CEO QUOTES 2025

The 2025 MO theme is Doubling Down - Leading with Values During Times of Uncertainty.

Where is your company doubling down?

No.1

Steve McDougal

3Degrees

While this is certainly a time of uncertainty for our industry (and nation, and world….), we just wrapped up our 2025 planning cycle at 3Degrees and I am feeling extremely optimistic about the year ahead, and the opportunities to continue to accelerate progress on our mission of helping businesses and their customers take urgent action on climate change. Our mission has never been more important than it is now.

So where is 3Degrees doubling down?

  • Access to climate solutions for more customers across the globe

    While 3Degrees has always served our customers’ renewable energy and climate solution needs worldwide, in 2024 we expanded our geographic footprint with the opening of a new office in Singapore, as well as the hiring of an in-region team of origination, business development, and renewable energy procurement experts. We’ve been doing business in APAC for over a decade, and we are now deepening our investment to scale our regional portfolio of energy attribute certificates (EACs), and provide enhanced market access and support for customers’ global strategy, carbon, and renewable energy procurement needs. Many of our multi-national clients’ product and support needs in APAC continue to grow as they accelerate their commitment to decarbonization, particularly in their supply chain. So 3Degrees’ expanded local presence and deeper regional relationships will enable us to better facilitate our clients’ support needs – which is directly linked to our mission.

    We are doubling down on expanding access to global climate solutions to help our customers achieve their climate targets.

  • Customer-facing technology that enables climate progress 

    We have made tremendous progress on another key focus area for the company: customer-facing technology that helps enable access to renewable energy for both our customers and their suppliers. Last May, 3Degrees launched Supplier REach, an innovative tool that enables large companies to activate their suppliers’ renewable energy journeys. Supply chain emissions are challenging to address and are a significant factor in many companies’ progress towards their climate targets. Through Supplier REach, our customers can now invite their suppliers to join the portal, where they can evaluate their renewable energy options, and source region-specific, high-quality renewable energy tailored to their specific needs. Tools such as this are critical to unlocking access to renewable energy for suppliers across the globe, enabling further progress towards companies’ net zero goals.

    We are doubling down on our use of technology to accelerate climate progress.   

  • Our commitment to DEI

    We have all seen the reports of prominent companies backtracking on their DEI commitments, succumbing to Board pressure, and the general concerning trend of unraveling diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. This is quite the opposite of our approach. We recognize the intrinsic value of embracing diversity in our local and global community to increase staff engagement, morale, productivity, and innovation within our workplace – and 3Degrees is “all in”. In understanding the intersection of social justice and climate change, and its connection to the company’s objectives, we are committed to integrating inclusion and diversity at the core of 3Degrees, and continue to work to develop policies, identify best practices, provide support to staff, and evaluate progress to ensure we fulfill our company’s commitment to environmental and social accountability.

    We are doubling down on our full commitment to DEI.

No.5

Jeremy Smith

Civitech

At Civitech, we are doubling down on strengthening democracy by empowering progressive campaigns and organizations to register and engage voters, especially in underrepresented communities. Guided by our CEO’s visionary leadership, we remain steadfast in driving social change and expanding voter access, even during uncertain times.

No.6

David Bronner

Dr. Bronner's

Dr. Bronner’s remains committed to using our company as a vehicle for progressive advocacy and activism through our work to fund, fuel, and advance causes like: access to psychedelic healing, ending federal cannabis prohibition, promoting regenerative organic agriculture and combatting climate change, ending factory farming, supporting LGBTQ and Trans rights, and other important issues of our time.

No.8

Melanie Dulbecco

Torani Syrups & Flavors

We celebrate our 100th anniversary in business in 2025! We continually double down on being a radically people-first company.  Our purpose is Flavor for All, Opportunity for All.  Flavor is what we make, and it’s also what each of us brings as individuals from all backgrounds and walks of life.  As an Opportunity Company, we believe that businesses can and should create more opportunities for people to “make it” — economically, and in learning, growth and development. We build our business, make decisions, and measure our success with these principles in the forefront.

We aim to have as much positive impact on our communities and planet as we can — and to do that, we must depend on our coalition of aligned partners to help us identify areas of greatest need, and to design and deliver effective solutions. A few examples of this include accessing grants, navigating requirements for affordable housing policy changes, advocating for CRA and other policy reform, and tapping into innovative technologies that allow us to scale and serve those historically under-supported by traditional solutions. 

Much of our impact comes through our lending. By deploying over 75% of our lending portfolio to mission purposes and highly impactful clients, including nonprofits, B Corps, and affordable housing developers, we help them ignite positive social and environmental change in our communities. Powerful change happens when clients and a bank come together in partnership around shared values. For us, partnerships aren’t just a part of what we do – they are foundational to our impact and success.

No.10

Joe Stanziano

Traditional Medicinals

At TM, our focus is on taking the right actions, aligned to our purpose, believing that growth will naturally follow. Our long-term strategic plan is built on the vision of a more resilient future for all stakeholders rather than forcing a revenue growth target at the expense of our values. In 2025, we are leading the Executive team through the next revision of the plan, more closely connecting our strategies and each individual employees’ objectives to our shared mission.

No.12

John Foraker

Once Upon A Farm

Our mission is to drive systemic change in childhood nutrition for a happier, healthier, and more equitable world.  We continue to drive that mission, unchanged by any of the uncertainty around us.

No.13

Al Subbloie

Budderfly

In 2025, as uncertainty challenges businesses to rethink their strategies, we’re doubling down on innovation to deliver real, measurable impact. Our approach is built on 3 concepts:

1) We deliver continuous cost savings, cutting expenses you might not have previously considered, directly benefiting your bottom line.

2) Instead of spending upfront capital on your energy infrastructure, we provide the new tools and systems needed to improve operational efficiency. These enhancements improve performance and reduce ongoing maintenance costs for outdated systems.

3) By partnering with Budderfly, you’re actively doing the right thing for the planet. We make it easy to meet your sustainability goals, helping you contribute to a greener future—all without compromising profitability.

This model highlights a distinct advantage: we’re not just saving you money; we’re transforming your operations with cutting-edge solutions that eliminate unnecessary costs to help you contribute to a cleaner future.

No.16

David Relling

Sunrise Banks

We’re doubling down on our commitment to empower communities through banking. 

By increasing lending to low- and moderate-income neighborhoods and supporting job-creating businesses, we’re working to provide both stability and upward mobility for the unbanked and underbanked. At the same time, we’re making it easier for customers to create positive impacts simply by choosing where they deposit their money.

A bank should be more than a financial institution—it should be a mobilizer, facilitator and catalyst for its community. That’s why we’re tackling big challenges, whether it’s creating jobs, supporting affordable housing, or providing alternatives to predatory payday loans. Sometimes, this means going beyond traditional banking—like partnering with innovative financial technology companies to deliver meaningful solutions where they’re needed most.

No.18

Randell Leach

Beneficial State Bank

Our mission is to help more people and help people more, in harmony with the environment. After making substantial investments in our team and technology platform, we are excited to double down on how we can best help our communities. We are implementing a mission framework that will help us set goals for social and environmental outcomes and better allocate resources to where we can best serve our communities, and will look to aggressively scale those outcomes in the months and years ahead.

