Carol Cone

Carol Cone: Igniting Purpose, Empowering Businesses, Driving Good

CEO and Founder, Carol Cone ON PURPOSE

From Wall Street to Main Street, Carol Cone has not just witnessed the evolution of purpose in business, she's been its architect. For over four decades, Cone has blazed a trail as a pioneer, challenging the status quo and empowering companies and brands to embrace a deeper, more human reason for being.

Cone began her journey igniting the novel concept of linking companies and causes for business and social impact at Cone Inc., which she founded in 1983. Through partnerships with giants like Avon, Reebok, PNC and the American Heart Association, she crafted social initiatives that generated not just awareness, but tangible impact. Her work earned her the title "arguably the most powerful and visible figure in the world of Cause Branding" by PRWeek.

Cone's vision for the power of social impact evolved constantly over the decades. As her eponymous firm became the nation’s leading hub for purpose strategists, innovators, and partners, collaborating with brands like Microsoft, Aflac, and PNC to not just do good, but be good.

Cone's approach is holistic, encompassing strategy, innovation, research, social engagement, and sustainability. She believes in unlocking the power of purpose from within an organization, aligning company values with employee passions and customer needs. It's about purpose embedded in the DNA of every decision.

But Cone's impact extends beyond corporate walls. She is a sought-after speaker, author of Breakthrough Nonprofit Branding, a tireless researcher developing over 30 purpose studies, podcast host of Purpose 360 and a tireless advocate for social change.

For Carol Cone, purpose is not a trend, it's a revolution. She inspires, challenges, and equips companies and brands to be a force for positive change in the world. In a time when employees, and consumers demand authenticity and businesses seek meaning, she offers a path forward, a blueprint for a future where profit and purpose go hand in hand.

Her groundbreaking work has been recognized through three Lifetime Achievement Awards from The Holmes Group, Engage for Good and PRWeek.