How often do we stop to consider the true cost of our clothes? As I learned more about the fashion industry, it became impossible to ignore the environmental damage and harm to garment workers baked into the way most clothing is made. I wanted to shop more responsibly, but finding truly sustainable brands felt overwhelming and unclear.

That led me to a simple question: What if buying clothes included giving back by default?

I started Eco-Stylist to help make sustainable fashion easier to navigate for conscious consumers — and to make it easier for shoppers to give back simply by supporting brands that are doing fashion better.

As part of this work, Eco-Stylist certifies sustainable fashion brands using rigorous sustainability standards, helping shoppers identify companies that truly align with their values. Behind the scenes, we also work directly with brands to improve their sustainability practices and communicate their impact more clearly. Through our commitment to Pledge 1%, we donate a number of our brand certification services (valued at $499 each) every year to small sustainable brands that otherwise couldn’t afford them.

So far, this has helped emerging brands earn certification, build consumer trust, and grow without compromising their values. It’s not just about a label — it’s about giving brands the tools they need to succeed responsibly.

As a social enterprise, impact is already central to our work. But pledging 1% allows us to also give back in an intentional and accountable way. As a small business, we especially value that 100% of our 1% goes directly toward causes we believe in.

Our hope is that more businesses begin to see giving back as a standard part of doing business. When generosity is baked into the model from the start, impact becomes scalable — and collective.

Astonous joined Pledge 1% with a simple commitment: to integrate meaningful community impact into the way we work. Through this pledge, we dedicate time and company effort toward initiatives that promote dignity, connection, and wellbeing within our local communities. 

As part of this commitment, our team recently visited Atmanirbhar Vridhashram –  Ashadeep Sansthan in Jaipur, a home that provides a safe and caring environment for elders supported through community-driven care. Our intention was to contribute through presence spending time with residents, engaging in light activities, and helping create a warm and inclusive atmosphere. 

During our visit, our team spent time interacting with residents, participating in light activities, and supporting the daily rhythm of the home. These moments highlighted how thoughtful engagement and shared experiences can help strengthen emotional wellbeing and create a sense of togetherness. 

For Astonous, the Pledge 1% movement reflects our long-term commitment to purposeful social responsibility. We remain dedicated to supporting environments that honor dignity and nurture meaningful human connection, and we look forward to continuing our contribution to community wellbeing in the years ahead. 

At Salesforce Ventures, we believe that values drive value — and that the companies that endure are those grounded in purpose from day one. As a founding member of Pledge 1%, we’ve seen firsthand how this framework empowers startups to translate values into action, embedding social impact into a business’s foundation. 

One powerful example of that belief in action comes from G2. In 2023, G2 formally joined Pledge 1%, committing 1% of the company’s equity to charitable causes, with a focus on expanding access to STEM education for underrepresented communities worldwide. Their example showcases what it means to blend purpose with action and how a business can have a lasting positive impact in more ways than one. 

A Commitment Rooted in Kindness

Over a decade ago, G2 was founded on a set of values: Performance, Entrepreneurship, Authenticity, and Kindness, or “PEAK” for short. Regardless of how the business evolved, founders Godard Abel, Tim Handorf, Mike Wheeler, Mark Myers, and Matt Gorniak agreed that G2 would remain rooted in these ideals.

After Salesforce Ventures invested in G2 and invited them to take the pledge, the founders agreed it would be a perfect opportunity to live their value of Kindness.

“At G2, we’re driven by Kindness and the desire to create real, lasting impact through compassionate leadership,” says Abel, G2’s CEO. “Joining Pledge 1% was a natural extension of this ethos, offering a structured way to make philanthropy part of G2’s DNA.”

The G2 team chose to center their philanthropic efforts on expanding access to STEM education for underserved communities. By opening doors to the tech ecosystem for those who might otherwise be left out, Abel and co. believe they can help ensure that the next generation of innovators has the opportunity to bring their ideas to life.

“By concentrating on this specific area, we’re ensuring our efforts can scale with intentionality,” says Abel. “We want to help build the next generation of software experts and builders.”