No.20

Brenna Davis

Organically Grown Company

In an uncertain and warming world, it’s more important than ever to stay true to your values and your mission. Since 1978, Organically Grown Company has been on a mission to grow and inspire the organic agricultural movement.  Organic food has always been climate-smart, sustainable, soil regenerating, non-GMO, toxic synthetic pesticide-free, healthy, and tasty – and it’s backed by tough third-party inspections and federal certification.  No matter what comes our way, we will be doubling down on the good organic agriculture does in the world.  And respecting people, nature and the planet as we do it.

In terms of my career, “partnerships” per se is less of a theme.  Perhaps in the broadest sense, as I think about our employees and my senior leadership team at the company.  I will also share that a lot of our opportunity comes from my ability to leverage a career-long network to find distinctive ways to uniquely build Revolution Foods.

No.22

Johnathon Storper

Hanson Bridgett LLP

At Hanson Bridgett, we are doubling down on our commitment to the principles that define us. We believe that embracing innovation and addressing complex challenges are essential to bettering the lives of our clients and communities. Whether driving legislative advancements, pioneering sustainable technologies, or fostering equity and inclusion, our forward-thinking culture enables us to lead with purpose, vision, and impact. In 2025, we are not just navigating uncertainty—we’re embracing it as an opportunity to lead with values, challenge expectations, and elevate what’s possible for our clients, colleagues, and the communities we serve.

No.23

Nedjip Tozun

d.light

At d.light, we are doubling down on our commitment to providing affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy solutions to underserved communities. In times of uncertainty, we are guided by our mission to transform lives with sustainable products and our goal to reach 1 billion people. As a result, this year, we will be launching our most affordable Pay-Go solar solution ever, as well as entering into new markets to reach more people living off the grid.

No.24

Richard Palmer

Eleeo Brands

We are doubling down on our commitment to providing second chances – hiring employees who face employment barriers due to a criminal record or incarceration.  We are expanding our partnerships with social service agencies who serve individuals who are transitioning from incarceration.

No.25

Kevin McCarthy

Unreal Brands, Inc.

We are doubling down in our mission to Unjunk the World.  We are doing it by proving that within the confection category the best items can also be 100% real.  And if it can be done in confection, our vision of a world where all categories of food are 100% real can be achieved.

No.26

Steven Stull

Advantage Capital

At Advantage Capital, we are doubling down on our mission to bring businesses, jobs, and transformative technologies to communities that have historically lacked access to investment capital. Guided by our core values, we are intensifying our focus on driving measurable, positive change through investments that empower small businesses, finance affordable housing, and expand renewable energy access.

In times of uncertainty, we recognize that capital can be a powerful force for good. Economic instability, a volatile housing market, and limited access to quality jobs continue to challenge underserved communities. We are committed to addressing these challenges head-on, channeling strategic investments into initiatives that uplift individuals and revitalize local economies.

With over 30 years of impact investment experience, we are not only leading but innovating—ensuring that every dollar we deploy creates meaningful opportunities while delivering competitive returns for our investors. By taking bold steps and navigating the complexities of underserved markets, we are blazing new trails to provide catalytic capital that fosters resilience and growth.

No.27

Douglas Bystry

Clearinghouse CDFI

At Clearinghouse CDFI, we are doubling down on our commitment to fostering economic equity and community resilience, especially during times of uncertainty. Our focus is on deepening the impact of our mission-driven lending by prioritizing projects that create tangible, lasting benefits for underserved communities.

We are leading with our core values—integrity, accountability, and inclusivity—by:

Expanding Access to Capital: We are intensifying our efforts to bridge financing gaps in historically underbanked communities. This includes innovative partnerships with local organizations, financial institutions, and community leaders to ensure that capital reaches those who need it most.

Investing in Community-Centered Projects: We are committed to funding projects that address critical needs such as affordable housing, sustainable infrastructure, and small business growth. By doing so, we aim to create jobs, stabilize neighborhoods, and support economic recovery.

Strengthening Relationships and Trust: In uncertain times, trust is paramount. We are enhancing our stakeholder engagement strategies to maintain transparent, consistent communication with our partners, borrowers, and community members.

By doubling down on these priorities, Clearinghouse CDFI is not just navigating uncertainty—we are transforming it into an opportunity to lead with values, drive meaningful change, and build stronger, more resilient communities.

Personally, these partnerships have been invaluable for learning and growth, reinforcing the importance of collective wisdom in leadership. They embody impact-driven business, where every alliance furthers an inclusive, sustainable future.

Each partnership and collaboration is a chance to create positive change, benefiting our company, our partners, and the communities we serve. Our commitment to these relationships remains strong as we continue improving lives in economically distressed areas.

No.28

Eric Donnelly

Criossroads Impact Corp

We continue to stay focused on our core mission of delivering financial products and technical assistance to underserved markets. No matter what the headwinds against, we remain unapologetically intentional about uplifting those without the same access to financial products in hopes of doing well by doing good. Shareholder value and community impact can be done harmoniously and we prove that daily in the work we do.

No.31

John Sensiba

Sensiba LLP

At our core, we’re here to help people—our clients, our team, and our communities. That purpose feels especially meaningful during uncertain times. We’re committed to guiding others through a changing landscape, providing the insights and support they need, when they need it.  

We’re focusing on what matters most to our clients. This means expanding our risk assurance services, including ISO certifications, Pen Testing, and HI-TRUST. As tax laws evolve, we’re ready to help navigate both international and domestic challenges. And with the increasing demand for finance expertise, we’re investing in outsourced accounting services to support emerging tech companies and small to mid-sized private businesses. 

We’re also prioritizing operational excellence. By embracing tools like machine learning and predictive analytics, we’re not just improving how we work—we’re delivering proactive, data-driven recommendations to our clients. 

Equally important is our commitment to our team. We’re investing in leadership development and coaching programs, helping our people build the skills and confidence to lead with empathy and purpose. 

In an increasingly tech-driven world, we are doubling down on the human experience—those of our clients and our staff. By expanding critical services, leveraging innovation, and fostering growth through leadership development, we are excited about the opportunities ahead and remain dedicated to making a meaningful impact for those we serve.

No.32

David Young

Participate Learning

At Participate Learning, we are doubling down on our commitment to values that drive meaningful impact during times of uncertainty. We are passionate about global learning, creating opportunities for students, educators, and communities to connect, grow, and collaborate through diverse cultural experiences to, together, make a positive impact on the world. We actively live our global competencies, embracing empathy, adaptability, and critical thinking in everything we do. Our culture thrives on teamwork and collaboration, empowering us to work together effectively and innovate for the future. Above all, we believe we only do well by doing good, measuring our success by the positive outcomes we achieve for our stakeholders and the world.

No.34

Tony Jamous

Oyster

Elevating Talent. We believe great talent can be found anywhere. Oyster enables customers to grow and connect with the global talent pool, opening up opportunities for people around the world to realize their full potential. By empowering our teams, we inspire, energize, and establish ourselves as the most human-centric company in the industry.

Building Trust. Trust is reciprocal, and it is a key ingredient to our success. Oyster fosters an active flow of information and communication to bolster organizational and customer alignment. We follow through on our commitments and are generous with our wisdom and support. We recognize no ambitious reach comes without failure, and in the face of challenges, our trust in one another stands; we learn, adapt, and move forward.

Thrive Together. We are globally minded and empathetic. We intentionally draw on a variety of perspectives and experiences to stimulate innovation and fuel our growth. We value the collective win over individual accomplishments. People feel like they belong at Oyster.

