Purpose 360 with Carol Cone

Cisco is in the business of connecting people. To Cisco, that means more than providing industry-leading technology—it means creating a world of potential to make the impossible possible . Tae Yoo, Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs and CSR, joined Purpose 360 to talk about Cisco’s legacy of connecting people for business and societal impact, and bold goal to positively impact 1 billion peop...

Imagine a world where all businesses exist to help society – and make a profit in the process. That’s the future CECP (Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose) is building. Founded by Paul Newman in 1999, CECP is a CEO-led coalition working to redefine the ways in which companies engage with stakeholders to better serve society. In this episode, Carol talks with Daryl Brewster, CECP’s powerhouse CE...

570 hours per day. That’s the number of hours US Bank employees volunteered, daily, in their communities last year. US Bank’s 74,000 employees don’t give back just because they have big hearts for helping those around them – giving is a core value at US Bank, driven by purpose and activated through the company’s Community Possible platform. Reba Dominski, Chief Social Responsibility Officer and Pr...

The world needs more just companies. But what makes a company “just”? JUST Capital is an NGO working to help corporations evolve their business and societal commitments to make capitalism more “just.” That’s a big task, but one that JUST Capital’s CEO, Martin Whittaker, relishes. Martin joined Purpose 360 to discuss the genesis of JUST Capital (which was founded by legendary investor Paul Tudor Jo...

Since 1943, global health powerhouse Johnson & Johnson has been guided by a simple credo. You wouldn’t think that something etched in stone (literally) could help a multi-billion-dollar brand navigate decades of changing consumer needs, drastic shifts in healthcare, and turbulent global markets—but it has. That’s because Johnson & Johnson doesn’t just dust off the credo now and then—the co...

Zero Zero Zero: zero emissions, zero crashes and zero congestion. This profound goal is CEO Mary Barra’s approach to reinventing General Motors for today, tomorrow, and the next 100 years. Few industries have evolved as rapidly (and sometimes turbulently) as the automotive industry. In its 100-year history, GM has faced challenges, both internal (faulty ignition switches) and external (the recessi...

Roving reporter Carol Cone spoke with leaders in social purpose at the CECP (Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose) Summit last month. A global convening of 300+ of the world’s top minds in purpose, this year’s Summit addressed growing societal and stakeholder expectations that companies serve a purpose beyond profit. Catch a behind-the-scenes “listen” into the Summit in this special episode of P...

Happy chickens are Pete and Gerry’s north star. You’ve likely seen the organic egg brand in your local supermarket dairy aisle. And if you haven’t tried the eggs, add them to your shopping list. Pete and Gerry’s, through a network of 40+ independent family farmers, produces free-range, organic, Certified Humane® eggs. Passed down through three generations, the enterprise puts the health of its hen...

Would you sacrifice more than a billion dollars in sales to do the right thing for people’s health and wellness? That’s the decision CVS Health made in 2014 when the company removed tobacco products from all stores nationwide. CVS made this decision because selling tobacco products was at odds with its vision to become a healthcare company with the distinct purpose to help people on their path to...

You probably know the Aflac Duck, but do you know the company behind it? Catherine Hernandez-Blades, Aflac’s SVP, Chief ESG and Communications Officer, joined Purpose 360 to share how Aflac deftly manages reputation in a volatile world and bestowed a new social purpose on its beloved mascot. As a cancer insurance pioneer, Aflac has a now 24-year, $131M commitment to childhood cancer. Two years ago...

This Earth Day, we’re joined by Jonathan Propper, Founder and CEO of Dropps. He’s the maverick behind the original laundry pod, and has guided Dropps to a number of firsts, including eliminating detergent dyes and adding bittering agents to deter children from eating pods.     Behind all that innovation is a desire to create a healthier Earth. Laundry isn’t going away (as much as we wish it would!...

United Way isn’t new—but it’s creating a new way for NGOs to engage with people around the world through technology. William Browning, United Way Worldwide’s Chief of Digital Transformation and Technology, joined Purpose 360 to talk about the organization’s shift from transactional to transformational. As the world’s largest privately-funded nonprofit, United Way’s scope is vast: 2.9 million volun...