In practice, G2 structured their pledge around a handful of commitments:

• The company has pledged to donate 1% of its equity to charitable organizations focused on improving access to STEM education for underserved populations.
• The company has already begun its philanthropic efforts by volunteering with and donating to organizations such as Chicago Tech Academy, Ennovate Labs, Girls Who Code, and the American Cancer Society, aiming to deliver a positive impact in communities both in the U.S. and globally.
• Through its G2 Gives program, G2 donates $10 to organizations like Girls Who Code every time a user submits a software review on the G2 platform.
• Employees at G2 are granted 20 paid volunteer hours per year to volunteer with a philanthropic organization of their choosing.

To promote buy-in for this program, Abel, Handorf, Wheeler, Myers, and Gorniak agreed to personally pledge 1% of their own equity in addition to 1% of the company’s corporate equity.

“We wanted to set the tone from the top,” Abel explains. “This wasn’t just a corporate move; it was a personal one.”

That leadership example quickly resonated across the organization. Abel says Chief People Officer Priti Patel helped champion the initiative internally, ensuring that G2’s philanthropy efforts became a shared mission embraced across teams and geographies.

The Result: Engagement and Growth

G2’s philanthropic efforts to date have already raised over $1 million for charitable organizations through its G2 Gives program and resulted in thousands of employee volunteer hours across G2’s 600-person team. Further, it’s having a real impact on the ground. As part of G2’s pledge, Handorf has made multiple trips to Nigeria to serve as a guest teacher at a local school and speak at LAUTech University about entrepreneurship — witnessing firsthand how encouraging entrepreneurship and financial support can open doors to opportunity. 

The G2 team shares these benevolent efforts via a philanthropy page on its website, blog, and via social media posts to amplify their work to customers and employees. 

“Our Pledge 1% commitment reinforces our culture of purpose and kindness,” says Abel. “It reminds employees they are part of something bigger — a company committed to making a difference.”

Outside of increased employee engagement, Abel says customers and partners have taken notice of G2’s commitment to values-driven leadership.

“Our commitment signals to customers and partners that we are a values-driven organization,” Abel says. “We often collaborate with our partners to raise funds for G2 partner organizations and help them scale their impact.”

That alignment of purpose and partnership reinforces G2’s long-term vision — a company that helps others grow while growing itself responsibly.

Advice for Founders: Don’t Wait to Start

When asked what he’d tell early-stage founders considering Pledge 1%, Abel’s advice is simple:

“Don’t wait. Purpose is most impactful when embedded early. Committing something now — even just 1% — sends a strong message to your team and community. It’s a small stake today with the potential for massive impact tomorrow.”

For founders who feel unready to make a full financial commitment, Abel encourages starting small — through mentoring, volunteering, or supporting local nonprofits — and letting those efforts evolve into a long-term giving framework.

“Anchoring philanthropy in your company’s foundation helps shape culture and scale impact as you grow,” Abel says. 

Since our founding in 2013, Circle has been focused on our mission of raising global economic prosperity through the frictionless exchange of value. And, for more than a decade in parallel, we’ve deployed our people and technology to expand access to financial tools that help people thrive — from enabling more efficient delivery of humanitarian aid, to helping entrepreneurs solve pressing global challenges. Now, we’re taking that commitment further.

Today, we’re proud to introduce Circle Foundation, a new philanthropic initiative dedicated to advancing financial resilience and inclusion in the United States and around the world. Seeded by Circle’s Pledge 1% equity commitment — a global initiative uniting thousands of companies in dedicating a portion of their equity and resources to philanthropy — the Circle Foundation will support groups that strengthen the financial systems people rely on every day. This includes organizations that work with small businesses in US communities and international groups modernizing the infrastructure of humanitarian aid.

From moments of impact to systemic change

Circle has seen firsthand how access to better financial tools can change lives, and over the years we’ve worked to help provide that access. We’ve continuously sought ways to collaborate with global organizations to help humanitarian organizations deliver aid faster, more securely, and at lower cost, while supporting entrepreneurs creating new models for financial access.

