I recently visited a 2nd-grade classroom to introduce the children to the fun side of Artificial Intelligence. We started by taking simple photos and then used AI to transform each child into a unique superhero. The excitement in the room was incredible.

Next, the students asked the AI their own questions—everything from “Do robots dream?” to “Can you make a story about my cat?” Together, we created funny and imaginative stories in just seconds, showing how AI can make creative tasks much faster.

At the end of the workshop, we talked about the most important idea:
AI can help us speed things up and make amazing images and stories, but real creativity and real feelings still come from people. AI can imitate emotions, but it cannot truly feel them.

The children left the classroom inspired, knowing that technology is powerful—but their imagination is even stronger.

At Odyssey Advisors, giving back has always been more than a corporate initiative — it’s part of who we are. Inspired by Salesforce’s 1-1-1 model and a 2019 holiday giving column by New York Times writer Nicholas Kristof, we began imagining what a meaningful, authentic, and team-driven approach to philanthropy could look like for our organization.

That reflection led us to develop a hybrid giving model rooted in the Pledge 1% ethos: Odyssey donates 1% of our gross revenues each year, and every team member has the opportunity to direct a portion of that giving to the causes that matter most to them. Rather than leadership selecting organizations, we empower our employees to be the decision-makers, ensuring our impact is personal, diverse, and deeply meaningful.

Why this approach?

Because each team member brings their own passions, lived experiences, and perspectives on the issues affecting their communities. By centering their voices, we not only broaden our charitable impact but also cultivate a culture of empathy, awareness, and shared purpose. Our model allows employees to champion organizations doing work they care deeply about — from local rescue shelters and addiction recovery programs to global health nonprofits and child hunger advocacy groups.

Every year, the range of causes our team chooses reminds us of how powerful collective giving can be. Whether supporting Alzheimer’s research, providing life-saving medical care in Uganda, helping families adopt rescued animals, or ensuring children in the United States have access to nutritious meals, our employees continually highlight the needs they see in the world and the ways we can make a meaningful difference together.

Our goal in sharing this story isn’t to seek recognition, but to inspire. Like so many teams, we asked ourselves: How can we give back in a way that truly reflects who we are? Our Pledge 1% journey has become our answer. Each year, our team drives impact that extends far beyond Odyssey and we’re beyond grateful to our employees and clients who make that possible.

As we celebrate another year of giving, we’re reminded that generosity thrives when people are empowered to lead it. Every contribution, no matter the size, becomes part of a collective effort to renew, restore, and uplift our communities. This is the heart of our tradition and we’re proud to share it as part of the Pledge 1% movement.

At Equitable Philanthropy, we believe that when funders give strategically and charities are truly funder-ready, impact accelerates. In 2025, we supported charities across Australia to diversify income, strengthen cases for support, and engage with funders in authentic, values-aligned ways. We also advised families and foundations to identify genuine change-makers and structure their giving for long-term, multiplier effects.

A core part of our 1% commitment is sector capacity-building. This year alone, we delivered hundreds of pro-bono training hours through the Institute of Community Directors Australia, Pressroom Philanthropy’s podcast, Fundraising & Philanthropy (F&P) conferences, The Education Network’s national conferences, and Matchmore’s event program — all focused on lifting capability across the social impact ecosystem.

We don’t just move money. We build the bridge that helps it reach where it can create the most good.

Impact highlights

• Delivered countless pro-bono training hours through ICDA, Pressroom Philanthropy, F&P, The Education Network, and Matchmore.
• Ran Female Funders Networking Events quarterly to build community, capability and connection across the philanthropy landscape.
• Coached charities to prepare funder-ready cases for support and secure major donor relationships.
• Guided families and funders to identify high-impact partners aligned with their values.
• Delivered masterclasses for CEOs and boards on strategic giving, fundraising readiness, and partnership building.
• Created open-access frameworks that help charities reduce dependence on traditional funding and focus on impact.
• Supported donors and philanthropists to design giving strategies that unlock systemic change.

MahWengKwai & Associates was founded in Kuala Lumpur in 1985 by Dato’ Mah Weng Kwai, after twelve years of service in the Judicial and Legal Services. Built on a foundation of integrity, professionalism and an unwavering belief in justice, the firm quickly established a strong reputation in civil and corporate litigation, arbitration and criminal matters.

