Matt Pipkin – Founder and CEO of Speak Your Silence
Trust your gut. As an entrepreneur, no one will ever care as much about your work as you do; yet, everyone will have an opinion. It’s so important to trust…
Nonprofits don’t get enough credit for being hard. All the challenges of running a business, plus the added complexity of fundraising, donor management, and proving impact to people who want numbers. The founders in this section have built organizations that tackle real problems. And they’ve done it without the luxury of a profit motive making every decision simple.
These interviews cover the full nonprofit landscape. Education. Healthcare. Environmental. Social services. Arts. Advocacy. The organizations that fill the gaps where business and government fall short. Which is a lot of gaps.
The founders here are honest about the challenges. Fundraising fatigue. Board dynamics. The tension between overhead and impact. The constant pressure to do more with less. And the moments that make it all worth it, which tend to be quieter than the challenges.
You’ll find insights on nonprofit leadership, grant writing, community engagement, measuring impact, and the art of telling a story that makes people care enough to act. If you’re running a nonprofit, thinking about starting one, or working in the social impact space, these conversations offer perspective you won’t find in a management textbook.
Trust your gut. As an entrepreneur, no one will ever care as much about your work as you do; yet, everyone will have an opinion. It’s so important to trust…
Hard work. Hard work. Hard work. I am not the smartest or most charismatic. I rely on hard work. Kenton Lee is the 30 year-old Founder and Executive Director of…
Meet Kenton Lee – Founder and Executive Director of Because International
This is going to sound really boring, but I bring ideas to life by making lists. I’m addicted to making lists. I try to dream big and encourage others to…
Meet Nathaniel Stinnett – Founder and CEO of the Environmental Voter Project
I make a lot of people maps. I like to put the big goal in the middle of my map and then see who I need to involve in accomplishing…
I find someone that shares my enthusiasm and we commit one day per week to the idea, for as long as it takes to get it running. It is a…
[quote style=”boxed”]I don’t settle anymore. Hold out for the best![/quote] Steve Edwards is the founder and president of Global Passion Ministries, a Christian nonprofit that coordinates the logistics of short-term…
[quote style=”boxed”]Come from a place of abundance, and look for ways to give to others.[/quote] Mina Chang is CEO and president of Linking the World, an international humanitarian aid organization…
[quote style=”boxed”]I have lunch or coffee with every member of our team on a regular basis. There is no agenda other than to get their perspectives on how things are…
[quote style=”boxed”]I check in regularly. I trust my staff. I know that they are all here for the mission and not so much the paycheck, but I still check in…
[quote style=”boxed”]Question everything but – at the end of the day – believe in yourself and believe you can do it (whatever that is.) Positive attitude radiates and attracts staff…
[quote style=”boxed”]”Anyone can have a great idea. Though bringing them to life is a team sport.”[/quote] Alex Caredes is a Co-founder of Mailbooks For Good, an innovation in book publishing…
[quote style=”boxed”]Live in California sooner. The entrepreneurial spirit is contagious, particularly in and around San Francisco.[/quote] Bridgett Luther comes to the Institute with a long history of involvement in environmental…
Meet Bridgett Luther – President of Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute