Purpose 360 with Carol Cone

Interface has some of the most ambitious climate goals in business, and is achieving them by deeply integrating purpose and sustainability throughout the organization. While Interface may not be a company you’ve heard of, you might step on its products every single day.  Founded by Ray C. Anderson in the 1970s, Interface designs and manufactures modular commercial flooring, including a revolutiona...

For many of us, issues like malnutrition or access to clean water are difficult to fathom. For the team at Action Against Hunger, a global nonprofit, these issues are part of their daily work —and the lives of millions of children hinge on how successfully they carry out their purpose.  Action Against Hunger’s work has always been critical, but recent data from the State of Food Security and Nutri...

“We are at this crucial juncture where we really have to decide if we're going to live together in harmony and in sync with planet Earth or if we become one of the statistics of extinguished species. I know which side of history I want to be on.” Paul Polman: influencer, business leader, campaigner, and one of the pioneers of the stakeholder capitalism movement. From creating the Unilever Sustaina...

No one wakes up on a Saturday morning eager to purchase garden and lawn control products, and ScottsMiracle-Gro knows that. Consumers buy these products to use on something that they enjoy — their vegetable garden, their flowers, or the lawn their kids play on. That’s why ScottsMiracle-Gro’s purpose is to bring goodness to every person and every patch of the Earth. This applies to the next generat...

Many people are familiar with Kiva.org’s crowdfunded microloans, which support more than 3.5 million entrepreneurs worldwide. Fewer know the extent of Kiva’s efforts to expand financial access to help underserved communities thrive. Today, the international nonprofit promotes innovations in financial inclusion through Kiva Labs, helps countries build more inclusive financial systems with Kiva Prot...

It’s fitting that the 100th episode of Purpose 360 features an organization helping more businesses be a force for good. Founders Pledge, a nonprofit organization with a mission to “empower entrepreneurs to do immense good,” leverages a unique model to enable founders to direct a portion of personal proceeds to vetted charities and initiatives. To talk about Founders Pledge and the incredible impa...

It’s hard to go a day—and for some, even an hour—without interacting with a Google product or service. The global internet company, which is best known for its flagship search console but now sells everything from education software to smart home speakers, has another, lesser-known arm: Google.org. Google.org is aimed at bringing “the best of Google to help solve some of humanity’s biggest challen...

When something happens to a US Bank customer or their community, the company takes it personally. It’s that ethos that drove US Bank and its leadership to respond to the impacts of COVID-19 and tragedies like the murder of George Floyd with heart and empathy. From caring for employees and their families to investing in minority-owned businesses, US Bank continuously puts the needs of its stakehold...

The pandemic has brought us face-to-face with the reality that today’s world can be volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. As a result, brands are faced with the responsibility to not only work to better understand the deep human needs we have individually, as communities, and as a society at large, but also be helpful in ways that are meaningful. To learn more about what it takes to create...

From employer vaccine policies to shareholder activism, JUST Capital continues to rank and report on the companies, leaders, and trends advancing the stakeholder capitalism movement. As the leading voice in ‘just’ business behavior, JUST Capital is a nonprofit organization with a mission to equip the market with the data, tools and insights to deliver on the promise of an economy that works for al...

Last year, the pandemic wrought disruption on workforces around the world. Now, as corporate offices welcome employees back, HR and people managers face new and unprecedented challenges. With 488,000 employees in 46 countries, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has proven to be a case study in how to navigate uncertainty, with the company experiencing its lowest attrition rate in history, employees i...

This fall, employees around the world will return to offices and desks they may not have seen for 18+ months. Not only will they face a physical transition—trading familiar work-from-home routines for workspaces that will either look like time capsules or be redesigned to accommodate distancing—but many will face mental and emotional barriers. Returning to offices and the human-to-human interactio...

This fall, employees around the world will return to offices and desks they may not have seen for 18+ months. Not only will they face a physical transition—trading familiar work-from-home routines for workspaces that will either look like time capsules or be redesigned to accommodate distancing—but many will face mental and emotional barriers. Returning to offices and the human-to-human interactio...

