Brand on Purpose

Brooks Running CEO Jim Weber joins Aaron to speak about the brand’s ethos that respect, safety and freedom should be shared and ensured for all. The two discuss the work Brooks Running has done during the midst of three crises—the COVID-19 pandemic, a challenging economy, and the systemic racism Black Americans continue to face. The running shoes company has provided 45,000 pairs of shoes to frontline workers during COVID-19, donated $100,000 to the Equal Justice Initiative and has continued to advocate for social and environmental justice as a fundamental part of the company’s values. Tune in to hear about the importance of being true and human during times of unrest, and learn more at brooksrunning.com. Production Credits: Aaron Kwittken, Jeff Maldonado, Dara Cothran, Lindsay Hand, Katrina Waelchli, Meg Ruocco, Parker Jenkins, and Mathew Passy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President of Echoing Green Cheryl Dorsey joins Aaron in a conversation about social entrepreneurship and the Black Lives Matter Movement. The two discuss the importance of uplifting leaders who directly help their communities, how social impact and change is rooted in activism, and the power of vulnerability as a tool to dismantle systemic racism. The episode highlights Echoing Green’s mission to build a dynamic community of business leaders, social innovators, institutions and investors committed to solving global issues through providing fellowships and resources they need to flourish. Tune in to hear about how humility acts as an articulation of grace and empathy, and learn more about this organization's incredible work at echoinggreen.org. Production Credits: Aaron Kwittken, Jeff Maldonado, Dara Cothran, Lindsay Hand, Katrina Waelchli, Meg Ruocco, Julia Brougher, Parker Jenkins, and Mathew Passy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aaron is joined by IRONMAN Foundation Executive Director Sarah Hartmann, Good360 CMO and CDO Shari Rudolph, and Framebridge Senior VP of Operations and Supply Chain Mike Kane to discuss how the organizations came together to develop and support the IRONAID program – a relief effort working to repurpose new race shirts into non-sterile facemasks. The panel talks about how the unique organizations teamed up, their idea to bring communities together with upcycled products rather than with events during COVID-19, and the need to bring and discover joy where you can, whenever you can. Tune in to listen to this inspiring episode and learn more at ironmanfoundation.org/ironaid, good360.org, and framebridge.com. Production Credits: Aaron Kwittken, Jeff Maldonado, Dara Cothran, Lindsay Hand, Katrina Waelchli, Meg Ruocco, Julia Brougher, Parker Jenkins, and Mathew Passy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aaron is joined by Leesa Sleep co-founder and board chair David Wolfe to discuss the direct-to-consumer online mattress company’s purpose-driven approach and commitment to donating one mattress for every ten sold. David and Aaron discuss the inception of the certified B Corporation with co-founder Jamie Diamonstein, the importance of purpose initiatives being led by the C-suite, why being values-driven is just as important as being purpose-driven, and how the company baked purpose into its DNA from the start – before becoming profitable or successful. Tune in to learn how Leesa Sleep’s distinctive values-driven business model helped to inspire the creation of this podcast, and about other companies that David continues to draw inspiration from (spoiler alert: the list includes former guest ABLE). Don’t sleep on this episode, and learn more at leesa.com.Production Credits: Aaron Kwittken, Jeff Maldonado, Dara Cothran, Lindsay Hand, Katrina Waelchli, Meg Ruocco, Julia Brougher, Parker Jenkins, and Mathew Passy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Founder and CEO of The Village Market Atlanta Dr. Lakeysha Hallmon, known as Dr. Key, joins Aaron to discuss the evolution of her passion project to highlight black artists and entrepreneurs into a quarterly marketplace event showcasing over 80 black-owned businesses. Aaron and Dr. Key talk about the importance of supporting black-owned businesses and black communities, the need to create proactive and collaborative spaces during times of tumult, and how an engaged community fosters a self-sustained community. Since the onset of COVID-19, The Village Market has gone digital, and pivoted its support of local businesses to their website which had over 7,000 views the date of its launch. Learn more about all the great work The Village Market does at thevillagemarketatl.com and support its vendors at vmdigital.shop.Production Credits: Aaron Kwittken, Jeff Maldonado, Dara Cothran, Lindsay Hand, Katrina Waelchli, Meg Ruocco, Julia