In Ukraine, we worked with the UN Refugee Agency to help deliver assistance via USDC to thousands of displaced people, giving them the means to start rebuilding their lives. In Venezuela, a collaboration with humanitarian and fintech partners helped route nearly $18 million to more than 60,000 healthcare workers at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. And, through Circle’s Unlocking Impact Pitch Competition, past winners like Rahat in Nepal and Ensuro in Kenya, and 2025 winner ATEC Global in Cambodia, demonstrated how they used USDC and open, digital infrastructure to build financial resilience against climate and economic shocks. Each of these efforts demonstrates the same truth: when financial systems are open, efficient, and inclusive, people gain access to opportunity.

Circle Foundation exists to build upon that impact by turning individual programs into systemic change, focusing on building durable infrastructure for economic participation that gives people and communities the tools, knowledge, and access they need to thrive.

Supporting access and resilience, starting at home

In its first phase, Circle Foundation will focus on strengthening the financial resilience of small businesses across the United States. Small businesses employ nearly half of all US private-sector workers and drive more than 40% of GDP, yet many still struggle to access affordable financing, digital tools, and the capital readiness they need to grow.

Through grant making, Circle Foundation will address this challenge by partnering with mission-driven lenders, known as Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), that fill critical gaps left by traditional finance. The Foundation will prioritize results-driven, technology-forward CDFIs that share best practices and data-driven insights across their networks, amplifying the reach and effectiveness of every dollar of support.

Expanding opportunity globally

While our initial grants will be made in the US, Circle Foundation’s mission is global. Around the world, billions remain excluded from financial systems that enable a prosperous future. The Circle Foundation will work with international organizations to modernize the infrastructure behind humanitarian finance, helping aid reach more people, more efficiently, and with greater transparency.

These efforts build on Circle’s long-standing collaborations with multilateral institutions and NGOs, and reflect our belief that financial access is a foundational element of global economic prosperity.

More than money: a commitment of time, expertise, and trust

Circle Foundation’s impact won’t be measured in dollars alone. Through our participation in Pledge 1%, Circle has committed both financial resources and employee time toward advancing social good. Every Circle employee will have up to 40 hours of paid volunteer time annually to contribute to nonprofits and community organizations of their choice.

Circle Foundation is also structured for independence and longevity. As a donor-advised fund housed with Fidelity, it is separately governed and focused entirely on mission-aligned giving. Circle covers the operational costs, so that Foundation dollars are directed where they matter most — right to impact.

Leading with purpose

After 9 years serving as Circle’s Chief Operating Officer, Elisabeth Carpenter has turned her attention to accelerating and giving permanence to Circle’s broader mission as Chief Strategic Engagement Officer and Founding Chair of Circle Foundation. 

Circle Foundation marks the next step in Circle’s mission to raise global economic prosperity. Where Circle’s technology has helped move value faster and farther, Circle Foundation will help those benefits reach deeper through systems-level change at home and abroad.

In 2019, Jambo™ officially joined Pledge 1%, a global movement that encourages companies worldwide to contribute 1% of their profits, products, equity, or employee time to meaningful causes. By joining this movement, Jambo strengthened its commitment to giving back and creating lasting, positive change.

Jambo has pledged 1% of its profits to Classrooms for Africa, a Canadian charitable organization that supports community-driven school construction projects in disadvantaged regions of Sub-Saharan Africa. Instead of relying on foreign volunteers or imported materials, Classrooms for Africa funds local labour, locally sourced supplies, and community-led project management, ensuring each project is sustainable, culturally aligned, and beneficial to the local area.

Jambo’s name (pronounced jam-bo!) comes from a Swahili greeting similar to “Hello.” While simple, the word reflects something deeper: all engagement begins with a greeting. Because Swahili is widely spoken across Sub-Saharan Africa, the name also symbolizes Jambo’s commitment, through Pledge 1%, to expanding access to education in the region.