No.35

Serenity Carr

Serenity Kids

Maximizing nutrition for babies has always been our North Star, and we firmly believe that regenerative agriculture is the path that will help us achieve that. So despite increasing COGS pressures, we are doubling down on our commitment to regenerative agriculture. How can we support the regenerative poultry industry as farmers and ranchers experiment to determine the best raising practices for both the planet and the people who consume them.

Tackling challenges in the food industry, particularly in packaging and food waste, has highlighted the essential role of collaboration. Thanks to our just-in-time ordering model, we already minimize food waste significantly. Yet, our partnerships with local businesses, such as Vancouver Food Runners and Leftovers Foundation, ensure that any surplus is donated, guaranteeing that almost no food ultimately goes to waste.

Collaborative problem-solving also proved pivotal in the development of our patented Zero Waste Kit, a reusable container that holds meal kit ingredients, significantly reducing single-use plastic.

Having witnessed the Power of Partnerships in overcoming challenges and sparking innovation, I see it as the way forward, especially in the current global landscape where action for a more sustainable future is imperative. At Fresh Prep, we’re constantly striving to find better ways for our customers and the planet. This commitment drives innovation across every facet of our business, and we’ll continue leveraging the Power of Partnerships to achieve this ongoing goal.

No.36

Brad Liski

Tru Earth Environmental Products Inc.

Tru Earth, Cleaning that Cares!

Our pipeline is brimming with innovations, spurred by our #TruChangemakers push towards eliminating single-use plastics in the home. Our focus remains on the laundry room, kitchen and bathroom, with recent introductions like the patented fabric softener sheet and the planet’s smallest dishwasher tablet.

As long as consumer demand for earth-friendly alternatives continues to rise, our commitment to innovation remains unwavering. In 2025 we are doubling down on bringing real solutions to consumers so they can lead the change they want in their lives. We care for our customers and their future.

No.37

Brett Smith

Counter Culture Coffee

Over the past several years, Counter Culture Coffee has implemented an open book program, providing all employees with the opportunity to review the company’s financial performance weekly. During these sessions, we forecast our monthly sales, costs, expenses, and profit, with team members explaining the “story behind the numbers.” Building on our several decades of a commitment to transparency, this higher level of financial transparency has strengthened our company culture and improved our financial performance. By engaging the entire team, we continually identify and address areas of waste and inefficiency that detracted from the value we strive to provide our customers and suppliers.

During the latter half of 2024 and continuing into 2025, coffee prices have risen to historic levels. As a result, Counter Culture’s business is navigating the challenges of record-high coffee costs and a highly competitive selling environment. Our “doubling down” strategy is to continue this high level of financial transparency as a way to leverage our team’s collective genius.   Working together, we will identify cost-saving opportunities without compromising quality for our customers, our relationships with coffee farmers, or our commitment to sustainability.

We believe this level of transparency with our team is critical for our success and will enable us to weather this, and any future storms.

No.38

Eric Hall

So Good Brand, Inc dba So Good So You

As a mission-driven B Corp that does all things For the Love of Body and Planet™, our products have always stood for much more than simply a juice shot. This mission has been at the core of SGSY since Rita Katona and Eric Hall founded the company based on the idea that they can make a greater impact and do more good for people and the planet as a company and brand than individuals. With this philosophy at the core of all we do, we have continued to innovate our product, our processes and our packaging. Most importantly, In 2024 we transitioned to an RPET bottle; these bottles are made of 100% recycled plastic and are curbside recyclable, which means 0% net-new plastic is created during its lifecycle. This will save the planet over 41 million bottles per year. This has resulted in our manufacturing operations decreasing our water usage by 81%, and our greenhouse gas emissions by 74%.

This transition to a fully-recycled bottle resulted in us being the first shot brand recognized as certified “zero waste” by TRUE, the first program dedicated to measuring, improving and recognizing zero waste performance. We so proud to say that we currently divert 98.2% of facility waste away from landfills. Our mindful practices don’t stop there – with a female-led board and female-majority team, we are making progressive strides across all parts of our company. The B Corp platform continues to be an invaluable tool to help us measure, track, and identify opportunities for improvement as an organization and corporate citizen. From innovation to execution, there is no detail overlooked, and our consumer can always feel good about what they’re sipping.

No.41

Andrew Burke

Lotus Foods

Lotus Foods is doubling down on  reaffirming and communicating our Mission, optimizing resources, improving the diversity of our supply chain, investing in innovation and supporting & empowering our employees. We believe this will enable us to navigate uncertainty with resilience and emerge even stronger.

No.42

Derrick Emsley

tentree & veritree

Our entire journey with our businesses has been an exercise in doubling down on impact. Our impact is focused on restoring nature, creating jobs, and making lives better through reforestation work.

It started when I was 15 years old and my brother and I bought a square mile of marginal farmland in order to plant trees and sell carbon offsets. We raised ~$2MM for the project and planted over 150k trees. We ran that company, Greenfield Carbon Offsetters, till our final year of University where we eventually wound it down realizing that it wasn’t going to be a sustainable way to fund tree planting as the carbon market opportunity hadn’t developed as we thought it would. That said, we still wanted to plant trees, so we needed to find a new way to do that.

We started tentree when I was 22 years old, going into my final year of university. The idea was simple, build a consumer brand focused on connecting people to the impact of trees. By selling a product, use the profits to fund as much reforestation as possible. That brand was tentree. Since we started that company, we have continually doubled down on our impact. It started by planting ten trees for every product sold, then we realized we should be making our product sustainably to live into our purpose and we overhauled our entire supply chain to be >98% preferred materials in just 12 months (today we’re one of the top 5 brands globally with the textile exchange), then we built a tree registry program so our customers could track the trees they’d supported, then we became B-Corp certified to benchmark ourselves both internally and externally, then we became carbon neutral across scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions as we wanted the product we were selling to have as little negative footprint as possible, and the list goes on and on. Today, tentree has funded >100MM trees to be planted all across the globe and set new standards in sustainable apparel.

We didn’t stop there though. In 2020, we determined that we needed to do a better job of auditing our global reforestation work as the entire space is rife with issues and fraud. We built our own system – veritree – as a data collection and tree verification/monitoring platform to audit the work we supported. In late 2021, we were approached by several large companies to utilize the tech and, in January of 2022, we officially launched veritree as a standalone company and B2B product, helping businesses to effectively embed sustainability and restoration into their business. In just three years, veritree is now supporting >20k businesses and has funded the planting of more than 100MM trees.

2025 will be the first year that, collectively, we support >100MM trees to be planted in one year.

Our focus has always been, and continues to be, finding ways to double down and create more impact. We started with a tree farm; tentree allowed us to plant thousands of tree farms; veritree has allowed us to create thousands of tentrees. We set the goal of planting 1B trees by the end of the decade back in 2020 and, as it stands today, I think we’ll get there by 2028 or 2029.

No.43

Peter Handy

Bristol Seafood

We are doubling down on developing processes and tools that enable our team to deliver operational excellence in running the day to day business, leaving more room for them to think about how best to serve our customers and support their growth.