Are you tapping every opportunity to draw power from your organizational culture? In this episode, Henk Campher, VP Brand and Communications at Salesforce, shares insights from a company that challenges its people and customers to do good, especially in the face of challenges. It starts with putting Ohana – Hawaiian for “family” – at the center of Salesforce’s purpose journey. For the company, Oha...

Carol tagged along with her roving reporter — My Special Aflac Duck — to South by Southwest in Austin earlier this month. Together, they celebrated the success of the duck as a finalist for the best invention award. This week, we offer a special bonus episode in which you can learn more about My Special Aflac Duck and hear stories of impact as Aflac works to put the duck in the arms of more kids a...

The American Heart Association (AHA) launched its Go Red for Women campaign 15 years ago when Kathy Rogers, AHA’s EVP for the Western States Affiliates, was charged with creating a consumer- and patient-facing campaign that would change the way we think about heart health. Did she ever! Since Go Red for Women launched, it has helped more than 2 million women learn their personal risk of developing...

Timberland is well known for its Yellow Boot. You know the one—chunky sole, nubuck upper, black leather collar. It’s a design that has weathered 40-plus years of footwear trends and market shifts, maintaining its position as both a functional work boot and fashion item. It doesn’t get much more sustainable, in terms of product design. Sustainability is at the heart of Timberland. To talk about the...

Alaska Airlines is serious about sustainability. For the past two years, the airline has ranked ^1 for North American aviation on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), a coveted honor. To Alaska Airlines, sustainability is more than an environmental or financial decision. Even as more airlines invest in fuel efficient fleets, cut in-flight waste, and adopt “green” biofuels, Alaska Airlines st...

Gary Hirshberg, co-founder and Chief Organic Optimist at Stonyfield Organic, started his business with seven cows and funding from a group of Catholic nuns.  Today, Stonyfield is one of the nation’s leading yogurt brands, with a commitment to healthier people, healthier business, and healthier planet. If you haven’t caught on from Gary’s title, organic is central to Stonyfield’s history, purpose,...

Purpose 360 is about inspiring and empowering the purpose leaders of today and tomorrow. More than that, we’re committed to giving listeners actionable insights they can apply day-to-day along their purpose journey, and that of their organizations. In this episode, Carol and Chris highlight some of their favorite insights and anecdotes from our first ten episodes.

During his time at Panera, Jonathan Yohannan, former Vice President, Public Relations*, saw the company’s shift to an all-clean menu. No preservatives. No antibiotics. No artificial ingredients. Just clean food. Food as it should be. That’s Panera’s purpose today, and it’s especially commendable given how price-competitive fast casual chains are. While more chains are adding healthy choices to the...

McDonald’s serves 70 million people every day, worldwide. As one of the world’s most visible brands, McDonald’s has both an obligation and opportunity to create meaningful connections with those 70 million people and their local and global communities. Today, the company has a focused purpose to use its “scale for good.” Getting there wasn’t easy. Bob Langert, former VP of Corporate Responsibility...

Let’s talk about toilets. One in three people around the world lack basic sanitation. Of that 2.3 billion people, nearly 892 million relieve themselves in outside spaces.  Beyond the obvious health dangers (nearly 800 children die every day from diarrhea caused by inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene), lack of access to safe and clean toilets expose women and children to the threats of violence...

Gardening is not about immediate success or instant gratification. The same can be said about social purpose. As a company for gardeners, ScottsMiracle-Gro has a succinct purpose: “helping people express themselves on their own piece of the Earth.” Cultivating a thriving garden takes care, commitment, and flexibility to adapt as conditions change. With that, creativity – and expression – can bloss...

Many of our guests are on a journey to social purpose – developing it, finding it, evolving it. What’s rarer are the companies that are founded for a purpose; built from day one to address an urgent social need. Ella’s Kitchen founder Paul Lindley created his baby food company, Ella’s Kitchen, to give babies a healthy start in life – improving their lives and helping them develop a healthy relatio...

Carol and Chris wish listeners a purposeful holiday season and a hint at what’s to come in 2019.