Philanthropy is more than just writing a check; it’s about creating a lasting impact by serving others. For entrepreneurs, integrating social good into the fabric of a business isn’t just noble — it’s a powerful way to build a sustainable company that resonates with employees, customers and communities alike.

During a conversation with Cheryl Sutterfield-Jones, CEO of Cars for Kids in Texas, I was struck by her insights on how leaders can make a difference beyond profit margins. Her stories offered valuable lessons on embedding purpose into business strategies, fostering trust and making an impact that transcends traditional business goals.

Related: 5 Entrepreneurial Reasons to Embrace Philanthropy

Founders who built purpose into their businesses

Purpose-driven entrepreneurship isn’t a new concept. Several founders have woven philanthropy into their companies from the start:

• Blake Mycoskie (TOMS): Mycoskie pioneered the one-for-one giving model, donating a pair of shoes for every pair sold.

• Patagonia’s Yvon Chouinard: Chouinard built Patagonia with environmental stewardship at its core, donating 1% of sales to environmental causes.

• Dan Price (Gravity Payments): Price made headlines by raising his employees’ minimum salary to $70,000 while cutting his own pay.

• Scott Harrison (charity: water): Harrison founded charity: water to provide clean water access worldwide, with a model of complete donation transparency.

These founders didn’t just focus on building successful companies — they made giving back a core part of their missions. Their stories show that doing good can be deeply integrated into business operations.

The power of servant leadership in business

Cheryl’s journey into servant leadership began early in her career. “I knew I wanted to help others when I was a young girl,” she shared. “While attending a conference, I was introduced to Robert Greenleaf’s philosophy of the Servant as a Leader. I realized my personal goals of listening, humility, coaching, empathy and empowering my teams aligned with servant leadership.”

This philosophy isn’t just relevant to nonprofits or large organizations; it holds significant value for entrepreneurs starting new ventures. Founders often wear multiple hats and face immense pressure to deliver results. By adopting a servant leadership mindset, they can create a culture of trust, collaboration and empowerment from day one.

Related: Why Being a Servant Leader Is Essential for Your Business’s Long-Term Growth

Personal stories of impact

One of the most powerful stories Cheryl shared was about leading through a crisis. During the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, her teams were working around the clock to provide support. Recognizing the personal sacrifices her employees were making, she took the time to write personal thank-you letters to their families.

“One team member didn’t have a local family, so her letter was addressed to her cats with some cat treats,” Cheryl shared with a smile. “Although it has been 20 years, I still hear from team members and even some of their family members about how that gesture made a difference.”

Cars for Kids itself is a powerful example of how purpose can drive business success. The organization takes vehicle donations and uses the proceeds to fund education for at-risk youth at Texans Can Academies. This model of turning unused assets into life-changing opportunities for students shows how businesses can leverage philanthropy for long-term impact.

Balancing purpose with business goals

One challenge entrepreneurs face is balancing purpose with profitability. The misconception that doing good comes at the expense of business success is outdated. In reality, businesses that prioritize social good often see better employee retention, customer loyalty and brand reputation.

“Servant leadership strengthens employees’ dedication to the organization and their commitment to excellence,” Cheryl explained. “When the team is included in the decision-making process, empowered to do their jobs and their personal and professional growth is encouraged, you have a highly motivated team performing at peak level.”

For founders, this means that embedding purpose into your business model can create a competitive advantage. Customers are increasingly choosing brands that align with their values, and employees want to work for companies that make a positive impact. Purpose-driven companies aren’t just surviving — they’re thriving.

Practical tips for purpose-driven entrepreneurs

If you’re an entrepreneur looking to integrate social good into your business, consider the following steps:

• Identify your cause: Choose a cause that resonates with you and your brand. Whether it’s education, environmental sustainability or social equity, aligning your business with a purpose makes your mission more authentic.

• Build purpose into your business model: Think beyond donations. How can your product or service directly impact your cause? Consider models like one-for-one giving, sustainable sourcing or inclusive hiring practices.

• Empower your team: A purpose-driven mission starts with your employees. Foster a culture where team members feel empowered to contribute to your mission. Encourage them to share ideas on how the company can give back.

• Be transparent: Customers want to know where their money is going. Share your impact stories through blogs, newsletters or social media. Transparency builds trust and loyalty.

• Adapt and evolve: As your business grows, so will your opportunities to make an impact. Stay open to evolving your mission and expanding your social initiatives.

Personal reflection: Why purpose matters in entrepreneurship

In my own journey as a business leader, I’ve seen firsthand the power of integrating purpose into business. It’s not just about profitability; it’s about building something that lasts — something that makes a difference.

