Can you make an impact and a business return?

Meaning, societal and climate impact AND a business return?

In a recent think tank with our young leaders, a young person asked our multinational client, “why does your company exist if you are not making a real impact?”

There are many companies who are deeply committed to their ESG strategy or CSR program; who look at the ecosystem of their production, or the environmental impact of their work, or the DEI&B of their workforce. Yet, are we actually moving the needle? 

In one intense co-designing session with a group of thirteen year olds, the youth articulated that they don’t feel there will be a planet for them by the time they are old enough to do something about it. When you hear articulation like this, it does make you ask, “why do I exist unless I am making an impact?” 

And it isn’t as hard as you’d think. You can be a commercial business, and also have a deep impact. In fact, there is a real opportunity to innovate with impact, especially in a world where old industries get disrupted overnight by different business models and new technologies. The data shows that we can invest in the whole ecosystem and still make a business return. 

The end result for all of us?:  Stronger communities.

My company, International Connector could simply be a market research organization that doesn’t spend any time with its participants. We could focus on offering only our corporate services, conducting research, having participants co-designing workshops, and then using the information we get from young people to inform our client’s developments. 

But, we don’t. We spend a lot of time and profit on curriculum; on helping things grow. 

We consider the youth - our Young Innovators - as our product. From them, we extract ideas, trends and solutions that also affect them. So, we care just as much about investing in their development. We invest in who they are, why they are unique and what we can do to change their personal trajectories. 

They provide so much benefit to us, and in return we help provide capacity building opportunities for them to become the future innovators. It actually makes our product stronger, and we feel it’s critical to give back. 

We aren’t unusual. Every business can think about this; about how they can have an impact/make a change. What’s behind your products? Who are the people creating them? What are you doing for the planet? 

Why do we care?

Business and impact are not mutually exclusive. There is no excuse not to consider both these days.