Vitamin Angels is a nonprofit organization that seeks to combat malnutrition by providing lifesaving vitamins to the most vulnerable and often overlooked individuals: pregnant woman, new mothers, infants and children under 5. Globally, Vitamin Angels serves 60 million mothers and children each year, in 65 countries and every U.S. state.  To talk about the organization’s genesis and growth, we welc...

CECP, or Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose, is a CEO-led coalition that believes a company’s social strategy – how it engages with key stakeholders including employees, communities, investors, and customers – determines company success. A critical component of CECP’s work involves measuring and benchmarking cutting-edge work in CSR and purpose, from overall corporate philanthropy to volunteer...

“Business as usual” is no longer viable—the landscape has changed, the definition of success has shifted, and the responsibilities of a business now land far beyond merely generating profit. It’s this thesis that frames the insights in a new book called The Six New Rules of Business. To talk about these insights and more, we welcomed to the show author Judy Samuelson, Founder and Executive Directo...

By bringing neighbors together, we can cultivate a kinder world, where everyone has a community they can rely on. That’s the idea behind Nextdoor, the growing social network for neighborhoods and the people, businesses, and organizations that make them unique.  To talk about how Nextdoor brings purpose home, and how the platform played a critical role in COVID-19 response, we welcomed to the show...

Since pioneering personal computing, Microsoft has continued to push the boundaries of innovation through its growing suite of products and services. With more than 75 million customers, 160,000 employees, and presence in 190 countries, Microsoft is truly a technology behemoth. So, it’s no surprise that the company has a long list of global social impact commitments, ranging from digital inclusion...

Not many consumers know that American Express pioneered modern cause marketing. In 1983, the company launched a breakthrough campaign to support the restoration of the Statue of Liberty. (Even fewer know that American Express launched its very first employee giving campaign in 1885!) Since then, the company has continued to evolve as an outstanding corporate citizen. To talk about American Express...

At Unreasonable, impatience is a virtue. That’s because the most pressing social-global challenges of our day require immediate action, and the relentless pursuit of solutions can literally save lives.  This week, we continue our conversation with Daniel Epstein, founder of the Unreasonable Group, an organization working to solve some of the world’s toughest challenges by investing in bright ideas...

At Unreasonable, impatience is a virtue. That’s because the most pressing social-global challenges of our day require immediate action, and the relentless pursuit of solutions can literally save lives.  To learn more, we spoke with Daniel Epstein, founder of the Unreasonable Group, an organization working to solve some of the world’s toughest challenges by investing in bright ideas and early-stage...

As a community bank, PNC has always had a strong commitment to areas and people the company serves. That includes a strong commitment to PNC employees and their families.  Throughout COVID-19, PNC has doubled down on its efforts to support employees, customers, and communities. To talk about the company’s rapid, human-centric response to the pandemic, we welcomed back to the show Sally McCrady, Pr...

Natural and organic foods are pantry staples for most consumers today. But the movement is taking on new meaning—and urgency—as societies better understand the link between the food we eat and the health of our planet.  Mark Retzloff is one of the pioneers of the natural, organic, and sustainable food industry. Over his 5+ decades in the industry, Mark has started, led, and managed a roster of big...

Natural and organic foods are pantry staples for most consumers today. But the movement is taking on new meaning—and urgency—as societies better understand the link between the food we eat and the health of our planet.  Mark Retzloff is one of the pioneers of the natural, organic, and sustainable food industry. Over his 5+ decades in the industry, Mark has started, led, and managed a roster of big...

Akhtar Badshah is an expert on social impact, CSR, philanthropy, and international development—in addition to being an author and artist. Akhtar spent a decade at Microsoft, acting as a senior director of citizenship and public affairs to lead the company’s global community investment and employee programs.  After leaving Microsoft, Akhtar founded Catalytic Innovators Group, a consulting practice...