Each year, a member of the Jambo team travels to Africa to witness the impact of this pledge. Eilbhe Kennedy, Jambo’s Head of Marketing, visited Classroom for Africa projects in Uganda and shared these thoughts, “Seeing the impact of the support we provide made me incredibly proud to work for Jambo. Our contributions go a long way, and I am confident that our company makes a lasting impact, as each project will continue to provide a safe and clean space for learning for years to come.

This pledge reflects Jambo’s belief that meaningful, long-term change happens through both the work enabled by the Jambo platform and thoughtful corporate social responsibility. Jambo is proud to help expand access to education for children across Sub-Saharan Africa through its partnership with Pledge 1% and Classrooms for Africa.

Hace unos años, me detuve frente al reflejo de un negocio que daba buenos resultados… pero no me llenaba.

Había procesos improvisados, equipos que trabajaban con buen corazón pero sin claridad, clientes que regresaban… pero algo faltaba.

Fue en ese momento cuando descubrí algo más grande que resultados: una llamada a hacer las cosas con propósito.

Entonces encontré el movimiento Pledge 1%, un regalo para mi visión. Una filosofía que dice: “Tu empresa puede ser rentable y al mismo tiempo ser un agente de cambio”.

Comprendí que el orden, la estructura y la excelencia operativa no son solo para el negocio, sino para las personas: tus colaboradores, tus clientes, tu comunidad.

Con Monte Alto nace una promesa: no solo ayudarte a optimizar procesos, estandarizar operaciones y formar equipos… sino a construir una empresa que se convierta en una fuerza para bien.

Imagina un negocio donde cada empleado se siente parte del sueño, cada cliente vive una experiencia memorable, y tu crecimiento se convierte en participación, impacto y legado.

Esa es la realidad que podemos alcanzar juntos. Porque cuando adoptas los valores de Pledge 1% —dar un % de tu tiempo, de tus recursos, de tu talento— el crecimiento deja de ser solo personal y se vuelve comunitario.

Hoy te invito a que des el paso: estructura, propósito, corazón. Que Monte Alto sea tu guía para construir NO solo un negocio rentable… sino un negocio que importa.

Y recuerda: cuando defines hoy un % de tu éxito para los demás, estás sembrando un futuro que trasciende. Porque el verdadero crecimiento empieza con la claridad de saber que tus resultados son también una oportunidad.

Bienvenido a Monte Alto. Bienvenido al cambio.

I launched Pcnaid Inc. to help entrepreneurs in North Texas start faster and run smarter. Very often I meet owners who can run a great shop, but the back‑office work—formation, payments, websites, bookkeeping, utilities, and telecom—slows them down or is simply out of budget.

Pledge 1% gave me a simple framework to make help part of the business model, not just a nice idea. Pcnaid commits at least 1% of our time and services to pro‑bono or deeply discounted projects for underestimated entrepreneurs and local nonprofits. Each month I set aside dedicated hours for “give projects” that can include entity formation support, payment processing setup and fee reviews, a basic website or brand refresh, bookkeeping kickoff, and cost‑reduction audits for internet, phone, and utilities.

Even as a company of one, the 1% model keeps our impact consistent. Clients tell me the support shaved weeks off their launch timelines, helped them accept digital payments quickly, reduced overhead, and—most importantly—gave them confidence to grow. The approach also invites partners and clients to match that spirit of giving when they can.

As Pcnaid expands with contractors and new service lines, our goal is to scale this commitment alongside the business. The more we grow, the more hours and services we can return to the community. Pledge 1% has turned generosity into a system—and that’s how Pcnaid plans to keep building Main Street, one small business at a time.

When we launched in 2017, we made a commitment to donate 1% of our profits each year to nonprofits advancing equity and justice—locally, in our home communities and globally, where our clients operate.

As a small, women-founded firm working at the intersection of impact, strategy and climate, our giving program is one important way we practice the values we bring to our work: treating people like people, investing in community and conducting business responsibly. Over the years, we’ve been proud to support organizations whose missions align with our belief in people-centered impact, including:

Todos Juntos (Austin, TX): Providing bilingual early childhood education and wraparound family services for immigrant and refugee families so children are ready for school and parents can thrive.