From a modest sole proprietorship to a full-service law firm of 73 staff and 35 legal professionals, MWKA has grown steadily in size, capability, and reach. We believe in our people, in their service to our clients, and in our collective purpose. Guided by our core values—Integrity and Justice; Effective and Efficient Solutions; Love and Respect for One Another; Continuous Improvement; and Profitable and Sustainable Growth—we remain committed to honoring our responsibilities and upholding the highest standards of the legal profession.

This year, as we celebrate our 40th anniversary, we have taken an important step that reflects who we are and what we stand for. MahWengKwai & Associates is proud to join Pledge 1%, committing a valuable portion of our time, expertise and resources to programmes that support legal education, community empowerment and access to justice. This commitment aligns naturally with the values that have shaped the firm’s identity and mission for forty years.

In 2025, the firm dedicated more than 40 hours towards pro bono legal work, set up the MWKA Foundation and are presently in the process of offering legal scholarships to underprivileged students and individuals from low-income households.

Our decision to join Pledge 1% also complements the establishment of the MWKA Foundation. Together, they represent not only our gratitude for the trust placed in us over the past four decades, but also our determination to give back meaningfully and sustainably. These initiatives allow us to convert our long-standing principles into structured impact, ensuring that our work with the community continues with purpose, accountability and heart.

As we honour our heritage and embrace innovation, MahWengKwai & Associates remains committed to growing from strength to strength – in service of our clients, our profession and the community we are privileged to support.

I was one of the first to enroll in Pledge 1% to support your idea in 2017. At that time I was developing IdeaSpies after having been on a trip in Canada where a guide said ” promote what you love rather than bash what you hate”. This saying resonated with me as I had been travelling a lot, seeing many positive ideas, and I did not believe were getting the attention they should, as a result of the media focus on negative news.

Over the next 8 years IdeaSpies shared over 7,000 ideas explained simply, with the help of many volunteers who posted and shared the ideas in 19 topics ranging from AgTech to Wellbeing. The platform achieved over 225 million views. The Pledge 1% idea achieved 790 clicks (39,500) views.

IdeaSpies had been following AI ideas as a topic however, when generative AI launched, the platform needed more support to be updated and become sustainable (see attached position paper). I did not receive the support we needed so I suspended IdeaSpies. However the tech has continued to be used in Australian schools as I gave a Design and Technology Teacher access to it.

I am now studying at UTS for an Entrepreneurial PhD based on my IdeaSpies experience. My thesis topic is “Does Alertness to Positive Ideas Enhance Wellbeing?”( see attached summary). I’m hoping to show that it does so more people can become aware of positive ideas like yours. The first phase has already been successfully completed with UTS Psychology students.

Here’s the Pledge 1% idea I shared on IdeaSpies in 2017:

Pledge 1 percent is dedicated to making the community a key stakeholder in every business. It encourages individuals and companies to pledge 1% of equity, product, and employee time for their communities based on the premise that companies and employees today want to have a positive impact on the world. The Pledge 1 percent website enables visitors to pledge equity, employee time and/or product directly on the site. Atlassian co-founder Scott Farquahar wants every start-up business to commit to giving employee time, equity and funds to charity. He and a program backed by salesforce.com have signed up more than 600 businesses in the past 18 months. The easiest time to pledge is when companies are startups and their value is unknown. IdeaSpies has committed.

At Airteam, our mission is to create software that brings about positive change. That shows up in the products we deliver, but also in the way we choose to operate as a business.

Six years ago, we made the decision to formalise that commitment by joining Pledge 1%. Since then, we’ve contributed 1% of our revenue to the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO), an organisation that helps to protect Australia’s environment, wildlife, and communities.

For us, supporting EDO is a way to contribute to long-term environmental outcomes while continuing our day-to-day work creating software that makes a meaningful impact.

“Long-term partners like Airteam give us the stability to take on complex environmental cases and stand up for communities and wildlife when it matters most. Knowing that their support is built into how they do business means we can plan for the future and keep nature’s voice in the room.” – Jo Shulman, CEO EDO

Our commitment also matters to our clients. When they choose to work with us, part of their investment supports the protection of Australia’s environment for future generations. We work with great clients, and we know that this is just as important to the people we work with as it is our team. It’s a small but meaningful way their projects contribute to impact beyond the software we build together.

Over the years, our team has built a deeper connection to this cause. Most recently, our remote team came together to learn more about native wildlife and build nesting boxes for local bird species. Doing hands-on work that tied directly back to the things we care about as a team.

