There has been a lot of news lately regarding OpenAI’s play to become a for-profit company. I’m going to break it down for you.

You’ve probably heard of the great wealth transfer, which anticipates a whopping $84 TRILLION to get passed down over the next 20 years. But you may not have heard about the “HORIZONTAL wealth transfer”. The tl;dr is: ladies ‘bout to get some serious dough. 

Historically, “philanthropy” was about gifting capital to a worthy cause - gifting being the key term here. The majority of foundations even to this day have distinct teams for growing wealth and then choosing which causes to give that wealth to. However, there is a clear shift in the way the younger generation approaches philanthropy…

We are living in an era where for-profit companies are not just acknowledging the importance of contributing to societal and environmental betterment but are making it a mainstream commitment. This shift is becoming a significant lever for creating value for both shareholders and customers alike.

It was not my intention when I started Rise Together Ventures to begin a drone investment fund, but weirdly I keep falling in love with drone companies…first DroneDeploy, then Saildrone, and now a “drone as a first responder” company called Aerodome. Aerodome is focused on enhancing emergency response capabilities of public safety agencies such as Police and Fire Departments through the use of advanced unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) - i.e. drones.

For those of you who have seen the movie Billy Madison, you may remember Adam Sandler’s famous scene where he purposely splashes water on his pants to make a little boy feel less awkward about peeing his pants: “it’s the coolest to pee your pants!” Well, in real life, and especially as an adult, it is NOT cool to pee your pants. Nor should it be the norm.

The recently launched Paystand.org, Paystand’s impact arm, aims to further financial inclusion through the use of blockchain technology. Blockchain-based systems can enable more efficient and transparent credit assessments, fostering greater access to credit, especially for small businesses and individuals in need of microfinance.

The recently launched Paystand.org, Paystand’s impact arm, aims to further financial inclusion through the use of blockchain technology. Blockchain-based systems can enable more efficient and transparent credit assessments, fostering greater access to credit, especially for small businesses and individuals in need of microfinance.

In recent years, two acronyms have risen to prominence: CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance). These concepts have evolved not just as buzzwords but also frameworks guiding how companies operate within the broader societal and environmental context.

In today's rapidly evolving educational landscape, the integration of technology in learning environments has opened new avenues for addressing persistent challenges in literacy and reading proficiency. One exemplary example is BookNook, an innovative online platform dedicated to enhancing reading skills among elementary and middle school students through their methodology grounded in the Science of Reading.

The year 2023 marked a pivotal moment for the global venture capital industry, which navigated significant uncertainties and challenges reflecting broader economic trends. As a venture capitalist, witnessing these changes has been both challenging and enlightening, offering a unique perspective on the search for growth amidst uncertainty.

DroneDeploy is the leading cloud-based drone mapping and analytics platform to help businesses get things done. DroneDeploy built the software that enables images and videos captured by drones and robots to be useful to a variety of industries.

Entrepreneurs are often celebrated for their ability to innovate, take risks, and build successful businesses. However, beyond their entrepreneurial prowess, many successful business leaders also possess a deep commitment to philanthropy and are emerging as powerful philanthropists (think Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Pierre Omidyar).

When thinking about philanthropy and charity, our minds often leap to nonprofits. But what if I told you that donating to a for-profit might sometimes lead to a more significant and tangible impact?

In the dynamic startup landscape, choosing the appropriate business model is crucial. A question that entrepreneurs often consider is, “Is it more effective to scale as a for-profit or a non-profit?” In this post we will dive into this latter question and compare a few very distinct companies who have lived both the nonprofit and for-profit lives.

You’ve likely heard about, or even made a purchase on, the Etsy website – but you may not know as much about Etsy’s corporate social responsibility program. One of their core impact goals of 2023 is to build more diversity into their marketplaces and increase underrepresented seller shops. In service of this goal, Etsy announced a partnership with Grameen America, a nonprofit that facilitates microloans to female entrepreneurs in the US.

My previous blog post on why donating to for-profit organizations is both smart and easy was really just a tee-up for this blog post - because I’m thrilled to share that Rise Together Ventures has officially joined the cap table of Ribbon, a digital fiscal sponsorship platform that is transforming the way charities and charitable projects are started, funded and operated.

According to Oxford Languages (Google’s dictionary), Philanthropy is defined as “the desire to promote the welfare of others, expressed especially by the generous donation of money to good causes.”

We’ve talked a lot on this blog about the “why” behind startups committing to corporate social responsibility/doing good. For many founders, the reasons for integrating impact within their business operations may be obvious. What may not be so clear is the “how.”

The world of philanthropy has grown in myriad ways over the past few years. The opportunities to invest in the betterment of the world have grown beyond the typical means, and thereby opened up new ways of increasing impact for every dollar given.