When I worked at Bi-Rite as a kid, my father would tell me I was his business partner. He’d encourage me to share my ideas, he’d listen, and then he’d implement them. Like when I wanted to partner with one of our distributors to feature Beringer White Zinfandel (never mind that I was still too young to taste the wine). My dad let me run with it, from negotiations to display, and Bi-Rite quickly became the brand’s top San Francisco retailer. When the Beringer owners came to see what our little store was doing so differently, my father introduced me and said I was responsible for the campaign. That experience had a profound impact on how I’ve approached partnerships throughout my life. I learned how to listen, how to trust, and how to work together to nurture the seed of an idea into something amazing. Today, I believe every stakeholder in Bi-Rite’s ecosystem, our guests, suppliers, staff, and our greater community, is inextricably linked and it’s our job is to ensure everyone’s needs are met in balance with one another. It’s how we pursue our mission of Creating Community Through Food. We couldn’t do what we do without all our partners.

No.44

Eric Korman

The Goodkind Co

We are doubling down on our commitment to our clients. Specifically we have reinforced client service as the north star of our company, and ensuring the our team consistently acts “client first”. This means our company should always be making decisions and acting in the best interests of our clients.

No.45

Tal Frankfurt

Cloud for Good

Values are at the heart of my company Cloud for Good, which is celebrating its momentous 15th anniversary in 2025. While plenty has changed and grown at Cloud for Good during those 15 years, our company values remained unchanged. Our core values  are embraced and practiced by our Goodies.

Our doubling down and holding steadfast to our values to inform our work, services, and strategies has allowed us, year after year, to make it possible for us to consistently create and deliver impact and innovation through technology solutions for our Nonprofit and Higher Education clients.

While I don’t shy away from the possibilities and lessons gained from taking risks, trying new things, welcoming different perspectives, or the willingness to make, learn from, and not repeat mistakes, I owe it to Cloud for Good’s values and the paramount role those values play in steering, shaping, and orienting our leadership decisions and strategies for consistent success and growth year after year, no matter what the situation or challenge is.

A brief look at my resume would reveal that the word ‘partner’ is indelibly scrawled across my career.

I started and ran a marketing agency for almost 2 decades whose initial client promise was ‘partner marketing,’ bringing brands together to create better outcomes than they could hope to achieve by themselves. This agency also created a partner structure that meant that we had 60 owner-managers across our 1000 personnel. 

Running Earth Animal is my second career and I have tried to embed beliefs about the power of ‘we’ into the fabric of how the company runs. As a result, we’ve achieved all sorts of progress through collaboration, with our retailer ‘partners’ to deliver solutions to families with animals and with manufacturer partners in our ambition to behave as a seamless vertically integrated entity. 

We have also been very progressive with our broader industry collaborations…with the likes of the Pet Sustainability Coalition, IndiePet and West Paw all deserving a special mention. And then there’s also our nascent ‘partnership’ within the B Corp Certification™ movement. 

Like most things in life, there are many folks before me who have pondered similar questions and come up with brilliant answers. Below are my 2 favorites…and although I have stayed away from AI on this, I must confess I did get a little help from Google.

“Contract law is essentially a defensive scorched-earth battleground where the constant question is, If my business partner was possessed by a brain-eating monster from beyond spacetime tomorrow, what’s the worst thing they could do to me?” – Charles Stross, writer

Comedy aside, I have over the years often found my self as a leader in negotiations required to derisk the company’s position through codifying each partner’s relative position through ‘contracting’…don’t get me wrong, contracts are often very valuable in describing the key characteristics of a business relationship, but I do get very frustrated, very quickly once we get past the point of diminishing returns and I often can be heard responding to a legal deal point with the position of ‘if the partnership gets to this stage we will have a very different problem!’ 

This is because fundamentally I believe that as leaders we are, if nothing else, in the relationships business and therefore the development and nurturing of high integrity, high performance difference making partnerships is at the core of what we sign up to when take on the role of CEO.

In essence, I believe that “Partnership” is…

“…not a legal contract between two equal individuals. It’s an emotional alliance between two people who are committed to each other’s success.” 

Thanks for that one Warren Buffet!

No.46

Tom Szaky

TerraCycle

TerraCycle continues to double down in an industry where others are taking their foot off the gas. We continue to innovate to bring innovative new recycling solutions to more people, finding ways for companies, organizations and consumers alike to recycle their hard-to-recycle waste.

No.48

Jared Meyers/Alex Smith

andCo Hospitality

andCO Hospitality is looking ahead to 2025, taking every opportunity to go beyond ‘good enough’ with the belief that there is always something better to achieve. We are amplifying our efforts across the board—from our commitments to people and the planet to internal growth and expansion plans. Since our original B Corp Certification in 2019, we have continued to reap the rewards of adopting an impact-driven business model, including increased employee retention, improved operational efficiency, and consistent revenue growth across properties. Such growth has allowed us to achieve incredible business advancements, including exciting acquisitions and a new brand for our portfolio, all combining to open the door for new verticals and more guests than ever before.

We are stepping up our game in 2025 as we set the stage for our biggest year yet. We are pushing the boundaries on green renovations across our existing resorts, introducing new room types and products, and catering to an even more diverse set of travelers than ever before thanks to a new tiered branding approach. We are observing a shift in traveler sentiment toward sustainability and are committed to rising to meet it.

We believe that the company’s values and purpose are directly tied to our growth and success. We are deepening our commitment to our mission of providing truly responsible travel options because we know that we can do good while thriving as a business. We are increasing our fight against false promises, greenwashing, and ethical and moral bankruptcy during these uncertain times when our planet and marginalized groups have the most to lose.

We will also continue to prioritize our stakeholder-centered approach to operations while standing as a beacon for other companies in the industry. Our aim is not only to strive for being the best in travel but also the best for it.

No.49

Susan Griffin Black

EO Products

We are invested in our people and culture.  In 2025, we are supporting our employees with an incremental investment of ~$1M worth of additional benefits – from training and development programs, to defraying healthcare costs and increasing wages.   This investment is on top of our industry-leading paid time off program and  paid community engagement time.

This backs-up work we’ve deployed to support non-linear paths for growth.  In 2023, we created a new cross-training program to open the door for internal skill development and growth through learning and training in roles in other functions.  To date, 22 team members have pursued learning opportunities through this program, leading to six internal promotions and transfers to date!

No.51

Emmanuel Smadja

MO Power Financing

At MPOWER Financing, we are doubling down on our core values of inclusion, empowerment, and advocacy to support international students navigating the challenges of an increasingly uncertain landscape in the U.S. With political shifts, changing immigration policies, and economic fluctuations, we recognize that now, more than ever, our students need unwavering support to achieve their educational and career aspirations.

1. Advocacy for International Students

In the face of political uncertainty and potential changes to H-1B and F-1 visa policies, we are actively advocating for the interests of our students. MPOWER is:

Engaging with policymakers and stakeholders to ensure equitable access to education and post-graduation opportunities.

Collaborating with industry leaders and educational institutions to advocate for policies that protect international student mobility, such as streamlined visa processing and expanded work authorization pathways.

Providing students with timely, accurate information and resources to navigate evolving immigration policies, ensuring they remain informed and empowered.

2. Strengthening Financial Support Amid Uncertainty

Economic challenges, rising tuition costs, and inflation present significant hurdles for students. MPOWER is doubling down by:

Expanding our no-cosigner loan offerings to make education more accessible for students who may face limited funding options due to economic uncertainty.

Introducing new scholarship opportunities targeted at underserved and marginalized communities, ensuring that talented students are not left behind.

Offering financial literacy tools to help students make informed decisions, manage expenses, and plan for the future despite economic fluctuations.