One of my most memorable experiences involved mentoring young entrepreneurs. Seeing their growth and success reinforced my belief that giving back is not just a moral obligation but a strategic advantage. It builds stronger communities, fosters loyalty and creates a sense of purpose that drives both personal and professional fulfillment.

Related: 4 Steps to Building a Purpose-Driven Business

A call to action for aspiring entrepreneurs

As we reflect on the lessons from Cheryl Sutterfield-Jones and other purpose-driven founders, it’s clear that leadership and philanthropy can go hand in hand. Whether you’re a new entrepreneur or a seasoned founder, consider how you can make a difference through your business.

Identify your purpose, embed it into your operations, and lead with empathy and transparency. Your business can be more than a source of profit — it can be a vehicle for positive change. The payoff? A thriving company, a motivated team and a legacy that lasts.

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To view our entire 2025 Franchise 500 list, including category rankings, click HERE

Navigating the insurance world can be complicated, but Estrella Insurance has turned it into an accessible and stress-free experience. Ranked #172 on Entrepreneur‘s 2025 Franchise 500 and the leader in the financial services category, Estrella specializes in providing affordable insurance solutions with a personal touch.

• Overall Franchise 500 rank: 172
• Number of units: 212
• Change in units: +21.1% over 3 years
• Initial investment: $12,000-$84,000

Related: Considering franchise ownership? Get started now to find your personalized list of franchises that match your lifestyle, interests and budget.

Founded in 1980, Estrella Insurance has built a reputation for offering a wide range of insurance products, from auto and home to business and health insurance. With more than 200 locations across the U.S., Estrella serves as a trusted resource for individuals and families seeking comprehensive coverage at competitive prices.

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Related: Here’s how we determined our annual Franchise 500 ranking and what we learned from the data.

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Related: See Which Brands Topped Entrepreneur‘s 46th Annual Franchise 500

For business owners, a lost wallet is more than an inconvenience. That could be where you keep your company identification, credit cards, and so many more things that are, at best, a headache to replace and, at worst, a security risk.

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Find anything you lose

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The global economy is undergoing a strategic shift towards a future built on clean energy. The U.K. has set 2030 as a milestone date for a full transition to clean power, and other countries have equally ambitious energy policies.

Humans have been burning wood and fossil fuels throughout history, and the goal of adopting green energy presents certain challenges. The conversion requires a rethink of energy infrastructures and sustained investment in renewable power sources. Clean energy advocates are driving a social shift for a new alternative energy mindset.

This bold approach to meeting future energy demands — an abundance of safe, sustainable and affordable power for industry and domestic consumers — is incentivizing the development of remarkable next-generation innovations in clean energy technologies.

Major companies like Tesla, ICL Group and First Solar (that are all publicly traded companies on U.S. markets) are shaping the future of clean energy with numerous scalable energy generation technologies, materials and new smart plants that run on hybrid clean energy microgrids. There is a huge (and rapidly expanding) global market for economically viable clean energy technologies. Current industry leaders are determined to capitalize on these new opportunities over the coming decade and in doing so deliver sustainable and environmentally friendly green energy.

Related: Is Renewable Energy Worth Your Investment?

Tesla, Inc.

Elon Musk’s trillion-dollar company Tesla is best known for developing commercially viable electric vehicles and bringing them into the automotive industry mainstream. Tesla certainly deserves its reputation as an EV pioneer, but the company is also responsible for other key innovations in clean energy technologies. Tesla examines the entire spectrum of clean energy technologies and looks for opportunities to apply its impressive R&D resources to clean energy challenges — often through strategic partnerships with other companies.

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ICL Group

ICL Group is a leading global specialty minerals company and one of the largest fertilizer manufacturers in the world. The company has leveraged its minerals expertise and massive Dead Sea resources to become one of the world’s most important manufacturers of advanced battery materials. ICL Group is at the forefront of Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery production with the construction of a high-tech manufacturing plant in St. Louis, Missouri. The new $400 million plant is partly financed by the U.S. Department of Energy and will place ICL Group at the heart of the U.S. electric vehicle supply chain.

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First Solar, Inc.

First Solar, Inc. was founded almost 25 years ago as an early pioneer of solar energy technologies. The company constantly innovated to create commercially viable and scalable solar energy solutions and mastered the use of cadmium telluride (CdTe) as a semiconductor in its thin-film module solar panels. First Solar’s grasp of advanced technologies allowed them to lower their manufacturing cost to $1 per watt — an important developmental and commercial threshold.

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Maintaining the momentum of innovation in clean energy

The next five years are likely to see exponential progress in the implementation of clean energy policies and sustainable energy infrastructures. The concept of clean energy is integral to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs and central to many government energy policies.