Aveson Community Fund (Los Angeles, CA): Expanding access to experiential, inclusive K–12 learning by supporting students, teachers and families with resources that close gaps and strengthen school communities; a community that has been deeply impacted by the LA fires.

Remake (Global): Mobilizing a global community of change makers to transform the clothing industry—advancing human rights and climate justice by empowering activists, uniting brands and policy-makers and campaigning for a fashion system that works for people and planet.

We’re so proud to be a part of the Pledge 1% movement, a community worth celebrating.

Building a Tech-for-Good Culture from Day One: Space CoLAB Joins Pledge 1%

At Space CoLAB, we’re developing quantum communications technology, a vital component of critical infrastructure security into the future, across the world. However, aspiring to contribute to world-leading deep tech isn’t just about what we build—it’s about how we build, and who we bring on the journey.

That’s why we’re proud to join Pledge 1%, committing 1% of our employee time to strengthening the ecosystem that makes Australian innovation possible.

Why Start Now?

As an early-stage startup, every hour counts. We’re racing toward prototype validation of our room-temperature quantum communications system—technology that operates without cryogenic cooling, works in free space, and targets applications from defense to critical infrastructure. The pressure to focus solely on product development is real.

But a sole product focus would be missing, well, soul. That’s why we’re embedding impact into our culture from the outset, not as an afterthought once we’ve “made it.” With an annual commitment equivalent to 4,000 hours in employee time, we’re deliberately investing in supporting a stronger, safer, and thriving community. After all, that is why we started Space CoLAB and are working here to begin with.

Where We’re Contributing

Our primary focus is on strengthening the learnings and focus of the next generation of deep tech founders and researchers. For the past three years, our Founder and CEO Carley Scott OAM has served as a judge for the Deakin Future Forum—an annual pitch competition where computer science PhD students learn to translate cutting-edge research into commercially viable solutions.

Established by Peter Kinne and Trina Myers and supported strongly by (look up two admin staff) at Deakin University, the Forum does something critical: it forces brilliant researchers to think beyond the lab. Carley works directly with students to refine how they articulate problems, develop solutions, and communicate with investors and industry partners who have a real world application focus. It’s the kind of practical translation work that is often spoken about and aimed for by a range of great Australian research entities that are doing sensational foundation work around the country.

Beyond the Forum, our team aims to continue contributing to university programs, industry events, and deep tech association activities across Australia’s geographically dispersed but dynamic innovation landscape. These aren’t token appearances—they’re substantive engagements where we share hard-won lessons about building sovereign capability in an increasingly complex geopolitical environment.

Commercial Realism Meets Genuine Impact

We can’t say yes to everything. We’re a focused team building what we believe will be the world’s leading free-space quantum communications solution, and that mission is front of mind and our time allocation. But we believe that supporting the ecosystem isn’t separate from commercial success—it’s foundational to it.

As we’ve seen over the decades, from incredible people who have come before us, Australia’s deep tech community succeeds when we actively transfer knowledge, create pathways for emerging talent, and demonstrate with our international partners the cutting-edge defense and dual-use technology that continues to be conceptualised and built here.

The 1% Pledge formalises what we already believe: that companies building transformative technology have a responsibility to ensure the next wave of builders don’t have to start from zero. It’s an approach we’ve benefited from and an operational approach we enjoy extending. Every hour we invest in judging, mentoring, and engaging with the community compounds into a stronger innovation ecosystem, and hopefully, a better world.

What’s Next

As we move toward prototype testing and validation in 2026, our commitment will scale with us. More team members means more hours contributed. More experience means deeper insights to share. More success means greater ability to open doors for others.

We joined Pledge 1% not because we’ve “made it,” but because we believe the culture you build in the early days defines what and who you become. For Space CoLAB, that means being forward leaning, technically excellent, commercially focused, and genuinely invested in making the places we call home, the places great innovators feel safe, inspired, able to grow and feel at home also.

That’s the kind of company we think is worth building.