I've been starting ventures in the social impact space for the last 25 years. I know what it takes to stay faithful to your core mission to make the world a better place, whilst still generating high turn-over and high margins. You don't have to sacrifice ethics for money. Indeed quite the opposite; some of the most successful businesses retain, and even improve upon their ethical mission and the impact they leave upon the world.
If you are starting a business based on a product or service designed to make the world a better place, and you are also really commercially ambitious - I can help you.
It is not easy managing a social impact business. You have to ride two horses at once - generating high margins and growth whilst also similarly expanding your social impact. But it is possible, providing you regularly maintain and nourish both elements.
Whilst I have good academic credentials (an Imperial College London MBA, and a Cambridge University MA), more importantly I have built successful social businesses. My first venture - a housing not for profit in Africa, grew within just 3 short years to become the largest home-builder, and second largest home financier in the country. My most recent commercial venture (edutech), transformed the delivery of skills training across universities. Our courses have now been made available to over a million students around the world. At the moment I am also Chairman of a heritage estate company in London which is shortly to begin its second capital fundraising drive (approx $45m).
If you are looking for a social impact business as a 'box-ticking exercise', or an attempt at gesture politics, I am not the consultant or mentor for you. However, if you are genuinely attracted by the notion of building an ethical business that makes the world a better place, and generates unusually high values and margins, drop me a line. I'd be happy to talk.