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Industry leaders like Tesla, ICL Group and First Solar are setting the standard for clean energy innovations. They have the resources, experience and expertise to transform emerging technologies into new products, penetrate new markets and make sustained profits in an industrial and energy ecosystem that is evolving at an unprecedented pace.

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TikTok only went dark for half a day before returning for U.S. users after President Trump called for a 75-day suspension of the ban.

But while the company and its suitors (from Kevin O’Leary to Elon Musk to an AI company) try to work something out, in following the law, the short video social media platform is not yet back in app stores.

This means TikTokers, who either deleted the app beforehand or bought a new phone since then, are going cold turkey (or using the desktop version). And several forward-thinking entrepreneurs thought maybe they could make a buck.

The New York Times found some “unlocked with TikTok” listings for thousands—even tens of thousands on resale sites including Poshmark and eBay.

One eBay listing says “iPhone 14 Pro UNLOCKED! W/ TikTok” and is priced at $3,000. (Unlocked iPhone 14s are currently at Walmart and Best Buy for around $300 to $500.)

Poshmark, meanwhile, has an iPhone 13 Pro Max “with TikTok and Capcut” for $3,500.

Some listings are most likely a joke like this “cracked” iPhone on Facebook Marketplace with “TikTok never deleted” for $10,000 (down from its original $30,000).

Still, if anyone is buying the phones at these prices, they’re not admitting it—yet. If you’ve purchased one, please reach out. In the meantime, a new iPhone 16 (without TikTok) starts at $799.

Related: Is TikTok Considering Selling Its U.S. Business to Elon Musk? Here’s What TikTok Says.

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If you went back in time and asked composer and musician Mark Mothersbaugh to predict what his biggest moneymaker would be in his nearly 50-year career, he would not have said “Uncontrollable Urge.”

The now 74-year-old musician has composed music for TV shows like “The Fairly OddParents” and “Rugrats” and movies like “Thor: Ragnarok” and “The Lego Movie,” but “Uncontrollable Urge,” a song he wrote in 1978 as a founding member of the band Devo, has turned into his biggest source of income over the past decade.

Mothersbaugh’s wife and manager Anita Greenspan told Rolling Stone earlier this month that the composer makes $1 million per year in royalties on just that one song.

The turning point for “Uncontrollable Urge” was when the MTV comedy clip show Ridiculousness first launched in 2011. The show, which spotlights and reacts to viral Internet comedy videos, features a cover of “Uncontrollable Urge” as its theme song.

Related: How the ‘Oh-Oh-Oh Ozempic’ Commercial Song Made a Musician $1 Million

After over 12 years running on MTV and over 1,500 episodes, Ridiculousness has catapulted “Uncontrollable Urge” to theme song fame. At one point in June 2020, Variety noticed that “Ridiculousness” aired for 113 hours out of MTV’s 168-hour week of programming.

Still, the song’s success came as a surprise to its writer.

“I’ve written so many other songs for films and television shows,” Mothersbaugh told Rolling Stone. “I would’ve been shocked [years ago] if you told me this is the one that would become this prime source of income.”^{Mark Mothersbaugh. Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for AFI}

Mothersbaugh wrote “Uncontrollable Urge” as the first track to Devo’s debut album, “Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!” The song was never released as a single and has only earned $150,000 across all time from Spotify streaming royalties. It never made it to the Billboard Hot 100, unlike the 1980s hit “Whip It” from Devo, which peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100.

“This was the very first song off our first album,” Mothersbaugh told Rolling Stone. “But it’s a nice ironic twist because this was one of the songs we never even made a music video for. And now it’s maybe the most-played song ever on MTV.”

Theme songs are big earners

Mothersbaugh isn’t the only musician to cash in on a lucrative theme song.

Ed Robertson, who wrote the theme song for “The Big Bang Theory,” told Rolling Stone that he has made between seven to ten figures so far in total royalties for the one song from the time the show ran from 2007 to 2019 to its syndications on TBS today.

Related: How TikTok and YouTube Have Changed the Music Industry Forever

Marco Jacobo, who created the theme song for “Abbott Elementary,” told the publication that he had made six figures from the song since the show came out in 2021.

The late musician Allee Willis had a 15% cut of the “I’ll Be There for You” Friends theme song. That cut equals about $700,000 per year for Primary Wave Publishing, the company that now owns the rights to her work, per Rolling Stone.

One industry executive told the publication that network TV pays 15 times more per minute for music than a streaming service like Spotify.

It’s not just shows that pay well — TV advertisement theme songs are lucrative too. The New York Times reports that David Paton, one of the two men who wrote the Billboard Top 10 hit “Magic” in 1974, earns seven figures from the song used in a TV ad for Ozempic.