For anyone in the tech community considering how to make giving a consistent part of how you operate, we can say that joining Pledge 1% has been one of the most meaningful decisions we’ve made. It keeps impact front of mind and creates a rhythm of contribution that grows with your business.

Thank you to the Pledge 1% team for the work you do and for shining a light on how companies can use their business as a force for good.

Every day, conversations happen at the edges of services — in phone calls, WhatsApp messages, chatbots — each one holding a story that matters. Transceve exists to ensure those stories are heard.

At Trigg Digital, we’ve had the privilege of working with Transceve — a ground breaking platform that leverages generative AI to help third-sector organisations hear what their customers are already saying. Not by gathering more feedback, but by transforming live, unstructured data into actionable, measurable insight.

Through our collaboration, we’ve supported Transceve in scaling an AI-powered Salesforce Agent force engine — helping turn conversations into clarity, sentiment into strategy, and feedback into tangible real-time impact.

This #GivingTuesday, we’re proud to shine a light on that experience as part of our Pledge 1% commitment. It’s work that embodies exactly what we stand for: purposeful technology, amplifying human voices, and driving meaningful change.

Pledge1% #GivingBack #TriggDigital #Transceve

Giving comes naturally when it starts with your own people. That’s how this Hammerjack x Project Bente partnership began — through one of our staff who raised their hand and asked if the team could support the Bags of Joy program. The idea caught on quickly, and our Pampanga team jumped right in.

Together, we packed school kits, shared meals, and spent real, unhurried time with the students of Holy Family Village Elementary School. It was simple work, but it carried the kind of heart our hammerjack teams are known for— one bag, one meal, one kid at a time.

A lot of this momentum comes from our #MoreThanJustWork Council, the team inside hammerjack that helps employees bring their ideas to life. They back employees who want to start something meaningful, whether it is a donation drive, a school visit, or a weekend volunteer activity. Their role is to make giving feel easy, supported, and part of everyday life.

This is how our version of Pledge 1% comes to life at hammerjack. Small, steady acts of giving that reflect what matters most to our teams — kids and education, elders, nature, animals, and community. The things we care about outside our job titles.

Some days that means mentoring students. Some days it is donating essentials after heavy rains. Other times it is a group of teammates choosing to spend their day off helping out together. These aren’t top-down initiatives. They grow from our people, who notice a need and rally their peers to step in. The council simply clears the way and keeps the momentum going.

We’re still early in our journey, but the impact is already real. Small contributions, repeated often, are helping more communities than we ever expected. Being part of Pledge 1% has helped hammerjack turn that belief into something steady and lived, and we’re excited to keep growing our impact together.

At 5AM Capital we believe that strong access to financial data and guidance can open new pathways in life. Joining Pledge 1 Percent marks an important milestone in our Investing in Impact journey. We commit 1 percent of employee time, product, profit or equity to causes that advance financial literacy, social equity and future leadership.

Our conviction is simple: when individuals, families and charities are equipped with data, insight and support, they can navigate their paths with greater confidence and purpose. That belief shapes the partnerships we choose to support.

We are proud to work with the Good Data Institute. The organisation was co founded by our partner Tom Perfrement, who also sits on its board. Tom plays an active role in shaping GDI’s mission to bridge not for profits with real data capability. GDI empowers charities that often lack the tools, skills and frameworks needed to understand their data and make evidence based decisions. By connecting skilled data professionals with mission driven organisations, GDI helps them lift their impact and serve their communities more effectively.

We also support the Financial Basics Foundation, which provides free financial literacy resources for educators, young people and parents. We believe that improving the financial capability of young Australians is a meaningful investment in long term social stability.

At 5AM Capital we manage a global portfolio of high quality, durable businesses with a focus on strong cashflows, long term stewardship and healthy corporate ecosystems. We think in decades rather than quarters and we invest where incentives are aligned and everyone can win. That philosophy sits at the heart of our approach to responsible investing and it also shapes the way we show up in our community.

Through Wesley Mission we help deliver targeted programs that support individuals facing housing instability, financial abuse or addiction. These programs give people the tools to rebuild stability and take control of their path forward.

Alongside this we mentor UNSW students, support local schools such as Woollahra Public and contribute to community events that align with positive social outcomes.

For us the Pledge 1 Percent commitment is more than a contribution. It is an extension of our worldview. The world works better when people and organisations operate within healthy ecosystems where incentives align and everyone benefits. At 5AM Capital we aim to invest that way, operate that way and give back that way.