3. Building Stronger Pathways to Career Success

With tightening job markets and work authorization challenges, MPOWER is committed to providing students with the skills and resources needed to thrive in their careers. We are:

Enhancing our Path2Success program to offer career coaching, job search support, and mentorship opportunities tailored for international students.

Partnering with employers to promote the benefits of hiring international graduates and advocating for more inclusive hiring policies.

Facilitating connections between students and alumni who have successfully navigated similar challenges, fostering a strong global support network.

4. Investing in Diversity and Inclusion

In a time of increasing geopolitical tensions and social divides, MPOWER is redoubling efforts to celebrate diversity and inclusion, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of the students we serve. Our workforce itself comprises 79% immigrants or racial minorities, which enables us to better understand and support our students’ unique needs.

5. Adapting to Policy Changes with Agility

By staying proactive and flexible, MPOWER continues to evolve its services and engagement strategies in response to shifting regulatory frameworks. Whether through policy advocacy, student guidance, or financial innovation, we remain steadfast in our commitment to providing students with the resources they need to succeed.

In these uncertain times, MPOWER Financing remains a beacon of stability and opportunity, standing by our students as they pursue their educational dreams and work towards a better, more inclusive future.

No.53

François De Kerret

Zeffy

We are doubling down on working towards our mission. We believe nonprofits need more help and resources than ever to help solve the world’s problems. That means we have a very clear vision of our targets and are setting ambitious goals for Zeffy. The following values are the ones that guide us in our day to day.

Ambition

The social, economic and environmental challenges that we want to solve are immense. To have this impact on a large scale, we move quickly and thus constantly seek to reinvent ourselves, while not being afraid to radically change.

Simplicity

We are committed to always resolving the root causes of the problems we attack. It doesn’t matter if a practice is “best practice” and it doesn’t matter if “Competitors are doing it”, what matters is understanding the real reasons for our actions.

Be there for each other

We want to create a better society, and that starts at Zeffy. To do this, we ensure that feedback is omnipresent in our teams, as well as caring.

No.54

Andrew Almack

Plastics for Change

At PFC, we are leading the charge in creating a sustainable future for plastics by investing heavily in advanced recycling technologies and infrastructure to transform plastic waste into valuable resources, reducing dependency on virgin materials and promoting circularity for future generations. Collaboration is at the heart of our approach—we work closely with businesses, waste collectors, and local communities to implement scalable, value-driven plastic waste management programs that address environmental challenges while driving economic growth. Recognizing that meaningful change requires more than technology, we also prioritize education and advocacy, empowering manufacturers to replace virgin plastic with recycled materials by providing them with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to make this essential transition. By offering guidance on integrating recycled plastics, addressing quality and compliance concerns, and advocating for supportive policies, we enable manufacturers to align with sustainability goals and consumer expectations. Through innovation, partnership, and thought leadership, PFC is redefining the future of plastics and building a resilient, circular economy

No.55

Aaron Zeper

DMD Systems Recovery, LLC

Our company is doubling down in three areas:

One – Our Values. By staying focused, making decisions based on our values, our team is able to remain adaptable and quick.

Two – Consistency. We have expanded from one site to three over the past two years. We are focused on having consistent tools, equipment, and processes, everywhere. We are re-examining the

Three – Technology. We are implementing a new ERP, finding ways to utilize data to improve decisions, and automating everything in order to improve our client experience. We plan on leveraging AI and LLM to transform how we interact with clients, partners, and suppliers.

No.57

David Gray

FedUp Foods

At FedUp Foods, we’re doubling down on our commitment to the planet and future generations through bold climate action. Our Climate Action Plan is rooted in our promise to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035. This is not just a goal—it’s a responsibility we’re taking seriously by leading with transparency, innovation, and values-driven partnerships.

We’re scaling up our investment in regenerative agriculture, championing practices that not only reduce carbon emissions but actively restore ecosystems. Additionally, we’re doubling our efforts to source ingredients responsibly, minimize waste, and improve the sustainability of our supply chains, even in the face of uncertainty.

By embedding these commitments into every decision, we aim to demonstrate that doing the right thing for the planet and running a thriving business are not mutually exclusive—they’re interdependent. This is how we lead with values, no matter the challenges we face.

No.58

Alexandre Renaud

Nolk

We are doubling down our investment in impact measurement technology. We want to account for waste and carbon at the unit level. As a consumer product company, we want to be able to give the most accurate report on our impact. With precise measurement, we can be more focused and efficient in reducing consumer consumption externalities.

No.59

Emmanuel Arnaud & Charles-Edouard Girard

HomeExchange

At HomeExchange, we are doubling down on our commitment to building meaningful connections within our global community of travelers, while also embracing growth as a key lever for long-term impact. In times of uncertainty, we believe that fostering trust and belonging is essential, and we are focused on expanding our community to reach even more like-minded individuals. The more members we have, the greater our ability to influence sustainable travel behaviors at scale.

Strengthening Our Community Connections: Connection is at the heart of what we do. By reinforcing the sense of belonging and trust, we empower our members to create authentic, enriching experiences. We are committed to growing our community and ensuring that everyone, regardless of location or background, can participate in this movement.

Promoting Responsible Tourism: We’re doubling our efforts to lead the way in responsible travel. Supporting low-carbon mobility, encouraging local exchanges, and minimizing environmental impact are at the core of our mission. We believe that as our community grows, so does the positive impact we can have on sustainable tourism.

Leading with Diversity and Inclusion: We are committed to making our platform more inclusive and accessible to all. Our first Diversity & Inclusion survey is just the beginning, and we will continue to integrate equity into every aspect of our business, ensuring a diverse and welcoming space for every member.

No.60

Nicholas Bearelle

Revive

In 2024 we completed our IRIS model. Our Impact Reporting & Impact Strategy has been transparently defined on both “S” and “E” objectives, which are a clear guideline for all our teams to work against our promise to the world made towards all stakeholders; on a societal level our customers, neighbors, employees, suppliers, … and on an environmental level with huge emphasis on drastic embodied and environmental carbon reduction. https://www.revive.world/digital-report/iris-model/

In order to accelerate this commitment, we doubled our field of activities from mainly regeneration of brownfields into vibrant urban neighborhoods  completed now with a second acquisition strategy of distressed urban buildings and restoring these into affordable housing. In this way we double our potential to create societal and environmental impact.

In order to fuel these plan, we also launched our 3rd SDFR article 9 fund, where we not only commit ourselves to financial, but also non-financial ESG defined KPIs, which will also drive our company renumeration.

Uncertain times need strong and committed leadership, without making concessions on the societal and environment challenges that are crucial to safeguard this world for the future generations.

No.62

Eric Edwards

Phlow Corp.

In 2025, Phlow is accelerating with speed, purpose, and determination. Like MO, we are doubling down on relentless innovation, transformative growth, and demonstrating that every transaction represents an opportunity to create positive outcomes for all stakeholders.

As a modern medicine manufacturer, Phlow is dedicated to reshoring pharmaceutical manufacturing and creating pharmaceutical sovereignty for generations to come. Together, we will achieve this bold vision by shattering the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) and Finished Drug Product (FDP) status quo as we revolutionize the science behind it and create unprecedented levels of access to life-changing medicines.

