Stats:
$15.2 Billion in sales revenue; Founded in 1901 by a Swedish immigrant; 68,000 employees; led by Peter E. Nordstrom President, Director & Chief Brand Officer & Erik B. Nordstrom Chief Executive Officer & Director; HQ in Seattle

What’s Up:

Nordstrom recently released its 2025 Corporate Social Responsibility goals to be more sustainable, driving positive labor practices and philanthropically supporting the communities it serves.

Nordstrom is looking to lead by example. The published corporate social responsibility goals seek to do good works within its organizational structure, but also in its supply chain and in our communities.

Why We’re Smitten:

We get goosebumps when corporate leadership talks about acting from a place of positivity, improving diversity and inclusivity, attaining environmental sustainability goals, and increasing community philanthropic projects.

Nordstrom is whispering sweet nothings into our ears and we are loving it.

Stats:
2019 revenue of $232 billion; #5 on the Fortune 500; 798,000 employees; led by Chairman & CEO Jeff Bezos; HQ in Seattle

What’s Up:

Amazon created a $5 million fund to support local businesses impacted by the coronavirus precautions. As part of those precautions, Amazon asked its Seattle employees to work from home.

Asking workers to work from home has a direct impact on the revenue of bars, restaurants and food trucks. Amazon saw the issue, maybe didn’t want to miss out on that killer shawarma, & stepped up to help its local small businesses in the middle of a health pandemic. 

Why We’re Smitten:

We absolutely love to hear a business doing the right thing for its community. Be good to your community, and your community will be good to you. 

Kudos to Amazon for leading by example and looking out for its community.

Stats:
2019 revenue of $137 billion; #13 on the Fortune 500; 164,000 employees; led by Chairman & CEO Mary T. Barra; HQ in Detroit

What’s Up:

GM is seriously committed to an all electric vehicle (EV) future. In the next five years the company will invest $20 billion in both electric and autonomous vehicle technologies and plans an extensive EV rollout by 2025.

Let’s not forget profit, GM hasn’t. To remain profitable after this transition the automaker has partnered with LG Chem to develop their own Ultium battery which will increase the current scalability of EVs while reducing the production cost.

Why We’re Smitten:

We absolutely love to hear about big automakers transitioning to a more sustainable transportation options. What do we love even more?  An equal focus on innovation and profit!

Social good and profit are not mutually exclusive.

Kudos to GM for looking to the EV future while innovating their way to greater profit! 

Stats:

Founded in 2011; 175 employees; $25 million in revenue; led by co-founder and CEO Sara Lafleur, 84,000 Instagram followers

What’s Up:

The company’s “Ready to Run” campaign offers complimentary clothing loans to women running for public office at the local, state, or federal level.

To avoid campaign finance issues the program rents candidates 3 items of clothing which are donated to Bottomless Closet after the election.

Why We’re Smitten:

Women running for office face more scrutiny than male counterparts for their fashion choices. 

M.M. Lafleur gets it and created a positive solution.

The program is nonpartisan and seeks to increase the number of seats currently held by women, which is 24% in Congress and 29% of statewide offices.

Supporting women of all parties through fashion? We’re here for that!

STATS: 19.7% of professional kitchens are run by women. 56.7% of executive chefs and head cooks are white. 17% are Asian.

WHAT’S UP?

Bon Appétit  is being proactive and wants to take it upon itself to answer this question: How can our staff and the chefs we cover and the talented folks we collaborate with better represent the fabric of this country and its remarkably dynamic food scene?

WHY WE’RE SMITTEN:

Proactive choice to be more inclusive and diverse. Yes, please. Recognizing that we can do better is an amazing step for business. Realizing that taking that step can make the industry stronger and more profitable, even better. A thousand kudos, Bon Appétit, you are our jam.

19.7% of professional kitchens are run by women. 56.7% of executive chefs and head cooks are white. 17% are Asian.

WHAT’S UP?

Bon Appetit is being proactive and wants to take it upon itself to answer this question: How can our staff and the chefs we cover and the talented folks we collaborate with better represent the fabric of this country and its remarkably dynamic food scene?

WHY WE’RE SMITTEN:

Proactive choice to be more inclusive and diverse. Yes, please. Recognizing that we can do better is an amazing step for business. Realizing that taking that step can make the industry stronger and more profitable, even better. Kudos, Bon Appetit, you are our jam.

Stats: 

Growing Division. 35% of Republicans & 45% of Democrats would oppose their child marrying someone from the other party. In 1960, it was 4%. 

