I recently sat down for a conversation with Margaret Ryan and Anna McGrath, co-directors of the Bay Area Conscious Capitalism chapter, a new part of the global movement of businesses with a triple bottom line: people, planet, and profits.

Margaret and Anna outlined some of the fundamentals of the international conscious capitalism movement and highlighted their plans to further the work via the Bay Area chapter. You can listen to the full 30-minute interview HERE.

For starters, Anna and Margaret offered clear and compelling explanations of how conscious capitalism focuses on running a business that embodies a deep commitment to the purpose of positively and holistically impacting all of the people (stakeholders) involved in the work, as well as the planet itself. These ideas of a “purpose-driven organization” expressed through “stakeholder integration” comprise the first two tenets of the movement. The other two are:

 1)  “Conscious leadership” that is authentic and collaborative on a daily basis in recognition that every employee is leading his or her role

and

2)      “Conscious culture and management” with decision-making by everyone in the organization’s structure and operating systems, in a way that moves beyond the outdated centralized systems of the industrial age

Margaret and Anna went on to discuss how they worked with others to launch the Bay Area Conscious Capitalism chapter in the spring of 2013. They both are quite experienced in running businesses within the conscious capitalism framework, and wanted to bring together like-minded businesspeople in the Bay Area who are on “their own similar journeys and want to inspire others to jump on board —and have a lot of fun doing it.” The goal is to create a “tipping point with a support system, inspiration, excitement, and the ability to regenerate their energy.”

Already working with over a dozen committed volunteers, Anna and Margaret are actively looking for others to serve on the advisory board or a committee, or to host or speak at an event.

And events are big on the Bay Area Conscious Capitalism agenda for 2014. Anna, Margaret and colleagues are planning:

• An interactive speaker series, where everyone has a voice and is not just listening to speakers
• A monthly how-to series that brings together the 4 tenets of conscious capitalism to produce measurable results in our organizations
• Fun social experiences, with outings that may include hiking, restaurants, art performances, etc.
• Outreach to other local organizations that are part of the movement in their own ways

You can listen to my full 30-minute interview with Anna and Margaret HERE.  See you soon at an upcoming event!