living. He is the author of about 60 articles in peer-reviewed and trade publications, a blog columnist for CSRwire and the Huffington Post, and a business columnist for The Globe and Mail newspaper in Toronto.
John was coauthor of The Purpose Revolution: How Leaders Create Engagement and Competitive Advantage in an Age of Social Good. His other books include: Awakening Corporate Soul concerning employee engagement and Values Shift-Engaging, Retaining & Motivating the Multigenerational Workforce which pointed out shifts in the new generation of employees and profiled companies which had made corresponding workplace changes.
Nate Ishe Lappegaard
Owner
Entrepreneurial Activism
Nate Ishe Lappegaard, is owner of the Kite + Dart Group, a firm providing business development strategies for entrepreneurial activists. His perspective is that your activist streak and your entrepreneurial spirit are two sides of the same coin: you’re passionate about what you believe in and you’re ready to make real change.
That’s why you started or want to start your own impact-driven business. Nate and his team have a curated community of entrepreneurs who look and think differently than the status quo. They believe conventional business strategies may not work for everyone—if you’re motivated by impact more than profit, inspired to affect real change, and ready to build a thriving business.
Betsy Lay
Co-Founder
Lady Justice Brewing Company is an L3C, community-based, philanthropic brewery making “Great beer for a better world.” Each of the founders come from a background in public service. They saw the impact that organizations that work with women and girls can make on their communities and knew they wanted to be a part of that story.
“We exist solely to make the world a better place, not to maximize our incomes.” This foundation gives Lady Justice the ability to give back to their communities directly. Organizations that seek their funding go through a traditional granting process. Through events like our community-supported brewing celebrations, they highlight the organizations publicly and give them a space to share their story with a wider community of beer drinkers looking to give back.
The people who support Lady J are not just people who drink our beer, they are also the most wonderful, compassionate, and engaged community. It’s not just donations, it’s people getting involved in issues and organizations, and working to make the world a better place.
Tiffancy Wojtkiewicz
Co-Founder & President
ONEHOPE’s mission is to bring people together to celebrate and serve the world. Each of ONEHOPE’s thoughtfully-crafted products supports a charitable cause, empowering people to do more good through everyday actions. Primarily produced in collaboration with Rob Mondavi Jr., ONEHOPE provides awardwinning wine with a measurable social impact.
Since its launch, more than $2.3 million in donations have been made to help feed the hungry, provide clinical trials for cancer patients, find forever homes for shelter animals, and much more
Adrian Reif
Mansi Kakkar
Regenerative Innovation
Mansi Kakkar identifies as a pattern transcriber and facilitates explorative conversations aimed at regeneration. With 14 years of experience in design and innovation, she has journeyed across the globe, building capacity in innovation labs and addressing some of the most complex challenges facing humanity. This wealth of experience is being woven into her upcoming book, ‘Regenerative Innovation’, set to release in 2021. Mansi is also an artist, dancer, poet, and performer. When she’s not adorning her office wall with post-its, she enjoys creating regenerative memes for fun.
Together with Adrian, she is exploring how to apply regenerative innovation to business models, transforming entrepreneurial self-expression into a powerful act of regenerating nested systems.
April Archer
Co-Founder & CEO
When people seek the embrace of water, it often calls for adventure, joy, or healing. As the CEO of SaraBella Fishing, April passionately guides her customers through the artistry and craftsmanship of fly rod production. She is dedicated to uplifting the local community through meaningful employment, collaboration, and education. At the heart of SaraBella’s mission lies a commitment to women’s rights and the empowerment of women to make a positive impact on the world in intelligent and beautiful ways.
Each unique SaraBella fly rod is crafted with love and meticulous attention to detail by an incredible team of Veterans and resilient Survivors. We proudly welcome all anglers, regardless of race, gender, sexual identity, religion, ethnicity, or the number of fish caught. We celebrate diversity, embrace individuals for who they are, and believe in the power of exploration, conservation, healing, and the joy that comes from outdoor adventure.