What’s Up? 

A Starting Point, a political project brought to you by Captain America, actor Chris Evans, is looking to smooth the divide by offering quick access to information from both sides of a political issue via short 1-minute, bias free videos.

Why We’re Smitten: 

We’re nerds at heart. We love information as much as we love dogs. Show us a project that offers quick access to information that builds an informed society, and we will have cartoon hearts shooting out of our eyes and will be saying “yes thank you more please” on repeat. 

Captain America out to make American politics kinder with less division, we are totally smitten!

Stats: 

Founded in 1992; Led by Co-CEOs, Jim Coulter and Jon Winkelried; manages more than $119 billion in investments; active investors in over 200 companies; 17 global offices; 1000 employees

What’s Up: 

TPG has been committed to sustainability issues for more than 25 years. The firm considers a broad set of sustainability issues when assessing risk, valuation, profitability, and opportunity.

TPG utilizes The Rise Fund, its global impact fund, to achieve their ESG goals. A $4 billion platform dedicated to social and environmentally-driven investments, it is focused on “evidence-based impact investing”.

Why We’re Smitten:

In 2019 the leader of TPG’s Rise Fund was arrested and fired for his alleged role in the college admission scandal. Since that time the investment firm has continued with Rise and made series strides in gender diversity on the boards within their portfolio. 

We absolutely love when businesses take lemons and make social impact lemonade! This is how you bounce back from a public relations crisis: You make a name for yourself by adding 64 women to corporate boards at 53 companies.

Way to turn things around TPG. We’re totally smitten.

Stats: 

Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Simonelli; HQ in Houston; currently employees more than 64,000 people in 120 nations; reported a $195 million profit & $23 billion in revenue in 2018; 620,500 Twitter followers

What’s Up: 

Baker Hughes recently announced signing a major renewable energy deal for 10-year power-purchase to get all electricity for its 170 Texas facilities  from wind and solar.

Why We’re Smitten: 

11 months ago, Baker Hughes pledged to reach zero-net emissions by 2050. Since then, the company signed this energy deal, reducing 12% of their global emissions, and indicating how serious the company is to reach its zero-net emissions goal.

During the 10-year agreement, the company will reduce an equivalent of 1.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide.

An oil and gas company pledging to accomplish zero-net emissions?!?! Be still our hearts!

We love when incredibly successful companies set an awesome example with corporate citizenship and we’d say $23 billion in profits qualifies as “incredibly successful.”

Current Stats: Project Transitions has been providing housing, supportive living, recuperative care, & hospice for people with HIV & AIDS since 1988. 

In 2018, the nonprofit provided 1,552 days of care. At their hospice & recuperative care center: 

• 91% of clients had income levels less than the poverty line at admission
• 75% of clients were off HIV meds at admission
• 90% had a history of mental health issues
• 81% had a history of substance abuse 

What’s Up: Project Transitions has improved health outcomes for residents, decreased the likelihood of transmission, moving closer to their zero-transmission goal, & saved taxpayer dollars by placing patients in a more suitable & affordable setting than a hospital bed.

Why We’re Smitten: We love organizations that see a problem in their community & step up to solve it while saving tax payer dollars! That’s super hero status.

Project Transitions never turns anyone away for an inability to pay & will soon help even more people as they increase the number of units & build brand-new housing.

Compassion & care for all while making the community better. What’s not to love? 

Current Stats: Female founded in Cape Town, South Africa; creates 1-minute video profiles showcasing businesses around the world; clients include Scripps National Spelling Bee, Rotary International, South African Tourism, & Mercedes-Benz

What’s Up: Skybok actively works with nonprofits providing videos that are critical for fundraising efforts and awareness campaigns, including Heatherbank Primary School, The Rotary Clubs of Algoa Bay & Austin-Westlake, Yokhuselo Haven for Abused Women and Khayalethu Boys Center for Street Children.

Focused on the needs of children and education, the company’s social impact shines via its work with the Scripps Spelling Bee and local nonprofits.

Why We’re Smitten: We love love love female founded companies. 

Businesses that care, give back, and actively participate in their community are our favorite type of businesses. We have no doubt that Skybok’s new location on Congress Avenue in Downtown Austin will bring Skybok closer to the community and its new clients.

Skybok’s impressive client list and numerous videos prove that #profit4good is the future. 

We’re so totally smitten!

Check out some of Skybok’s amazing videos here.