Brougher, Parker Jenkins, and Mathew Passy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anheuser-Busch Vice President of CSR Adam Warrington joins Aaron to discuss how the 165-year-old beer company – home to brands like Budweiser, Stella Artois, and Bud Light – has continued to evolve and grow while leaning on its heritage. Aaron and Adam talk about the company's commitment to running completely on renewable energy by 2025 and the difference between companies that view corporate responsibility as a temporary campaign and those that view it as a foundational framework. They also discuss how Anheuser-Busch has pivoted to support their communities during COVID-19, including donating $1 million to the United States Bartenders Guild, producing and donating hand sanitizer and canned water to foundations like American Red Cross, and partnering with Meals on Wheels to provide food to people in need. Tune in to hear about how this long-standing beer company aims to serve everybudy, and learn more at anheuser-busch.com.Production Credits: Aaron Kwittken, Jeff Maldonado, Dara Cothran, Lindsay Hand, Katrina Waelchli, Meg Ruocco, Julia Brougher, Parker Jenkins, and Mathew Passy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stonyfield Chairman and Co-Founder Gary Hirshberg joins Aaron to discuss the organic yogurt company he helped build in 1983 and the company’s role as a pioneer in planet-friendly business practices. Aaron and Gary explore how Gary was inspired to enact positive change amidst an era of geographical, environmental and industrial shifts, the false myth that earth is a subsidiary, the importance of accessible organic foods for everyone, and how the now-infamous yogurt from Lily Bell the Cow started it all. Tune into this episode to learn how this company pioneered the organic foods moo-vement, and learn more at stonyfield.com.Production Credits: Aaron Kwittken, Jeff Maldonado, Dara Cothran, Lindsay Hand, Katrina Waelchli, Meg Ruocco, Julia Brougher, Parker Jenkins, and Mathew Passy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarosh Mistry, Chair of Sodexo North America and CEO of Homecare, joins Aaron to discuss how COVID-19 has fundamentally changed the company’s business and how they’ve adapted and leaned on their values to support their employees and their communities. Sarosh and Aaron talk about the importance of servant leadership and how Sodexo has established a $30 million global relief fund for hourly workers who have been impacted by venue shutdowns. They also discuss what the company has learned from their global employees who witnessed the spread of COVID-19 before it reached the US, and what it did with those learnings. Tune in to hear how Sodexo acts as an outstanding example of how businesses can best serve their communities, and learn more at us.sodexo.com. Production Credits: Aaron Kwittken, Jeff Maldonado, Dara Cothran, Lindsay Hand, Katrina Waelchli, Meg Ruocco, Julia Brougher, Parker Jenkins, and Mathew Passy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eco-Soap Bank founder and CEO Samir Lakhani joins Aaron to discuss his humanitarian and environmental nonprofit organization that recycles and sanitizes used hotel soap for distribution to people in need in the developing world. Samir discusses how a trip to Cambodia—involving a rickety bicycle, a Hawaiian shirt, and a lot of hope—served as his inspiration and his mission to support livelihoods and provide free education to disadvantaged women. Eco-Soap Bank is doubling down on its commitment to providing soap to organizations in developing countries during COVID-19 to mitigate the spread of the virus and promote public health. Tune in to learn more about Eco-Soap Bank’s work, and learn more at ecosoapbank.org. Production Credits: Aaron Kwittken, Jeff Maldonado, Dara Cothran, Lindsay Hand, Katrina Waelchli, Meg Ruocco, Julia Brougher, Parker Jenkins, and Mathew Passy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NAADAM CEO and Co-Founder Matt Scanlan joins Aaron in studio to talk about his unconventional path into the fashion and textile industries. Spoiler alert: it involves driving 20 miles into the Gobi Desert, goats, and a lot of luck. The two discuss how Matt's formative trip to Mongolia inspired him and co-founder Diederik Rijsemus to disrupt the cashmere industry and make the products more affordable, profitable and sustainable for everyone. From partnering with nomadic goat herders to styling 20-something New Yorkers, NAADAM is proving once and for all that they really are the GOAT. Learn more about the sweater company at naadam.co. Production Credits: Aaron Kwittken, Jeff Maldonado, Dara Cothran, Lindsay Hand, Katrina Waelchli, Meg Ruocco, Julia Brougher, Parker Jenkins, and Mathew Passy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices