causenation

Don’t miss an Op-Ed in today’s Boston Globe entitled “Microfinance is a Solid Investment in Economic Growth.”  The piece, written by Jim Koch, Founder and Chairman of The Boston Beeer Company, and Gina Harman, CEO of ACCION USA, describes the power of extremely small business loans to help lift the fate of entrepreneurs. 

Spreading the word and getting others engaged is a core part of the Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream program, and we are proud to be partners in creating and bringing this program to life.  Through this initiative thousands of  lower-income food and beverage  micro-entreprenuers are receiving business coaching and access to new networks and capital.  Since the program’s inception in 2008, over 250 New England jobs have been saved or created through loans made by the Samuel Adams Microloan Fund at ACCION USA.  Visit the program’s website for more information or to refer an entrepreneur looking for a loan.

Boston Beer Company Founder Jim Koch responds to President Obama’s State of the Union Address on CNBC’s Main Street Business. Jim talks about the company’s community initiative – Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream – that is creating jobs in small businesses through the power of micro-lending.  We are proud to be a part of the Samuel Adams team. Click to learn more on the program’s website, watch related video, or read other related causenation posts. 

We are having a busy Summer working and playing.  We hope you are too. Here are some highlights from our world:

• Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream was profiled on CNN, highlighting the story of Lucy Valena, one of our first micro-loan recipients.  Watch the segment.  We are proud that over the past year over 250 jobs have been created or saved through the program.
• ARAMARK released a case study on how and why the company created its first-ever signature community program - ARAMARK Building Community.  Patricia Hurley provided the final edits just days ago.  Read the case at causeconsulting.com.
• Nikki Korn joined the Fidelity FutureStage team on Broadway to celebrate the power and importance of arts education at the year-end performance of five plays written and acted by NYC public school students. Watch what Queen Latifah and Elton John had to say at futurestage.com.           (more…)

For the past four years I have been working with Adobe on its Adobe Youth Voices  program, a signature initiative that empowers young people from underserved communities around the globe to share their voices. I could not be more thrilled that the Black Eyed Peas have continued to add their voices to support and raise awareness of the power of young people.

I am completely inspired by these kids and it has become a personal passion of mine to expose people in my networks to their creations.

One young filmmaker I really admire is Maria Centeno from East Palo Alto, CA. Part hip-hop artist, part journalist, part poet, part graphic artist, her film What Has This World Come To? is a commentary about paying attention to what is going on around you, seen through Maria’s eyes. More than 25,000 people have viewed Maria’s work! Take a few minutes to watch it.  I hope you agree it is really powerful.  Pass it along to people you know. 

Last week participants and supporters from all over the world came together to celebrate a series of milestones – the first Adobe Youth Voices Global Summit followed by Adobe Youth Voices Live! (more…)

At causenation, the corporate philanthropy programs we like best are the ones that get us up off the couch with a fist-pumping cheer for the people that cause initiatives help. So today we give a big “You Go Girl!” to Lucy Valena of Voltage Coffee who was featured yesterday on CNN’s American Morning.

I love hanging out with Lucy and drinking her lattes. Her story has inspired me, as I hope it will inspire you. Lucy is just one of the microentrepreneurs who have received a microloan and business coaching through the Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream program, in partnership with nonprofit microlender ACCION USA.

Lucy is an example of the amazing spirit of small business heroes who put it all on the line every day in dedication to their craft. She is representative of the many independent, small business owners who are the faces of Main Street America. Her business and her life are so inextricably intertwined – the success of one is synonymous with the stability of the other.

During a recent speech, Lucy described her business journey to other passionate entreprenuers. With her permission, I am happy to share it here with you….   “Voltage Coffee is an espresso catering service that strives to (more…)

I recently had the privilege of volunteering along with the employees of our client, Samuel Adams, at their “Speed Coaching” event. Speed Coaching is an integral part of Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream, the company’s signature philanthropy program that helps lower-income food and beverage microentrepreneurs build and strengthen their small businesses, realize their dreams, and achieve economic independence. The program offers microloans, and other hard-to-come-by resources, through the Samuel Adams Microloan Fund with nonprofit partner ACCION USA.

Speed Coaching is cool! Building off the idea of Speed Dating (which I’ve only heard about, never experienced) Boston Beer staff, and other volunteers, meet with microentrepreneurs in short, spirited sessions offering their expertise in package design, branding, PR, finance, legal, sales and distribution, and marketing to entrepreneurs who often lack access to networks and mentors who can help them with these aspects of running a small business. Entrepreneurs spend the evening rotating through the discipline specific stations for 20 minutes each – getting practical tips, directional advice and ideas. Some entrepreneurs brought their food, others brought logos and package concepts, yet others came with a specific business problem they needed help solving. (more…)