Today, the most successful businesses are driven by a marriage of humanity and technology, purpose and profit, story and data. While many aspire to champion social good and scale income, it’s easier said than done. Warby Parker is a standout example of a company that’s leveraging its impact for business growth. Profits fuel impact and impact fuels profits, creating the sweet spot of social entrepreneurship.

The eyewear company that distributes a pair of glasses to someone in need for every pair purchased was recently valued at $3 billion by Fortune. …

Business leaders across sectors are transforming the way they work to integrate into the “new normal” posed by the novel coronavirus. The pandemic poses even greater challenges to brands historically reliant on in-person interactions. A company doing a great job changing their strategy to pivot business during COVID-19 is Varsity Brands. “When you’re in the business of serving 55 million kids in school and they don’t go, life changes,” Adam Blumenfeld, CEO of Varsity Brands, tells We First.

The B to B to C company provides branding, white label apparel and accessories that support athletes, cheerleaders and graduates via three…

Conscious consumers want to support companies that do good. That said, they are increasingly attuned to discerning between brands that pay lip service to purpose and those that walk the talk. A business doing an exemplary job integrating purpose throughout its value chain is Dockers. “Part of leadership is showing that you can achieve profits and principles,” Lauren Johnson, Global Head of Marketing for Dockers, tells We First. “It’s not only what you’re doing, but how you’re doing it.”

The way Dockers does it is by prioritizing people and planet from manufacturing to marketing. In fact, 47% of products sold…

Purpose has become competitive. While there’s a lot of good coming from the cohort of impact-driven businesses, it is increasingly difficult for companies to carve out a competitive advantage while making real change. “There’s an ongoing debate around whether purpose is a statement or an action,” Jean-Laurent Ingles, Executive Vice President of Hair Care at Unilever tells We First. “I think it’s both.”

Across the spectrum of its wide portfolio, Unilever has led by example, showing how a large corporation can be both profitable and purposeful. “If you want to be relevant to society, especially younger generations, that’s what you…

Business leaders that innovate around impact can disrupt categories, gain market share and scale growth. That’s certainly the case for Adam Lowry, the former co founder of Method and is now executive chairman of Ripple Foods. I had the opportunity to speak with him about how he builds and scales companies through a ‘Lead With We’ mindset.

Simon Mainwaring: Why do you launch purposeful businesses?

Adam Lowry: I’ve always enjoyed the outdoors. I’ve been racing small sailboats since I was a kid. The interconnectedness of people with nature inspired in me a desire to make those things better.

SM: Did…

What influences one company to invest in real impact and another to pay lip service to purpose? “As much as leadership might want to do something, if the capital doesn’t want it to happen, it’s probably not going to,” Sunny Vanderbeck, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Satori Capital tells We First.

While forces like COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter push social issues into cultural discourse, “not a lot has changed,” Vanderbeck says. “You’re just seeing acceleration on the things that were already in play.”

The proposition of any business is to bring value to people’s lives. We’ve become enamored by…

Companies built on solving problems foster consumer goodwill and carve out a competitive advantage. An excellent example of a brand that differentiates itself by providing purposeful solutions is Hint. Founder and CEO, Kara Goldin, started the unsweetened flavored water business collecting customer feedback from moms in the school drop off line to selling in America’s largest retailers. The pioneer was recently honored as one of Fortune’s most powerful women entrepreneurs. I had the pleasure of speaking with Goldin about her success story.

Simon Mainwaring: There’s no category more competitive than water. How many people doubted you?

Kara Goldin: Thousands. The…

Successful business leaders know when to take calculated risks that can lead to profitable rewards. Innovative companies pioneer uncharted territory in terms of products to gain market share. Purposeful trailblazers push the boundaries around impact to foster goodwill. Brands that lead with us and prioritize their values build movements, loyalty and earned media.

North Face is an excellent example of a brand that’s standing behind its core beliefs. By acting on purpose, the outdoor apparel retailer is driving growth through impact.

“Consumers vote for brands that are purpose led,” Arne Arens, North Face’s Global Brand President, tells We First. …