Purpose 360 with Carol Cone

What can five iconic purpose-driven companies teach us about building a mission that lasts?

In this newly re-edited Purpose 360 compilation, we revisit standout conversations with leaders from Bombas, Just Ice Tea, Patagonia, Seventh Generation, and Tony’s Chocolonely to uncover six lessons for keeping purpose intact through growth, disruption, and change.

Featuring Seth Goldman, David Heath, Jeffrey Hollender, Douglas Lamont, Jason LaRose, and Vincent Stanley, the episode explores what happens when purpose is truly put to the test with insights and examples from some of purpose’s leading companies.

Together, these stories offer six practical lessons on building purpose into the business, confronting uncomfortable truths, scaling intentionally, earning stakeholder trust, proving that impact can drive performance, and protecting purpose for the long term.

Purpose 360 is produced by TruStory FM.

Full Show Notes and Resources: https://trustory.fm/purpose360/built-with-purpose-what-five-iconic-companies-teach-us/

• (00:00) - Welcome to Purpose 360

Corporate purpose has faced one of its toughest pressure tests yet. But beneath headlines of retreat, Benevity’s State of Corporate Purpose report reveals a field that is proving remarkably resilient and evolving in important ways.

In this episode of Purpose 360, Carol Cone welcomes Sona Khosla, Chief Impact Officer at Benevity, for a timely conversation about what the data tells us about the state of purpose today. Drawing on Benevity’s research and unique view into corporate and employee action, Sona shares why purpose remains deeply supported inside companies even as political and regulatory pressures reshape how organizations fund, communicate, and execute the work.

The result is a picture of a field entering its next chapter: more focused on trust and authentic storytelling, more thoughtful about the opportunities and risks of AI, and increasingly connected to broader business and talent priorities. For impact leaders who have spent the past several years navigating uncertainty and scrutiny, the conversation offers an encouraging takeaway: purpose has endured, and leaders now have an opportunity to move from defense to offense.

Purpose 360 is produced by TruStory FM.

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• (00:00) - Welcome to Purpose 360

For years, sustainability leaders have helped companies set ambitious targets. Now comes the two harder challenges: delivering on them and proving their business value.

In this episode of Purpose 360, Carol Cone welcomes Ann Tracy, Chief Sustainability Officer of Colgate-Palmolive, for a robust and inspiring conversation about what the next era of sustainability leadership demands. Drawing on more than three decades across engineering, manufacturing, global operations, and sustainability, Ann shares how she has learned to turn sustainability from a set of commitments into an enabler of business strategy.

Ann explains why the strongest sustainability leaders speak the language of growth, resilience, risk, and financial value; how her “win-win-win” philosophy connects consumer benefit, business success, and impact at scale; and why knowing where your organization should lead is critical to making meaningful progress.

She also takes listeners inside Colgate-Palmolive’s journey to reinvent its toothpaste tube—and the decision to share that technology to help move an entire industry forward—while offering lessons on empathy, partnership, pragmatism, and what it takes to lead change across a global organization.

Purpose 360 is produced by TruStory FM.

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• (00:00) - Welcome to Purpose 360

For too many Black women, accessing mental health care has historically been limited by cost, stigma, and a lack of culturally competent providers. The Loveland Foundation was created to change that, and in just a few years, has built one of the nation's most innovative models for expanding equitable access to therapy.

Host Carol Cone welcomes Sharlene Kemler, CEO of The Loveland Foundation, for an inspiring conversation about reimagining mental health through community, partnership, and listening. Sharlene shares how the Foundation evolved from a birthday fundraiser into a national organization and the work they’re doing now to strengthen the entire mental health ecosystem—from investing in therapists' well-being and professional development to continuously improving programs based on participant feedback.

Together, Carol and Sharlene explore why culturally competent care matters, how authentic partnerships create lasting impact, and why supporting both those seeking care and those providing it is essential to making mental health access truly sustainable.

Purpose 360 is produced by TruStory FM.

Full Show Notes & Resources

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• (00:00) - Welcome to Purpose 360

Artificial intelligence is moving faster than most organizations can adapt. But amid the excitement, one critical question often gets overlooked: What is guiding the decisions AI helps us make?

In this episode of Purpose 360, Carol Cone welcomes Kristian Merenda, Partner at Carol Cone ON PURPOSE, and Balaji Ganapathy, Founder and CEO of Social Positive, for a timely conversation about why it’s critical for purpose to be the ultimate guide for AI.

The conversation explores why AI adoption is fundamentally a culture transformation rather than a technology implementation, how organizations can avoid "purpose drift" as automation expands, and why leaders should stop asking, "Can AI do this?" and instead ask, "Should AI do this?"

From responsible governance and employee trust to experimentation, human judgment, and the future of leadership, this conversation challenges conventional thinking about AI and explores how purpose can help organizations use AI responsibly while keeping people, values, and long-term impact at the center.

Purpose 360 is produced by TruStory FM.

Full Show Notes & Resources

• (00:00) - Welcome to Purpose 360

Which came first: the business or the purpose?

For most companies, the answer is the business. But Tony's Chocolonely turned that formula upside down.

