Afam Onyema
Afam Onyema was born in Chicago, IL in 1979. He graduated from Harvard University (cum laude) and Stanford Law School. While in law school, Afam co-founded the GEANCO Foundation. After…
Good things. That’s a broad category, and that’s on purpose. The founders featured here are building companies and organizations that make the world a little better. Social enterprises. Mission-driven brands. Companies that prove you don’t have to choose between doing well and doing good.
These interviews cover a wide range of impact-focused work. Sustainability. Community development. Social justice. Environmental innovation. Ethical business practices. The kind of work that doesn’t always make headlines but always makes a difference.
What connects these founders is intention. They started companies not just to make money, but to solve a problem they cared about. That doesn’t mean they ignore the business side. The best ones are ruthlessly practical about sustainability. Financial sustainability, that is. Because a mission-driven company that runs out of money helps nobody.
You’ll find conversations about balancing profit and purpose, measuring social impact, building brands that stand for something, and the challenge of staying true to a mission as a company grows. These are founders who believe business can be a force for good. And they’re backing that belief with action.
Afam Onyema was born in Chicago, IL in 1979. He graduated from Harvard University (cum laude) and Stanford Law School. While in law school, Afam co-founded the GEANCO Foundation. After…
Wendy Yates is an entrepreneur and philanthropist dedicated to leading by example as she inspires her team and like-minded leaders to create a culture rooted in value. After dropping out…
Called “crazy or genius” by Forbes, Matthew Manos is an author, educator, and entrepreneur. He is the Founder of verynice, a design strategy practice that gives half of its services…
A unicorn with a brain. A deep-rooted Chicago connector and rainmaker. A pie-in-the sky, free thinking builder-type who gets sh*t done. Not easily pigeonholed: Jacqueline is a University of Chicago…
While it is amazing for brands to give away products or donate a portion of their proceeds on behalf of their customer base, in founding Sock Footage, Marisa Sheff was…
Find a community of people to support you- people that you can laugh and cry with- and that will become champions for you- no matter what. Misty Castañeda is…
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Knowing your why makes you a more productive entrepreneur. Ask yourself, ‘Why am I doing this, and how am I driving positive impact by doing it?’…companies with a strong sense…
Pursue your dreams and aspirations, and then figure out how to make them a reality. Jerry Hildebrand has a varied and extensive background in public service, international and domestic…
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Know all the corners of the industry you operate in and be willing to learn from others. Silas Theophilus Busang Nyembe started engaging in the family business when he was…