Bio

I learned it when I was two. It was right there in my favorite bedtime story - The Lorax. A business should create a cool product (thnead), make lots of money, and contribute to the betterment of society. At America Online, I saw first-hand the impact a company can have on philanthropy. The Helping Hands Initiative auctioned celebrity items on the Shop@ platform raising millions of dollars for charity. A few years later, I helped design and implement a corporate social responsibility campaign at Advanta. The KivaB4B program encouraged our small business credit card holders to support entrepreneurs around the world. It applies in the nonprofit world too. In 2005, my son passed away, suddenly and unexpectedly. We started Simon’s Heart, an organization to prevent sudden cardiac arrest and death in children, teens and young adults. We developed life saving initiatives, passed legislation, built a crowdfunding site to distribute AED devices, launched a digital registry and partnered with companies and sports teams on impact programs. Today, I help companies create more engaging and productive workplaces with by considering the nontraditional business assets of CSR, DEI and ESG. Most companies have a business plan, sales plan, marketing plan and annual budget. It is time for them to apply the same level of intention and strategy to other stakeholders too.