A purpose-driven holding company

Hello, and welcome to Purpose Group’s newsletter! We will post periodically, sharing our journey of buying, growing, and holding (forever) companies that are a force for good in the world.

Here’s our backstory to get us started:

Since 2013, I’ve been running a bit of an experiment, trying to build a purpose-driven (for profit) business that truly believes in business as a force for good. Dragon Army is a purpose-driven digital engagement agency, and I’m so proud of what we’ve built. We’ve worked hard to get it right - often stumbling, never quitting - and I believe we’ve created a foundation and commitment that has allowed us to build a truly special business.

Along the way, I’ve also had the great fortune to create other purpose-driven businesses, including 48in48, The A Pledge, and Ripples Media.

Part of my goal is to show leaders that a business can be both profitable AND stand for something bigger than itself; that you don’t have to sacrifice growth in order to do right by your employees and make a positive impact on your community and the world.

And thus, we created Purpose Group, a different kind of private equity fund. Yes, we will be buying businesses and providing a return to our shareholders, but the core idea is to acquire companies and instill in them a sense of Purpose and a new way of operating. We call it our Purpose Playbook, pulled from the four books I’ve written in my Turnaround Leadership Series.

My Purpose Group team :)

Along with co-founders Jonathan Morgan (CFO) and David Cummings, and an incredible advisory board (Kashi Sehgal, Sanjay Parekh, Raj Choudhury, and Bharath Parthasarathy) we will be focused on creating more purpose-driven, employee-focused businesses in the world.

Here are three ways you can learn more about Purpose Group:

1. Purposegroup.us

2. This podcast I recorded with Kashi Sehgal

3. The Atlanta Business Chronicle launch article

Thanks as always for your support and friendship.

And as always, I hope you’re happy.