In this episode of Purpose 360, Carol Cone welcomes Douglas Lamont, CEO of Tony's Chocolonely, for a fascinating conversation about one of the world's most purpose-driven companies. Founded by investigative journalists determined to expose child labor and exploitation in the cocoa industry, Tony's wasn't created to sell chocolate—it was created to prove that chocolate could be made differently.

Douglas shares how Tony's has transformed that original act of advocacy into a global brand while staying relentlessly focused on its mission. He explains why the company calls itself an impact company, how its sourcing model and Mission Lock governance structure protect purpose at scale, and why transparency, collaboration, and creativity are essential to driving systemic change.

Whether you're leading a purpose-driven business, building one from the ground up, or simply curious about how business can become a force for good, this conversation offers practical leadership lessons and an inspiring vision for what's possible.

Purpose 360 is produced by TruStory FM.

Full Show Notes & Resources

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• (00:00) - Welcome to Purpose 360

What can a national litter study tell us about human behavior, environmental stewardship, and the future of America's communities?

In this episode of Purpose 360, Carol Cone welcomes David Scott, Senior Vice President of Impact and Analytics at Keep America Beautiful, to discuss the organization's newly released National Litter Study—one of the most comprehensive analyses of litter and waste behavior in the United States.

The findings reveal encouraging progress, including a 34% decline in litter along roadways and waterways since the previous study. But the research also uncovers important challenges, from rising tire waste and cardboard litter to significant concentrations of debris along America's coastlines.

Together, Carol and David explore what the data reveals about changing consumer habits, why litter is fundamentally a behavioral issue, and how cleaner communities contribute to stronger local economies, safer neighborhoods, and healthier environments. David also shares practical insights into the proven strategies that help reduce litter, the role of shared responsibility, and why community engagement remains one of the most effective tools for creating lasting change.

Purpose 360 is produced by TruStory FM.

Full Show Notes & Resources Here

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• (00:00) - Welcome to Purpose 360

Long before sustainability, ESG, and stakeholder capitalism entered the business mainstream, Jeffrey Hollender was building a company founded on the belief that business could serve both people and the planet.

In this episode of Purpose 360, Carol Cone welcomes Jeffrey Hollender, co-founder and former CEO of Seventh Generation, and her fellow pioneer of the purpose movement for a candid conversation about his new book, Built for a Better World, and the remarkable story behind Seventh Generation. Together they explore the realities of building a mission-driven company before the market was ready, the role of transparency in earning consumer trust, the challenges of scaling culture during rapid growth, and the difficult lessons Jeffrey learned about investors, governance, and leadership.

Jeffrey also reflects on employee ownership, activist business leadership, and the boardroom decisions that ultimately led to his departure from the company he founded. Along the way, he shares why today’s purpose-driven businesses must think beyond products and profits to address the broader impact they have on people, communities, and the planet.

Purpose 360 is produced by TruStory FM.

Full Show Notes & Resources Here

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• (00:00) - Welcome to Purpose 360

This special episode of Purpose 360 was recorded live at the Engage for Good conference, and host Carol Cone continues her conversations with leaders shaping the future of corporate purpose, nonprofit partnerships, employee engagement, and social impact strategy.

Carol Cone is joined by Bryan Klopack of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Nathan Measom of the American Red Cross, Deborah Barge of The Trevor Project, Sarah Knott of Hasbro, and Kari Hayden Pendoley of Impact Savvy. At Engage for Good, they join leaders across philanthropy, nonprofit leadership, advocacy, and corporate purpose to exchange ideas, challenge assumptions, and explore how organizations can create more meaningful and integrated approaches to impact.

These featured leaders share how they build partnerships that create value for both businesses and communities, engage employees as powerful drivers of purpose, and respond to evolving social needs with creativity and commitment. They discuss workforce development, mentorship, mental health, disaster response, and stakeholder engagement, but they return repeatedly to one central idea: lasting impact starts with listening, grows through authentic relationships, and strengthens through long-term commitment.

Together, these conversations capture the candid, practical, and forward-looking insights for anyone who wants to strengthen communities, engage stakeholders, and advance purpose in a rapidly changing environment.

Purpose 360 is produced by TruStory FM.

Full Show Notes & Resources

• (00:00) - Welcome to Purpose 360

Social impact is moving out of standalone CSR departments and into the center of how organizations think about leadership, culture, talent, and innovation. Recorded live at the Engage for Good conference, this special episode of Purpose 360 brings listeners inside conversations shaping the present and future of the industry.

Engage for Good brings together leaders across philanthropy, nonprofit leadership, advocacy, and corporate purpose to exchange ideas, challenge assumptions, and explore how organizations can create more meaningful and integrated approaches to impact.

Host Carol Cone sits down with Nancy Molenda and Brittany Cruickshank of Mattel, Karoline Katus of the Obama Foundation, Navid Ladha of OnPurpose Careers, and Jorge Alvarez of Active Minds for conversations about embedding social impact into business strategy, cultivating values-based leadership, redefining mission-driven careers, and building long-term partnerships rooted in trust and collaboration. Together, the conversations capture the candid, practical, and forward-looking insights that emerge when leaders committed to social impact come together to share what’s working, what’s changing, and what’s next.

Purpose 360 is produced by TruStory FM.

Full Show Notes & Resources

• (00:00) - Welcome to Purpose 360