As the first pharmaceutical manufacturer based in America to earn B Corporation certification, our work is designed to improve access to and availability of domestically produced, high-quality pharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients through advanced and environmentally friendly manufacturing processes. Phlow chose to incorporate as a Public Benefit Corporation from the very beginning, and we are now proud to have also received official certified B Corporation designation—yet another example of our commitment to accountability and validation of the company operating in a sustainable and responsible manner. Key pillars of Phlow’s purpose-driven approach are:

• Advancing Green Chemistry – A key element in Phlow’s advanced manufacturing processes is the utilization of continuous flow chemistry, where a chemical reaction is run in a continuously flowing stream, providing key advantages when compared to standard batch chemistry methods. At every opportunity, Phlow deploys advanced learning practices in continuous manufacturing to decrease Process Mass Intensity (PMI) and improve solvent recovery and reuse.

• Securing Our Nation’s Critical Essential Medicines Supply Chain – Phlow has partnered with the United States government to secure a supply of our nation’s most vulnerable medicines. Phlow’s program focuses on developing and manufacturing Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) that, in some cases, have not been manufactured on U.S. soil for decades and are vulnerable to drug shortages. In addition, Phlow has constructed and initialized operations for the nation’s first reserve for key starting materials and APIs to ensure resiliency and availability in times of geopolitical crises, trade disputes, natural disasters, or future public health emergencies.

• Building a First-in-Kind Children’s Hospital Coalition – Phlow is committed to ensuring access to medicines for the Children’s Hospital Coalition, an unprecedented coalition of 30 members representing 42 best-in-class hospitals that aim to ensure the reliable and affordable supply of high-quality essential medicines and help prevent pediatric drug shortages.

Building Healthy, Thriving Communities – Serving the under-resourced Petersburg, VA, community by engaging and empowering students and families through Phlow’s partnership with Petersburg City Public Schools to rebuild playgrounds and provide learning days with scientific demonstrations and stories of innovation.

In short, Phlow is committed to serving as a force for good for all stakeholders, including our employees, patients, the communities we serve, and the environment. Ultimately, we measure the public good we are creating by Phlow’s ability to improve access to and availability of domestically produced, high-quality pharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients through advanced manufacturing utilizing environmentally friendly processes.

Examples of Recent Milestones:

• Purposeful Team Expansion: In the last year, Phlow strategically grew its team to over 90 dedicated professionals, more than doubling our size to support the bold vision of reshoring pharmaceutical manufacturing. Each new team member reflects our commitment to purpose-driven growth, strengthening our capacity to deliver life-saving medicines and innovative solutions.

• Operational Excellence: 2024 marked a pivotal milestone for our growing infrastructure as Phlow’s Petersburg cGMP facilities became fully operational. In 2025, we are putting into action our Kilo-Scale cGMP Facility, producing up to 500 kg of API annually, and our Metric Ton-Scale cGMP Facility, capable of producing 60 metric tons of API each year.

Business Advisory Expansion: We recently welcomed General Gus Perna to Phlow’s Business Advisory Board. General Perna honorably served in the United States Army for over 40 years, retiring as a Four-Star General in 2021. He last served as Chief Operating Officer for Operation Warp Speed, where he led the United States’ national effort to research, develop, produce, distribute, and administer vaccines and therapeutics to combat COVID-19.

• Deepening Government Partnerships: Phlow will continue to meet and exceed our U.S. government contracts. We have been awarded Option Year 6, highlighting our expanding collaboration and shared dedication to securing America’s pharmaceutical independence. This milestone reinforces our mutual commitment to innovative solutions and resilient supply chains.

• Strengthening the Future of Healthcare for Our Warfighters: Through a historic government collaboration, Phlow has launched a new interagency partnership to begin domestic manufacturing of critical ingredients for medical countermeasure drug products. These efforts, in partnership with the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), support the joint force and its allies in countering chemical and biological threats.

• Protecting the Health of the Most Vulnerable Populations: Last year, we shipped our one-millionth vial of essential medication to children’s hospitals across the country as part of the Children’s Hospital Coalition, and we look forward to continuing this impact in 2025. This unprecedented coalition of 30 members, representing 42 hospitals, embodies our commitment to addressing pediatric drug shortages and ensuring equitable access to high-quality medicines.

• Celebrating Our Milestones: We recently welcomed Dawn O’Connell, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response; Arlene Joyner, Deputy Assistant Secretary and Director of the Office of Industrial Base Management and Supply Chain; Governor Glenn Youngkin; Senator Tim Kaine; Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan; and more to tour and celebrate Phlow Corp.’s new facilities, which are providing continuous manufacturing capabilities to produce active pharmaceutical ingredients and helping to expand the country’s domestic manufacturing capabilities.

• Expanding Awareness and Impact: Over the past year, Phlow’s team has traveled across the country—and beyond—to represent our mission at key industry conferences, including DCAT Week in New York, Drug Discovery Chemistry in San Diego, CPhI North America in Philadelphia, PBSS International in San Francisco, and CPhI Milan.

• Supporting Our Community: Phlow continues to serve as the first and only pharmaceutical manufacturer based in America to maintain B Corporation™ certification. In addition, we continue to serve as a founding member of the Alliance for Building Better Medicine. Our community commitment also extends beyond manufacturing, as we supported high school students in Chesterfield County by donating 140 CPR kits, empowering the next generation with life-saving skills.

Together, we are building a future where every American has access to the essential medicines necessary to sustain life and conquer disease. This is just the beginning of what we can achieve when our bold vision meets collective action.

No.63

Jasper van Brakel

RSF - Regenerative Social Finance

In 2025, RSF is doubling down on regeneration. We envision a world where all people have the power to use their money to regenerate people, communities, and the planet. During times of uncertainty, it’s critical that we remain laser-focused on this goal, and that we redouble our efforts to make money a tool for regeneration. We will continue to offer investment notes that make it easy for anyone, whether they’re in the 1% or have just $1,000 to invest, to become an impact investor. We will continue to seek out the most impactful social enterprises and support them with the capital they need to achieve their missions at scale. And we’ll continue to encourage our donor advised fund clients to pay out their funds to nonprofits at rates more than double the national average. While continuing this work to leverage money as a tool for regeneration, we’ll also kick off an ambitious growth plan that will scale up all of these activities and demonstrate that regenerative social finance is the way that the economy can and should work.

No.64

Chad Farell

Encore Renewable Energy

Though we face myriad challenges when it comes to the climate crisis, Encore remains steadfast in the knowledge that every project we develop represents a small step toward a cleaner, brighter future for all. Data shows that renewable energy technologies are better for local health, economies, and environments, and we will not allow disinformation to quell the rising tide of these technologies. Data also shows that diverse organizations perform better financially. Encore is doubling down on both our efforts to deploy increasing amounts of capital to deliver our 700MW+, nearly $1B project pipeline as well as our efforts to lean into our values of diversity, equity and integrity in these uncertain times.

No.65

Dionne Laslo-Baker

DeeBee's Organics Inc

Our company is doubling down on quality in everything we do in 2025. This is ensuring that every freezer pop is perfect, that the the team is pushing boundaries in our work, and that we are proud of every output. A culture of quality is what will take DeeBee’s to the next level.

No.66

Jeff Mills

Genuine Foods

It’s been at the core of the success of the company – from our partnerships with major suppliers and businesses in the Fintech sector, as well as internally with our outstanding team.

No.67

Brian Vaughn

GU Energy Labs

GU Energy Labs exists to fuel athletic movement through high quality sports nutrition products, knowledge and inspiration.  Our purpose has never been more relevant than it is today.  We believe that movement is the essence of life—it improves our overall health and wellbeing and helps to build our communities.

