By Steve Gonick
Chief of Belief, Co-Founder and Lead Investor
When you reach a certain age, it’s natural to get a little philosophical: To take a long look back at where you’ve been, and to think hard about where you’re going.
I like to think that I’ve gained some wisdom and perspective through the years. I have worked for startups and Fortune 50 companies; I have married and parented; I have joined with like-minded people in faith organizations, civic organizations, membership groups and non-profit boards.
I have realized this: I am most fulfilled when I can do my part to make the world a better place.
I am hardly the first person to recognize this. As Booker T. Washington wrote way back in 1901, “those who are happiest are those who do the most for others.”
So, how can I do my part? My career has been in the field of business. How can I put my expertise to work, creating happiness for myself while helping others?
The answer, for me, has been to mentor and invest in triple-bottom-line startup ventures: Founders who want to build businesses that consider not only the financial bottom line, but their positive social and environmental impacts. I am particularly interested in triple-bottom-line businesses founded by women, because women have been underrepresented in the startup sector and so many strong, capable women have great triple-bottom-line ideas.
Which leads me to founder Gayle Farman and Passport for Good. And an explanation of this headline.
I decided to be a lead investor and co-founder of Passport for Good because it is a startup led by a strong, skilled, passionate woman with a great product and a mission to enhance community engagement. We are starting small by design, but I happen to think that this business could have a global impact.
The world is an interconnected web, and every one of us needs a helping hand in this journey called life. No one is an island, and all of us benefit from others’ efforts. It boggles my mind when I think about how my daily life has been impacted by the millions who have come before me, along with my peers and “youngers.” There are 7.6 billion of us here on Planet Earth right now, which means that there are 7.6 billion reasons why Passport for Good is worthy of my investment and my time and effort.