Steve Jobs always said that Apple was about changing the world for the better, and his widow Laurene Powell Jobs clearly shares the view that for-profit companies can do just that …
In a profile of Powell Jobs, The Washington Post notes that the Emerson Collective, which she founded, backs for-profit companies as well as non-profits – when their entrepreneurs ‘are 100 percent aligned with our mission.’
Last year’s purchase of a majority stake in The Atlantic magazine was made through the Collective for that reason.
That mission is about helping people realize their full potential.
The Collective argues that while hard work and self-reliance are key, not everyone has an equal opportunity to benefit from these – saying that for those trapped in poverty, or without access to decent education, determination and work are unlikely to be enough on their own.
Powell Jobs told the Post that the Collective is about finding great leaders who can find solutions to problems, be they entrepreneurs or running non-profits.
She has a particular commitment to enabling access to education, saying that it was key for her.
Powell Jobs said that the 22 years she spent with Steve were ‘the greatest blessing of my life.’
The whole piece is well worth a read.