For over 30 years, we’ve focused on building a culture-rich company that lives its values and works collectively to achieve our mission to be the most impactful sports nutrition company.  Navigating through challenges and times of uncertainty has required us to ask difficult questions, think more wholistically, and look for ways to deepen our impact.

To “double down” is to commit to a course of action with greater determination, even when the situation is risky or uncertain. 

In 2025, GU will “double down” in three ways:

1. It will commit to making outdoor sports more accessible to underserved and underrepresented communities by deepening our relationship with 1% for the Planet and partnering with the Running Industry Diversity Coalition (RIDC) to raise funds and awareness.

2. It will protect the environment by achieving Climate Neutral certification, in part by minimizing our carbon footprint.  It will also continue to support and champion the goals of The Conservation Alliance.

3. It will address the issue of company ownership by moving toward a perpetual ownership model, and away from an individual ownership structure.

We are focused on the long game and have seen our power as a purpose-driven organization. We are doubling down to be more inclusive, protect our planet, and support our communities.

No.68

Gordon Seabury

Toad&Co

We continue to be an engaged 1% for the Planet member, are close to completing B-corp certification (should be fully certified in Q2 of 2025), were named an Outside Magazine Best Company to Work For a record 15th consecutive time in 2024 and named for the 2nd year in a row on the Most Inclusive Company list by Color magazine for the 2nd year in a row. We remain heavily committed DEI and particularly invested in our 27-year social venture partnership Planet Access dedicated to inclusivity for people with developmental disabilities.

No.72

Leslie Silverglide

MIXT

We are doubling down on our team, our community, and our partners. We started our company almost nineteen years ago and have built very deep relationships that enable us to do what we do. In 2025, we are focused on continuing to invest in these relationships through promotion from within, being good community stewards, and furthering partner relationships.

No.73

Sandi Kronick

Happy Dirt

In 2025 we’re doubling down on scaling up! Last year we celebrated our 20th anniversary and charted a path for our ‘mid-life corporate glow-up’ – 2025 is when we execute it all, by doubling-down on our audacious support for organic family farms, expanding our capacity and bringing in new partners to lay the groundwork to make the world of food a happier place for us all.

No.74

Jeff Heath

Freeform

Freeform is doubling down on all of our core values, especially our core value to value our purpose over the bottom line during times of uncertainty.

No.75

Janie Hoffman

Mamma Chia

Mamma Chia is doubling down to be of greater service to our employees, customers, communities and the planet. As a Certified B Corp, our commitment is reflected in our Overall B Impact Score of  101.1. To put this in perspective, the median score for a business completing the assessment is 50.9 and the minimum score required for B Corp Certification is 80. We have worked hard to increase our impact over the years and will continue to double down!

No.76

Jason Karp

HumanCo

We’re doubling down where it matters most—internally and externally. Inside our walls, we’re eliminating complexity, refining our processes, and leveraging the right tools to drive efficiency and proficiency across every function. Simplicity isn’t just a philosophy; it’s how we create the space to focus on what truly moves the needle. 

Externally, this commitment extends to the bigger picture—because leading with values means showing up where it counts. Jason Karp is engaging in a national conversation on systemic food change, pushing for mass consumer awareness, and elevating this dialogue at the highest levels—including Senate hearings. The mission has always been clear: challenge the status quo, demand better, and drive real change. Now, we’re doubling down.

No.77

Dan Green

Helpsy

Helpsy is doubling down on creating honorable work—empowering individuals by providing sustainable, meaningful employment while tackling the growing textile waste crisis. Our mission to keep used garments out of landfills is not just about recycling; it’s about creating opportunities for people to contribute to a purpose-driven organization. In 2025, we are expanding our efforts to include neurodiverse individuals, ensuring that we create an inclusive, supportive work environment that allows all employees to thrive. As we continue to lead with values, we’re committed to offering honorable work that positively impacts both the environment and the communities we serve.

No.78

Natalie Hartkopf

Hightower Group, LLC

Hightower is doubling down on our vision of investing in people to preserve the craft of furniture making in High Point, NC.  We believe everyone deserves great design and we need to live it internally as well.  We want to create well-paying jobs in a great environment that attract more and more new talent into furniture making because the very talented craftspeople in the area are now aging out.

We’re in the process of planning a new facility which will rethink what a manufacturing facility looks like and how office workers blend with production team members creating a more cohesive and inclusive team.  We are taking the learnings from large tech companies, biotech and universities that have been investing in LEED buildings with natural light, biophilia, collaborative spaces, inclusive design and many other attributes that Manufacturing hasn’t fully adopted yet.

Despite being in Commercial Real Estate, an industry that was heavily impacted by Covid and work from home, we continue to invest in our people even though we’re not seeing the big orders we used to. We work hard to keep up with Living Wages, better benefits and continuing contributions to our team members’ 529 accounts.

As we approach our B Corp re-certification, we’re excited by the challenge of the new standards. We have been more active in advocacy spaces especially related to eliminating prison labor within our industry, we’ve joined B Lab’s first cohort for Climate Finance and we continue to explore new opportunities for improved circularity and re-use within our industry.  These new standards absolutely require a doubling down on our Company Values of drive progress and stay humble.

No.79

Craig Wichner

Farmland LP

Our values are rooted in our dedication to soil health and biodiversity. We are currently literally “doubling down” on this strategy by raising a $250M fund III that will double our assets under management from our first two funds. Healthy soil means healthier food and, therefore, a more healthy population.

No.80

Ben Ripple

Big Tree Farms

Big Tree Farms is all about doubling down…again and again. We started with a vision of creating sustainable livelihoods for marginalized small farmers in Indonesia and from 1 acre and 5 growers we’ve grown to a network of over 16,000 organic and fair-trade certified producers in what has become the world’s largest, vertically-integrated supply chain for coconut flower nectar. We’ve managed to improve livelihoods for thousands by increasing farmgate pricing by 5x since we started and have ensured these prices are sustainable through a focused process of creating world demand for a product that didn’t exist on shelves outside of South East Asia just 15 years ago.

And now we’re doubling down again. In Q4 of 2024 we completed Regenerative Organic certification for the first 50% of our supply network; ensuring that our farming practices not only produce delicious organic product, but that they are simultaneously building the soil for future success and creating resilience for our farmer partners in the face of ever-increasing climate volatility. As part of this process to bring greater resiliency to our supply chain we’re also focusing on education, access to information and the removal of gender bias. Our supply chain is now made up of 50% women, we’re in the process of digitizing our supply chain for greater transparency and farmer access to production and sales data and we’ve completed the first 3rd party verified Carbon Lifecycle Assessment of Coconut Sugar and Coconut Aminos; all critical steps in ensuring stability, transparency and a clear roadmap forward to ensure we can continue to double down as we grow forward.

No.81

Andrew Vrbas

Pacha Soap Co.

Building community of like minded folks has been the foundation for every opportunity to create impact I’ve had in my career. Because I know the value of community, and because community brings new energy, ideas, and super-powers, building community is something I focus on every day.

