The Connection Between Success and Social Good: My conversation with Teach for All CEO and Co-founder Wendy Kopp

One of the main reasons I started Never Stand Still was to explore one of my favorite topics: the role that business needs to play in broader society and the connection between businesses doing well by doing good. I am passionate about this topic and have worked with my team to instill these values deep into the DNA of PayPal. Hosting this show is my opportunity to hear from like-minded leaders who have built similar cultures at their organizations; to hear about their challenges and successes; to learn about what they have learned.

This is why, on my latest episode of Never Stand Still (available on Facebook Watch and Apple Podcasts), I was thrilled to catch up with my long-time friend Wendy Kopp, co-founder of Teach for America and current CEO of Teach for All.

When Wendy was at Princeton in 1989, she developed the idea for Teach For America as part of her senior thesis. Though her professor thought it was too ambitious to recruit young teachers straight out of college to work in some of the country’s most disadvantaged school districts, in 1990, at the age of 23, Wendy raised two and a half million dollars to start the program. Today, 7,000 Teach For America college graduates are deployed throughout the United States and Wendy has expanded her focus globally through Teach for All, a network of independent, locally-led organizations that is now in 48 countries around the world.

It was great to reconnect with Wendy, as we’ve known each other for quite some time. In fact, I served alongside her on the Teach for America board years ago and have always learned a great deal from our conversations. Here are some of my takeaways from our Never Stand Still discussion:

1. Nurture peoples’ desire to make a difference. Companies today have to stand for so much more than making money. The making money part is table stakes for running a successful business. But to recruit the very best talent, you also have to stand for something larger and have an inspiring mission. Today’s prospective employees want to work at organizations where they can make a positive difference. Whether in the non-profit sector or in corporate America, I believe all leaders should not only nurture this mindset, but that we have a moral obligation to do so. I was encouraged to hear from Wendy that she’s seeing a rising generation of students around the world who want to be part of something larger. “We're honestly seeing the same movie playing in all these different countries, in terms of just thousands of incredibly talented people who have so many other career options, who are competing to channel their energy in this direction,” Wendy said.
2. Complement critical thinking with positive thinking. One of the biggest pieces of advice I give is to be optimistic. Shakespeare said, "There's nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so," which to me is such a powerful statement about the power of attitude and optimism in how you think about life and work. For Wendy, she learned to be optimistic through many ups and downs in building Teach for America. She told me, “It's just really tough to not always know where the resources are going to come from to keep things moving, to keep paying people's salaries, etc. That's the most existential stuff. And I think in getting through some of the many challenges, one after another, for many years at Teach For America, you gain the sense that with enough perseverance it's going to work out…I internalized a lot of perseverance and optimism from seeing that.”
3. Think big picture when setting future goals. With rapid changes occurring in technology, economies, and culture, it’s important to think big picture when it comes to the future of your business. A couple of years ago, Wendy brought together the Teach for All to network to articulate their vision for the next 25 years. This provides a north star for the entire Teach for All network; one centered on students having the academic skills, awareness and agency to create a better future for themselves and their communities. Wendy continues to go back to that vision as part of regular reflection. “Every week, every month, and every few months, [it’s important to] step back and think on what we need to be doing to get where we're trying to go. I think all those things help us never stand still,” Wendy explained.
4. Have your ear to the ground, listen and evolve. As my martial arts trainer has taught me one too many times, when you stand still, you get hit. Wendy reiterated that change is always constant and that leaders must keep an ear to the ground to stay ahead of trends and evolve with the environment. She also offered an example from Teach for America of a time when they stood still and then had to work even harder to regain ground. After many years of campus recruitment, Teach for America was receiving record-breaking applicant numbers to the tune of 60,000 per year. Corporations quickly realized they were losing talent to Teach for America and began to boost their recruitment efforts by promoting philanthropic opportunities within their organizations and recruiting students during their junior years. This change in approach eventually attracted a portion of Teach for America’s applicant pool and caused a drop in Teach for America applications. “If we had been listening and learning as we are used to doing, and that's really the only way we've gotten where we are now, that wouldn't have happened,” Wendy noted.

I’ve included my full discussion with Wendy below. I hope you enjoy our conversation and, as always, thanks for watching!