May 16Spending for Recovery in New Orleans Promotes Equal OpportunityAs we all know, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans hard. It’s been years since that disaster, but while much of that city has recovered, many areas of the city and its people are still struggling. Recognizing that New Orleans had a long road to recovery, civic and business leaders founded…New Orleans4 min readNew Orleans4 min read
Apr 19Embedding Equity: Walmart Comes to DCI started working with Walmart in early 2010 as they were planning their first expansion into the broader Washington, DC market. This was one of their first tests of “urban” stores; most of their retail locations at that time were in rural, suburban, or ex-urban markets. They were experiencing challenges…Walmart4 min readWalmart4 min read
Mar 22Create equitable impact and harness the true potential of your businessIn my latest book, The Social Impact Advantage, I talk about how businesses need to shift their focus from short-term profit maximization to long-term value-generation and increasing overall well-being. Today business leaders can easily get distracted by a “winner take all” mentality and miss out on important opportunities to do…Esg5 min readEsg5 min read
Jan 20What will be the “e-business” of social impact?I began my career before everyone had a cellphone or an email address. Many of my bosses and higher-ups didn’t use computers, even though I was working for the industrial giant, GE, within its “eBusiness” division. …Social Justice5 min readSocial Justice5 min read
Dec 14, 2022The inherent worth of being humanDo you feel valuable? Or do you feel valued? The end of the year is always a time for reflection and looking inward. I was lucky enough to spend some time earlier this month hosting the annual B Lab conference, which brought together close to a thousand B corps from…Racial Justice4 min readRacial Justice4 min read
Nov 29, 2022Lessons from a Globe-Trotting Book TourIn the past six weeks, I’ve been all around the world. Literally. My new book came out last month, and I went on a tour to promote it. …Impact Investing4 min readImpact Investing4 min read
Jul 26, 2022Abortion access is an equity issue companies shouldn’t ignoreI was raised in the church and its message on gender and salvation was clear: Eve succumbed to temptation, corrupted Adam, and as a result of Eve’s short-sightedness, every woman must repent in perpetuity. Young girls should pursue piety by keeping a nickel clenched tightly between our knees lest our…Abortion4 min readAbortion4 min read
Jun 15, 2022Honoring Juneteenth through Joy and JusticeOver the last few weeks, I have seen countless activities for Juneteenth celebrations. In the Winston-Salem area alone there is the 1 Love Festival, open mic poetry, Juneteenth Gospel Superfest and much more. President Biden officially designated Juneteenth a federal holiday last year, which offers employees a paid day off…Juneteenth5 min readJuneteenth5 min read
May 19, 2022Honoring My Grandmother’s Tenacity and ResilienceA picture of my grandmother, Chizuru Nakaji Boyea, and her family hangs in the Japanese American National Museum next to a replica of the barracks where she and so many others were forced to stay during World War II. Although US citizens, Grandma Boyea and her family were unjustly incarcerated…Aapi Heritage Month5 min readAapi Heritage Month5 min read
Apr 11, 2022Watching the Supreme Court Confirmation Through my Children’s EyesPeople say representation matters. I remember watching President-elect Obama walk on the stage with his family after being announced the winner of the 2008 Presidential election. It was about two weeks before my son Dylan’s first birthday. Dylan was playing with his toes on the carpet turned slightly away from…4 min read4 min read
