Reflecting on ten years of social enterprise development, celebrating the launch of the Abundance Collective, and narrowing Purppl’s focus to the systemic levers of community wealth.
Ten years ago, we started Purppl with a pretty simple, albeit ambitious, goal: to help social enterprises become the backbone of a more equitable economy. Since then, we’ve coached and consulted with hundreds of social enterprise and nonprofit leaders, built an incredible team, and navigated the messy, rewarding work of capacity building together.
Before I share where we’re headed next, I want to share my deep gratitude for the people who built this. I am immensely proud of the team that has powered Purppl over the last decade. The model we built together was strong and impactful; it helped to shift the landscape for social enterprise. To the team members who helped build Purppl into what it is today: thank you for your brilliance, your heart, and your commitment.
Andrew Greer, Purppl’s Co-Founder
Choosing a New Path
As many founders and leaders learn, the work that gets you through the first decade isn’t always the work that carries you through the second.
I’ve made the difficult decision to significantly narrow Purppl’s focus, operations and team. While Purppl will always be rooted in social enterprise, I’ve decided to move away from leading a broad-spectrum consulting company to focus specifically on community wealth building, social finance, and social purpose real estate.
This decision didn’t come lightly.
As broader economic and political conditions shifted rapidly, including tightening public funding, changing policy priorities, and increasing pressure on nonprofit budgets, it became clear that the model we had built needed to evolve. At the same time, I recognized that I didn’t have the energy required to continue holding the level of risk needed to lead that transition in the way it deserved.
This isn’t a pivot away from a model that didn’t work, it really did work. I’m so proud of the team and collective impact from 10 years of social enterprise development consulting, coaching, and ecosystem building. This is a choice to focus on a different part of the puzzle. I’m now ready to to focus on impact investing, by helping in a leadership role at Thrive Impact Fund, and focus some of my additional energy on social purpose real estate.
To the Change-Makers: Our Partners in Impact
To the social entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders who have trusted Purppl over the last decade: Thank you. You are the ones on the front lines, navigating the impossible balance of sustainability and radical social impact. Together we built organizations, we built impact, and we built friendships. These relationships will continue into the next decade.
Everything we’ve learned from watching you build, and everything the Purppl team is carrying forward into their next chapters was earned through our work with you. You are the proof that a different kind of economy is possible.
The Next Chapter for Purppl
Moving forward, Purppl will focus on:
- Social purpose real estate / asset ownership – Helping organizations make strong decisions about ownership, stewardship, and structures that build long-term community benefit.
- Impact investing / social finance – Helping organizations explore impact investment, social finance, and shaping approaches that fit the mission instead of distorting it. Part of this focus is informed by my ongoing and expanded leadership role at Thrive Impact Fund.
- Incorporation / ownership / revenue model – Helping organizations navigate how the organization is set up, who owns what, how revenue works, and how the model supports resilience over time.
- A small number of close relationships – Purppl will continue to work with a very small number of organizations in a more ongoing advisory relationship where there is strong alignment, trust, and a clear fit with this focus.
Celebrating the Abundance Collective
What gives me real confidence in this transition is what has come next. The vital capacity-building work Purppl is known for isn’t ending, it’s evolving into its own independent force.
Several members of the Purppl team have stepped forward to build something new and impactful. Abundance Collective is a women-led, employee-owned venture carrying forward the coaching, operational strategy, and leadership development work many of you rely on. Founded by Katie Green, Hilary Henegar, Brianna Ennis-Brown, Jude Brunt, and Domenica Chieffo, they are the experts in helping organizations build the foundations they need to thrive.
We remain close collaborators. Many of Purppl’s current clients have transitioned their work over to Abundance Collective. We’re happy to help each other.
While our structures are changing, we are still part of the same ecosystem, supporting organizations at different stages of their journey.
Looking Ahead
To clients, partners, friends: thank you for your trust. While the structure is evolving, the relationships remain. I look forward to continuing to collaborate in these new, focused ways.
With Gratitude,
Andrew
