Jul 13, 2021How Twilio Embeds Social ImpactJeff Lawson, CEO of Twilio, is a widely respected serial founder and investor. He is an active philanthropist who is fiercely committed to the San Francisco Bay Area. His personal belief system is woven into Twilio’s modus operandi. …Social Impact3 min read
Jun 30, 2021How Company Ventures Builds A Diverse Talent Pipeline for their Portfolio CompaniesCompany Ventures is an early-stage venture firm with a focus on supporting values-driven founders. We met with Lindsay Siegel, the Head of Impact at Company Ventures to discuss their approach to creating diverse talent pipelines for their portfolio companies. Since the founding of Grand Central Tech, their flagship residency program…Venture Capital4 min read
Jun 14, 2021Doubling Down on Culture and Values: Flatiron School’s Response to the BLM MovementFlatiron School is a Manhattan-based global institution that teaches students in-demand tech skills such as software engineering, data science, cybersecurity, and product design. Since their founding in 2012, the leadership at the Flatiron School has been committed to fostering an internal and external culture focused on equity, access, and inclusion¹…Flatiron School4 min read
May 26, 2021How Venture-Backed Civic Eagle Created a “Values-Committee” to Align Growth and Mission“Our values are around increasing participation in democratic process —this is our big mission.” Damola Ogundipe is intent on proving that you can build a big venture-scale business and still be committed to your values. Damola started Civic Eagle in 2016 and has raised $2.3M …Tech2 min read
May 19, 2021How Salesforce Incorporates Social Impact with Corporate Venture“There has arguably never been a time more important for business to be a force for good.” Claudine Emeott, Director of the $150M Salesforce Impact Venture Fund The Salesforce Ventures Impact Fund launched in 2017 and addressed four initial sectors: Climate + Sustainability, Education + Workforce Development, DEI + Inclusion…Venture Capital3 min read
Apr 27, 2021How a Climate Tech Company Embedded its Mission into its Legal FormA micro-case study for Founders from the Startups & Society Initiative. Aclima measures and analyzes air pollution and greenhouse gases on a hyperlocal-level which helps regulators, policymakers, and environmental advocates better understand and manage emissions and their impacts. When Davida Herzl incorporated Aclima, there were two choices for how she…Ethical Tech5 min read
Apr 14, 2021How 500 Startups Built An ESG Strategy Across Its Latest FundsA micro-case study for Founders from the Startups & Society Initiative. 500 Startups was founded in 2010, and has invested in 2,500+ startups in 77+ countries. The global accelerator and early-stage investment fund has prided itself on being different from Sand Hill Road VCs. On the threshold of raising its…Technology Trends5 min read
Mar 16, 20215 Tips for Building an Equitable Early-Stage CompanyFrom fundraising to operations, here’s how Topknot stayed true to their values while raising a $650k pre-seed A micro-case study for Founders from the Startups & Society Initiative. Too many founders think of equity and social responsibility as a set of issues to address later in their company’s life cycle…3 min read
Feb 1, 2021How One Early-stage Founder Successfully Hired Underrepresented Technical TalentA micro-case study for Founders from the Startups & Society Initiative. Ope Bukola, a former Product Lead at Google and founder of Enle, wanted to tap into the technical talent of the African continent, and her home country of Nigeria. Ope on why she started Enle: “There is an explosion…Ethical Tech3 min read
Dec 15, 202011 Buckets Startup Founders Can Ask Themselves Order to Build a more World Positive CompanyMany of today’s founders want to build ethics and social responsibility into their companies from the get-go, but don’t know where to begin. We’ve been using the 11 blocks of questions below as prompts for our interviews with founders and operators to surface stories and examples of how they are…Startup5 min read