No.82

Scott Marcus

BZ Kitchens, PBC

In times of uncertainty, people turn toward their health – something in their control. The food industry saw a shift to clean, real food after the 9/11 attacks and again after the Covid-19 pandemic. In upholding the Blue Zones philosophies and focused on the ‘eating wisely’ pillar, BZ Kitchens and our Blue Zones Kitchen meals continuously doubles-down on consumers’ health via nutritious, clean ingredients.  Shortly after launching the product line, we converted our BPA-free plastic bowls to plant-based, compostable fiber bowls. We upgraded our blueberries (oatmeal) and edamame (Sesame Ginger Bowl) to organic. And we have additional ingredients ready for upgrade from Non-GMO Verified to Certified Organic in the coming months. We have not passed on any cost increases for these changes. We continuously improve our products because it’s the right thing for shoppers and it upholds our brand values.

No.83

Lee Wallace

Peace Coffee

We are doubling down on our belief that people matter – and that in this turbulent time we are going to continue to treat each other and members of our community well. We are going to listen to each other and be kind and caring.

We are going to continue to tell a story about the world and our community that is rich and vibrant, open and accepting. That the world we see based not out of fear but instead is based in possibility.

And we are not backing away from advancing our narrative that business should be a force for good, working to balance the needs of stakeholders and considering factors other than just the bottom line

No.86

Ken LaRoe

Climate First Bank

Climate First Bank is doubling down on several key areas to align with its core values and mission during times of uncertainty. Here are some highlights:

Climate First Bank has recently expanded its services to include cannabis banking and structured finance. The cannabis banking division, launched in partnership with Green Check Verified, provides tailored, secure, and compliant financial solutions for Florida’s cannabis businesses. The structured finance division focuses on factoring and asset-based lending, offering businesses liquidity by leveraging assets such as receivables, inventory, and equipment.

Additionally, Climate First Bank is committed to sustainability, community engagement, and financial innovation. The bank has been operationally net-zero since it opened its doors in June 2021 and offers dedicated loan options for rooftop solar, energy retrofits, and infrastructure to help combat the climate crisis. The bank offers employees the opportunity to further their own learning through its Mission Specialist program, whereby employees are awarded points for taking part in activities such as volunteering, fundraising, educating themselves on sustainability, or even starting sustainable practices at home such as composting.

Climate First Bank is committed to ensuring the Bank has a lasting legacy and recently underwent a significant leadership change. Founder and CEO Ken LaRoe transitioned to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board while retaining the title of CEO of the holding company, Climate First Bancorp. Lex Ford, who was previously Bank President, has been promoted to CEO while retaining the title of President. This proactive promotion within the organization ensures that Climate First Bank can continue to reach its business goals and make long-term, sustainable investments.

Climate First Bank is also doubling down on its commitment to take care of its workers. The bank has a living wage initiative that ensures every employee starts with a living wage. Furthermore, the bank is dedicated to educating its audience with virtual and in-person events, including the acclaimed Climate First Fireside Chats, which inform others about sustainable initiatives from a holistic perspective.

Moreover, in 2024, Climate First Bank joined the Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV), a worldwide network of bank leaders working together to create a banking system that is transparent, accountable, and supports positive economic, social, and environmental change. Climate First Bank also remains steadfast in its commitment to the NetZero Banking Alliance (NZBA), an industry-led, UN-convened alliance of banks worldwide committed to aligning their lending and investment portfolios with net-zero emissions by 2050. This dedication underscores the bank’s unwavering commitment to fighting climate change and supporting sustainable finance.

No.88

David Sudolsky

Boldr

In 2025, Boldr is doubling down on our commitment to focusing on our core businesses and becoming a financially robust organization. We continue to strive for operational excellence while applying learned lessons and best practices from the past year, in pursuit of our mission of doing good while doing well.

In response to an unpredictable and ever-evolving landscape, we are strengthening our efforts to optimize our processes and resources to create capacity for the Organization to focus on what matters most – our Team, our Clients, and our Community. As we grow stronger financially, we unlock more opportunities to invest back into our people, enhancing personal and professional development, and ensuring that every member of Boldr feels equipped and empowered to contribute to our shared mission and success.

No.89

Tristan Louis

Casebook PBC

We are doubling down on protecting our customer’s data in the face of government uncertainty and continuing our growth when many other are retrenching from the human services sector.

No.90

Kate Williams

1% for the Planet

1% for the Planet was built for this global moment. We are laser focused on our mission to accelerate smart environmental giving, and together with 4,700 business members and 7,400 environmental partners from 110 countries, we are on doubling down on work in critical impact areas – from Rights to Nature, and Conservation and Restoration, to Resilient Communities. 

Our theory of change has guided us for more than two decades: Simple actions, done repeatedly, in community are how we create change at scale. It remains core to how 1% for the Planet operates, regardless of the political/social/cultural context. For organizations and individuals that feel overwhelmed by the climate crisis, our collective action model is a proven solution.  As we say, “The anecdote to anxiety is action.”

And we have seen businesses and nonprofits respond to this moment with action and passion. Whether it’s the L.A. wildfires or new policies that threaten to reverse progress on the environment, we are seeing record numbers of new business joining 1% for the Planet. And we are enabling new partnerships to support communities that have been devastated by fires and other climate-related disasters.

Our Founder, Yvon Chouinard, said that that 1% for the Planet model is “a cost of doing business on this planet. It’s not philanthropy — it’s an absolute necessity for us living on this planet.” We are honored to stand with the businesses directed over $690 million to our grassroots members and working toward a better and just world.

And we are thrilled to part of MO 100.

No.92

Eric Friedenwald-Fishman

Metropolitan Group

We are doubling down on addressing global challenges as the core of our work. We see so many places where challenges and potential solutions don’t have borders (geographical or by issue area). From biodiversity loss and climate change to infectious disease and information integrity, what happens in one part of the world affects others. Just as advances or challenges to one issue impact others. Democratic principles, such as freedom of expression, open and honest government, and protecting human rights, advance issues from clean water and Indigenous land rights to women’s health and safe work environments. Environmental health from forest health to air quality—alter everything, from food security and natural disaster prevention to chronic disease and economic equity. Similarly, public health—from health care access to the removal of toxins from communities—influences everything, from economic vitality to life expectancy. And just as innovations and solutions cross geographic borders, so do challenges. At Metropolitan Group (MG), we are privileged to support and collaborate with leaders in the public, nonprofit, philanthropic, and private sectors who are working to address these global challenges.

No.96

Sadie Lincoln

barre3

We are doubling down by focusing on the foundation of our company, our studio business and specifically the growth of our average unit volume of our franchised studios. In an uncertain time, we know we can control the positive impact we have in the lives of the clients we serve and this has never been more important. In a time of uncertainty barre3 studios offer a place to build strength, endurance, and a feeling of being empowered.  Another part of doubling down on what we do best is creating a third place where people know they belong and have support. This is essential during an epidemic of loneliness. Focusing on women has been at the core of our success for 17 years now, and today we are seeing more awareness, more research, and more interest than ever before about how women can drive an exciting growth trajectory in the fitness industry.  We have bullish goals in 2025 to increase our average studio revenue by 20+%.  Proving that more of our studio owners can have a career driven by purpose, passion, and higher profitability is a part of our vision: to redefine success in fitness.  Owning a studio is no longer a dismissed hobby for women, it is a respected and empowering career. We continue to be a women-focused brand with 201 studios all owned and operated by women as well as the vast majority of our client base identifying as women.

No.97

Steven Dyme

Flowers for Dreams

We are 75% completed with our ambitious environmental roadmap at impact.flowersfordreams.com.

No.98

Judith Ward

Advanced Enviro Systems

Hiring, investing in facilities and assets, expanding to new locations