His first shock in college was being asked to fill out his ethnicity on a form. He didn’t fit into any of the categories. He also discovered that many Americans knew very little about Morocco.

When he started at Nielsen seven years ago, he joined several affinity groups, which Nielsen calls “business resource groups." Unfortunately, none of them was the right fit. 

He approached Nielsen’s DEI team and proposed a new group for employees of Arab descent called Marhaba (Arabic for “hello”). 

At the first meeting, Issam talked about Ramadan and how Muslim people celebrate this month-long period. He was careful to note that just because you’re Arab doesn’t necessarily mean you’re Muslim. Issam explained that at least 400 million people of Arab descent live in 22 countries. 

Claire Randall is CEO of Grand Central Bakery, a B-Corp certified artisan bakery in Oregon and Washington with a community-centered mission and sustainable business practices. Claire’s been working at Grand Central for 29 years.

“My friend Piper Davis and her brother were  opening the Portland branch...There was really nothing like it in Portland at the time. So I hounded Ben and his mom, Gwen Bassetti, the founder...to hire me.”

“I love to call Gwen a food pioneer. She was creating beautiful food from local ingredients, way before a lot of people even thought that was a possibility.”

Women-owned and women-led from the beginning, they made delicious food from scratch, using local ingredients.

Grand Central’s mission is to serve delicious, authentic food made from high-quality, local, and sustainable ingredients while growing a healthy values-driven business. Grand Central is also the Pacific Northwest's first B Corp certified bakery.

The bakery supports several nonprofits, including Lift Up Portland, CAUSA, and the Blueprint Foundation. Supporting local food systems and using local ingredients is a strong value, similar to Salt & Straw Ice Cream.

“Through the way we source our food locally from local ranchers and farmers, not just our ingredients, but any purchases we can, we strive to constantly improve how much we're buying locally. That has kept us strong and resilient through the entire pandemic…the fact we're still in business has helped so many of our local vendors. I love that it's a mutually supportive relationship.” 

Grand Central also pays a lot of attention to what they put out into the waste stream.

“Our goal is a 100% waste diverted from the waste stream. And the last couple years we've hit 87%, which is pretty great. We have a lot of fired up employees who care a lot about the waste stream. We recycle and compost anything we can and have very little garbage left over.”

After surviving the worst of the pandemic, now the bakery is navigating more challenges.

“Operating our business the way we do is not the cheapest way. We buy the best ingredients. We pay our employees well. We have great benefits. We have beautiful spaces… we're in a situation where our profit is declining...we're experiencing skyrocketing ingredient costs...combined with this staffing shortage. Our goal right now is to become more efficient without sacrificing any of the deliciousness or the artistry of our products.”

I asked Claire for her advice for others who want to create companies that care. Grand Central is unique as it’s an open book company.

“My first piece of advice is to focus on the finances as much as your mission. So many businesses spend a lot of time thinking about what their mission is, what they want to offer…but they neglect the nuts and bolts of what it really takes to be a profitable business. And if you're not profitable, you can't live your mission…So few companies are open book companies…I think it's so important to educate your employees about your numbers and do your work to build that trust and use that transparency to improve your performance.”

Claire was excited to share that this summer, Grand Central is transitioning their ownership into a perpetual purpose trust.

Now I need to go get one of those yummy cinnamon rolls!! 

I alternate the Companies That Care podcast with my original podcast, Finding Fertile Ground, which shares personal stories of grit and resilience. On both my podcasts I strive to highlight voices from historically excluded populations, people who don't always get a platform. 

I help professional services companies avoid BORING by making communications painless and boosting employee engagement, productivity, and brand recognition. I turn lackluster, jargon-filled, or technical prose into clear dynamic narrative. Look us up on fertilegroundcommunications.com. 

You can watch the video of this interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdv1Tijyl9o

“None of us knows as much as all of us. There is combined wisdom and insights and knowledge when we bring people together.”
--Joel Makower, founder of GreenBiz

Joel Makower is chairman and co-founder of GreenBiz Group, a media and events company focusing at the intersection of business, technology, and sustainability. For more than 30 years, through his writing, speaking, and leadership, he has helped companies align pressing environmental and social issues with business success.

Joel has written more than a dozen books about sustainability and technology; writes regular articles; co-hosts “GreenBiz 350,” a weekly podcast on sustainable business topics; appears regularly in the media; and serves on several company and nonprofit boards. The Associated Press has called him “The guru of green business practices.”

I enjoyed hearing how the following he’d developed from his snail mail newsletter exploded with the arrival of the Internet. Now grown into an impressive, pioneering company, GreenBiz has built a one-of-a-kind community in sustainable business.

“There's also strength in diversity as there is in nature…where the more we know about different things other people are doing to reach some of the same goals, the stronger and better everybody gets.

This is the secret sauce of GreenBiz. We created a community that did not exist. 20 or 30 years ago, sustainability executives from big companies were not talking to each other…we are helping people understand that they're part of something bigger than themselves.”

I asked Joel about what he sees in his crystal ball for a variety of pressing issues: climate change and rising temperatures, plastic waste, his three wishes for the future, and what he has learned a long the way.

“It's sometimes hard to see the bigger purpose…that we're not alone or that we're part of maybe even a revolution that even the people in it don't really readily see…how do you create a community and then drive that community to go further, faster, and really give them the tools, resources, inspiration, maybe a little fear now and then…”

I asked Joel for his advice to others on how to create companies that care:

“Well, first start somewhere. It can be overwhelming. There's so much to do. And it can feel like a distraction, but start somewhere. Just jump in. I think a lot of people are afraid to do that.”

I alternate the Companies That Care podcast with my original podcast, Finding Fertile Ground, which shares personal stories of grit and resilience. On both my podcasts I strive to highlight voices from historically excluded populations, people who don't always get a platform. 

I help professional services companies avoid BORING by making communications painless and boosting employee engagement, productivity, and brand recognition. I turn lackluster, jargon-filled, or technical prose into clear dynamic narrative. Look us up on fertilegroundcommunications.com. 

As a podcaster for justice, I stand with my sisters from the Women of Color Podcasters Community. We are podcasters united to condemn the tragic murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and many others at the hands of police. 

Fertile Ground Communications LLC is a certified women-owned business enterprise, disadvantaged business enterprise, and emerging small business.