Kerrie Gill
Founder
In 2012, during a deployment with the Ohio Air National Guard to northern Africa, Savanna Sandals founder Kerrie witnessed firsthand the impact of pollution and poverty. Discarded tires and plastic bags covered the land, often burned as the only method of disposal—filling the air with thick, toxic smoke. In nearby villages, she saw children walking barefoot or wearing just one shoe, clinging to the idea that “one is better than none.”
Motivated to create change, Kerrie launched Savanna Sandals. Each pair of flip-flops sold helps reduce non-biodegradable tire waste in landfills, while a portion of the proceeds supports African Children’s Haven, improving the lives of children in need.
Melanie Ellis Avjean
Founder & CEO
Melanie, her husband, and their son, a passionate Environmental Science student at CU Boulder, have dedicated themselves to the mission of eliminating single-use plastic. While many people focus on ocean pollution as the primary issue caused by plastic, the production of plastic also wreaks havoc on our ozone layer, impacting our weather patterns. And for a Colorado ski kid, weather is everything!
To make a difference, they founded Shell Creek Sellers, aiming to transform Stainless Steel Straws into a fun and appealing choice for consumers. Their Eco~Bags, adorned with playful and thought-provoking messages, have quickly become a beloved gift item. Remarkably, no plastic is utilized in the manufacturing, packaging, or shipping of their Stainless Steel Straw Sets. Join the movement to be a better human and reduce plastic usage.
David Simnick
Co-Founder & CEO
At SoapBox Soaps, our mission is to empower customers to make a difference in the world through thoughtful, quality purchases. We believe that access to soap can transform lives, which is why we proudly stand by the mantra that Soap equals Hope. To date, we have donated over 7 million bars of soap, delivered 6000 hygiene lessons, and created job opportunities for 30 women through our partnership with Sundara.
David, an Eagle Scout, envisioned founding for-profit companies with a strong social mission at their heart. His journey has led him to serve as an intern or consultant for USAID, the U.S. Army, Michelle Rhee, the U.S. Senate, and to teach with Teach for America in Northern Philadelphia. It all began with David crafting the first batch of soap in his college apartment kitchen while studying at American University. Fast forward eight years, and our products are now available in retailers nationwide, with nearly three million donations made to those in need.
Tom Dawkins
Co-Founder & CEO
Introduction to Social Enterprise and Purpose-Driven Business
As a catalyst for innovation, StartSomeGood is a Certified B Corps based in Sydney, Australia, dedicated to empowering individuals to design and launch impactful social enterprises and projects. Our flagship program, the Good Hustle, spans 10 weeks and is tailored for those eager to transform their careers into purpose-driven ventures that make a positive difference in the world.
We also provide comprehensive crowdfunding support and resources for individuals, groups, and organizations looking to raise funds in an accessible online platform. Donors from around the globe can discover and support these inspiring projects. By democratizing the funding landscape, crowdfunding harnesses the collective power of individuals to bring forth new and innovative ideas.
Paige Balcom
Co-Founder
Peter Okwoko
Co-Founder
Takataka Plastics is locally transforming plastic waste in Uganda into quality, affordable construction materials and face shields. They are creating jobs, improving the environment and public health, and closing a loop in the circular economy.
Takataka (meaning “waste” in Swahili) is providing a recycling service that currently does not exist, creating income opportunities for the arginalized, and reducing environmental and health hazards in places where waste is currently burned or littered. They are developing ground-breaking technology to safely process plastic waste in Uganda, changing people’s mindsets about plastic waste from untouchable, dirty “rubbish” to a potential resource impacting their environment, and creating opportunities for healing for trauma survivors.
Takataka employs trauma survivors and promotes tangible healing through meaningful work and a supportive workplace community. Many in Gulu have experienced levels of trauma due to the LRA war and IDP camps in northern Uganda, and children who live and work on the streets today are vulnerable to child trafficking and violence. One of the vital and often missing parts of healing and prevention is sustainable employment and a healing workplace, so they partner with established care organizations that provide early intervention, basic life skills, and counseling for those who have experienced trauma, exploitation, and human trafficking. By fostering a culture of resilience and empowerment, Takataka is not just addressing the symptoms of waste and trauma but is also building a brighter future for the community. Their innovative approach serves as a beacon of hope, inspiring others to rethink waste as a valuable resource and to engage in meaningful work that uplifts both individuals and the environment.