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courtesy of WORKMAGAZINE
 Social entrepreneurs Pirron (left) and Wilson

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WORKMAGAZINE staff
Richmond.com
Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Impact Makers Inc., launched last fall, has set out to prove the success of a new Greater Richmond business model.

This includes giving away all profits to charity.

"In a regular for-profit business, the profits are divided among the shareholders," says CEO Michael Pirron, who founded the not-for-profit consulting firm with co-founder Steve Wilson, president. "Aside from retaining board-approved funds for natural growth, we give away 100 percent of the profits as well as hours of donated management and IT services to our non-profit partners."

Since October, monthly $1,000 checks have been presented to Safe Harbor, a non-profit organization for victims of domestic violence. Impact Makers has pledged to continue the checks at this level through 2007 and, as the business grows, the volunteer board of directors will select and support additional local non-profit organizations that are secular, apolitical and help people help themselves.

The "social entrepreneurship" model has gained momentum worldwide in recent years. Pirron became intrigued with the idea when he was working abroad for Andersen Consulting. "I’ve seen similar models work successfully in other parts of the world and I am excited about bringing the concept to Richmond," he says.

"Rather than enriching shareholders, the business model enriches communities in which the firm’s clients, employees and consultants live. This provides a way to support non-profit organizations so the charities can focus more on providing needed services. As much as half of a non-profit organization’s focus and budget can be devoted to fund-raising and grant-writing. These efforts may reduce the potential impact an organization might otherwise have on the community."

Impact Makers consults in three principal areas: management, information technology and web design and development. Its management consulting covers areas such as strategy, business process improvement and project solutions. Its IT consulting addresses a wide variety of subjects, including systems delivery methodologies, application development and systems testing. The firm also provides healthcare informatics assistance as well as IT staff augmentation services customized to fit organizational needs. The third focus is on websites—from standard informational sites to fully dynamic database-driven sites.

Prior to the founding of Impact Makers, Pirron was director of product development for First Health Services Corporation. Earlier, he was manager of systems development with Health Management Corporation and a senior consultant with Andersen Consulting in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India.

Wilson originally came to Richmond to open a new regional branch for a technology consulting firm in the Northeast. He grew the local organization for three years and became the firm’s top national producer. Prior to coming to Richmond, he held positions at the School of Medicine at Stanford University and in the electronic design automation industry in Silicon Valley.

"Our business model is a win-win opportunity for our clients, employees, non-profit partners and the community," Wilson says. "We hope our success will inspire other local businesses to consider this model and create a new way to impact the community."

WORKMAGAZINE: Career Life in the Greater Richmond Region is the metro area's premier quarterly for business innovation, career strategy and creative living.

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