10 Benevolence Creators: Introducing a New Interview Series

10.

10 is my new magic number. (Still love ya, 3)

10 Benevolence Creator Series interview transcripts in the bag.

10 people who inspire, motivate, and guide me. People I hope to emulate.

There will be more, but for now here are 10.

It felt like the right time to share a bit about these amazing people and preview the interviews to come.

So - in alphabetical order by first name, here are the first 10, including what I learn from them and a quote from our conversation:

Chris Little

Chris Little , Founder of Singlestone & Waypath shows me what it means to have the courage to rigorously apply one’s principles to oneself before anyone else.

On the subject of "Benevolent Business":

“I prefer not to use the word “should” ever, but especially when it comes to “meaning of life” type statements. I believe the orientation of such statements is of love and love does not mandate, love invites.”

Jamie Mueller

Jamie Mueller , Chief Growth Officer at ParsonsTKO shows me what it means to be a selfless leader in business with ZERO agenda and a natural interest in EVERYONE winning.

On the subject of focusing on the people we serve as the keys to success:

“It's been my mission for quite a while to shift the focus away from internal functions to the people organizations serve and help figure out how internal functions can work together to serve those people better.”

Jan Squires, DBA, CFA

Jan Squires, DBA, CFA , Executive Professor, MBA Program, Capital University , shows me what it means to be a leader who advocates for the well-being of the people they lead.

On the subject of internal "Brand Delta" at many organizations:

"When you ask senior leaders and employees to rate the quality of communication and feedback in an organization, leaders will consistently rate it much higher than employees do. There's clearly this perceptual gap. It's really hard to shrink that gap without a very intentional increase in self awareness on the part of leaders."

John Zoltner

John Zoltner , Global Lead, Protection from Digital Harm / Sr Advisor, Technology for Development and Innovation at Save The Children US shows me how much the power of humility combined with deeply considered purpose can accomplish.

On the subject of personal experience creating shared fulfillment at work:

“My first work experience after university hooked me on the possibility of doing social good that's really meaningful, but also connecting with the people who you're working with in a way that feels authentic and that can create a personal change in those people as well as in you.”

Kimberly Fogg

Kimberly Fogg , Founder & CEO of Global Sustainable Partnerships shows me how positive energy and open-hearted belief in the goodness of people can make amazing things happen.

On showing organizations how to reinvest resources in communities:

“If you don't go into the community, you don't have community trust, and people aren't going to allow you to come in and partner with them. We've got to go into the community and ensure people see we're there to invest in them.”

Marcia Roeder

Marcia Roeder , Co-Founder of Matz & Roeder Consulting shows me how treating every person you meet with warmth and joy can take you very far in life, no matter where you start or how windy your path.

On how corporate giving has evolved in a positive direction:

“Corporate Social Responsibility has evolved into people taking a look at ESG’s (Environmental, Social, & Governance) and the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) and asking, “Who are we?”, “What are we as a brand?”, “What do we stand for?”, “How do we want to make a difference in the world?”. It didn’t originally start out that way.”

Philip Deng

Philip Deng , Cofounder and CEO at Grantable is showing me an example of combining lived experience with human-centered technology to solve real issues for real people.

On how building positive technology requires the right foundational principles:

“We're trying to find systems, ways to power human creativity with less and less pollutants, less and less toxicity. And so I think we have to keep innovating not just in terms of technology, but in terms of systems and philosophies.”

Tara Ryan, CPC

Tara Ryan, CPC , CEO/Founder at InfiniDEI shows me how authentic relationship building grounded in helping can be the key to success and fulfillment in business and life.

On the subject of gaps between company values and personal experience:

“That's when people feel stuck in their career because they realize, “Wait a second, I'm supposed to feel like there's transparency here. I'm supposed to feel like there's collaboration here. I'm supposed to feel all these values, and I don't feel them at all.”

Tim Sarrantonio

Tim Sarrantonio , Director of Corporate Brand, Neon One shows me that unbridled enthusiasm is a feature, not a bug.

On the subject of designing a powerful generosity experience:

“There should be more conversations between nonprofits, the people they serve, and the people that donate to them. We don't hear enough of those exchanges and those interactions. Ultimately the most important thing is making everything accessible.”

Trina (Bogle) Willard

Trina (Bogle) Willard , Founder and Principal Consultant, Knowledge Advisory Group , shows me that by leaning into one’s humanity while wrestling with data and technology, one can generate transformative impact.

On the subject of finding the humanity in your data:

“Data aren’t just numbers. Each data point tells us something about the human experience in the form of a memory, an emotion, a behavior, or even an aspiration. This is the critical foundation that guides my work every day.”

Now begins the work to refine these into a shareable form, with gratitude to these people and you who are on this journey with me. In the meantime, inviting you to connect with these 10 Benevolence Creators!

Interested in a conversation about the Benevolent Business Model, Brand Leadership, HubSpot , or anything else? It's all about making friends and building community. Please reach out to me?HERE .