Written by Wayne Elsey, Founder and CEO
Wayne Elsey is the founder and CEO of Elsey Enterprises. Among his independent brands, he is also the founder and CEO of Funds2Orgs.
In the more than ten years since I created a global for-profit company that changes lives, I've realized a more significant shift toward sustainability. For instance, in Europe, there has been a recognition that unsustainable tourism is not beneficial to many premier cities and locations. The concept of sustainability has expanded, and it’s creating great opportunities for sustainable entrepreneurship.
More than a decade ago, I realized there was a way to support the environment and create jobs in the United States, where I live, and in developing countries. The inspiration for it came after the devastating effects and my involvement in providing people affected by the Indian Ocean tsunami with shoes. As the head of a shoe manufacturing company, I knew that disease would permeate among people who lost everything. They needed shoes for protection, which was the seed for sustainable entrepreneurship.
A social enterprise is born
It took a little while for my team and I to create the for-profit impactful social enterprise market leader Funds2Orgs. The premise of it is simple. Help organizations raise funds or companies create social responsibility opportunities in their local communities. Simply collecting shoes in North America keeps used shoes from ending up in landfills. More than 20,000 partners later, we've rescued over 37 million shoes and placed them in the reuse market.
In my experience, any company can lean into a sustainable enterprise and should. In a world where digital technology and now generative AI fundamentally shift how people work, communicate, and live, the public wants to see environmental and social awareness in business. They want to see and experience a transformative approach to lifting all boats, not just the ships of a few. That means business leaders need to reorient profit and social awareness.
The emergence of sustainable entrepreneurship
Sustainable entrepreneurship is a significant change in how companies operate. Of course, every business wants to make a profit. However, being environmentally and socially aware is fast becoming a must-do, not just a nice thing to do. For instance, there's an urgent need to tackle climate change. It's not going away, and it's something that's affecting every living thing on the planet, including businesses.
However, at the heart of this business movement is the empowerment of entrepreneurs. Understanding that the broad concept of sustainability is at the leading edge of today's companies, it's essential to start taking steps toward it. One of the primary things any business leader can do is focus on finding solutions for real-world problems. Our team does it by supporting the environment and creating jobs to change lives globally.
The paradigm shift
In business, there's a lot of chatter about shifts in mindset. Many people talk about being disruptive and creating sustainable change, but only some do it. However, a genuine paradigm shift is happening, and leadership is reshaping how companies operate and even what it means to be a business leader. There's transformative change happening, and the public is looking to business leaders to be ethical about it.
Through the years, many people have asked me how we’ve become successful. The answer is simple. We've aimed to empower people and organizations globally through a simple premise—keeping shoes out of landfills. In other words, if you're new to sustainable entrepreneurship, have you ever considered fresh ways to become a sustainable company in your community or worldwide? If not, it’s easier than you think.
Overcoming challenges through innovation and collaboration
Sustainability is fundamentally changing businesses. It's impossible to only focus on the bottom line. In the contemporary work era, it's essential to demonstrate that as a leader, you get it, and your company—no matter the market—is looking to stay current and even ahead of the curve. The following are five quick tips any company can consider when making the shift.
Implement green procurement policies. In other words, source your materials and equipment from vendors and logistics companies that are environmental.
Focus on waste management. Make it a point within your company to reduce, reuse, and recycle in your business.
Train and engage the team. While people know they should reuse and repurpose, they don't know how. That's your opportunity to educate, inform, and engage.
Report and communicate. As your company pushes the ball forward, communicate it internally and as part of your marketing efforts.
Continuous improvement. Sustainability is an ongoing approach to business that has to become part of your core values. That way, you can always seek to improve.
The concept of sustainability isn’t just about the environment. It’s about improving lives and making a difference. If someone had told me twenty years ago that I would be the CEO of a global social enterprise doing so much for the planet and people worldwide, I don't know if I would have believed it fully. But here I am with my team. I've realized that sustainable entrepreneurship is incredibly rewarding and profitable.
© 2024 Wayne Elsey. All Rights Reserved.
Wayne Elsey, Founder and CEO
Wayne Elsey is the founder and CEO of Elsey Enterprises. Among his independent brands, he is also the founder and CEO of Funds2Orgs. This social enterprise helps nonprofits, schools, churches, civic groups, individuals, and others raise funds while helping to support micro-enterprise (small business) opportunities in developing nations and the environment.
