The business world has always fascinated me. I was the dork who went to a summer camp for entrepreneurship in middle school. I’ve worked on five new businesses and spent a decade in investment banking and corporate finance. I’m always thinking about innovation.
But, what is more exciting to me than a good start-up is businesses make the world a better place! I am excited to share some of these stories through my new podcast: Consensus in Conversation. Every Thursday, I’ll sit down with entrepreneurs, innovators, problem solvers, and thought leaders across various industries to better understand how different organizations build a more sustainable future while simultaneously pursuing profits and purpose.
Business trends are ever-evolving; this has been particularly evident over the last two years. Upended supply chains, shifting workforce standards, and significant changes in consumer behavior patterns transformed following the onset of COVID, and there is no indication that we are reverting to a pre-pandemic landscape. One fundamental change: employees, customers, and stakeholders are demanding more from companies. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives, once relegated to a handful of companies in niche fields, are now increasing throughout business sectors. More than ever, success is not defined exclusively by profits – companies that look beyond the P&L to purpose and values seem to be experiencing great returns.
New pathways to success are burgeoning, business frameworks are being reconceptualized, and companies are expanding their mission statements beyond the balance sheet. Shareholders aren’t just a company’s investors any longer; a corporation’s positive impact on the climate can add just as much value as escalating sales numbers in today’s financial markets, sometimes directly helping drive sales growth.
As a former investment banker and entrepreneur working in media and tech, I didn’t predict this evolution in business. But, I’m grateful that the coupling of doing good and good business is more widely accepted AND even expected. Join us for Consensus in Conversation as we hear from the businesses and leaders making the world a better and more sustainable place.
