Social impact: how does your business help the community or the world?

We asked members of the community how their organizations help the community. We’ve shared some of the responses below.

MELISSA Bauknight | Founder and Chief Visionary

The Nova Global is dedicated to reshaping the narrative of success for professional women by guiding them toward a future where authenticity, purpose, and growth are harmoniously intertwined. Our community fosters holistic success across all dimensions of a woman’s life—personal, professional, and spiritual—through supportive networks and empowering resources. We focus on creating inclusive and empowering spaces, especially for BIPOC and LGBTQAI+ women, facilitating a sense of belonging and unity. By hosting events, workshops, and networking opportunities, we encourage women to step into leadership roles that blend empathy, resilience, and authenticity. Our aim is not only to support individual women but also to cultivate a collective force that drives societal progress towards greater empathy, equality, and authenticity, thus making a lasting impact on the community and the world. Read more>>

Elizabeth Meier | Accredited Financial Fiduciary and Behavioral Financial Coach

My financial planning business is making a lasting positive impact on the world through several key avenues:

1. **Empowering Financial Literacy**: By providing expert financial advice and education, I am able to empower individuals and families to make informed decisions about their money. Financial literacy is a critical skill that contributes to economic stability and personal well-being. Read more>>

Celeste Chen | Artist, Lover, & Scientist

My business, Sacred Starlight, is centered around enriching community and spreading light through art. With all of the terrible things happening around the world, I hope to offer others at least a moment of ease and joy. Through Sacred Starlight, I intend to add to people’s cup by spreading love and kindness where I can. Each piece is created with mindfulness and the cultivation of loving energy with the intention that it will reach those around me. As an Asian American, queer individual, I intend to uplift marginalized communities and create safe spaces for all. Read more>>

Scott Wilson | Music Producer and Bass Player for the multi platinum selling band Saving Abel

As a music producer, I don’t just arrange music and balance budgets; I’m a conductor of musical alchemy, transforming raw talent into sonic gold. Beyond the studio, I’m a guide through the labyrinth of the music industry, helping bands and artists navigate its twists and turns post recording. For me, music isn’t just an art form; it’s pure enchantment, the closest thing to magic in our world. My passion lies in unveiling this enchantment to the masses, leveraging three decades of industry connections to unveil the hidden gems of sound that become the soundtrack to people’s lives. Crafting ear candy isn’t just a job—it’s a mission to provide the escape and inspiration our community craves, shaping the symphony of existence one track at a time. Read more>>

Abbigail Graupner | Co-owner & Business Development Partner

Coffee would not exist without colonialism or slavery. Even today, the supply chain that gets coffee from the lands where it’s cultivated to your store shelves is basically the exact same model that was developed 200 years ago. Coffee, a lovely cherry-like fruit that grows on shrub-like trees, is cultivated mostly in formally colonized, “developing” countries. In the typical extractive fashion, the coffee is grown, harvested, and processed various times until it’s in a stable, dried form called “green bean.” It is usually consolidated together to make large batches that are packed up into freight containers and then shipped out to a “consuming” country. In the consuming country, it will be transformed into a usable form by roasting it. The roasted coffee is distributed to final consumers, either directly or through wholesale partners or even coffee shops. In the traditional model, none of the value from that final roasted coffee gets brought back to the producing country; producers are stuck with the left overs of the value of the raw green bean price. And take a moment to take a guess where the price of the coffee jumps. If you guessed roasting, you’d be right. An average 12oz bag of roasted coffee will cost about $15, while right now the green bean coffee C Price (the international market standard for trading commodities like coffee) is hovering around $2. That’s a big jump, even considering that $2 C Price is actually unusually high. This is the reality for coffee farmers in Guatemala. Since such a low percentage of the coffee’s value stays in the producing country, and an even smaller percentage of that going to the people who actually grow the fruit, it’s no wonder that so many coffee farmers suffer from malnutrition or end up leaving their homeland in search of better lives in which they can support their families. Read more>>