I’ve spoken before about being a Benefit Corporation, or, a company which has pledged to align its operations with a broader vision and mission that advances social good. I’m proud to be part of a small group of businesses supporting what B-Corps call a “triple bottom line”: people, planet, and profits, and I’m proud of the work that BE MORE with Anu does to help companies shift into antiracist frameworks (we’ve impacted over 300 companies and trained over 60,000 individuals) while operating ourselves from a perspective of dana, karma, and nyaya.
Running a company this way doesn’t come naturally in a society that pushes us constantly into the capitalist mindset of: hustle, sell, grind. Hide your heart away; curate your best and most polished self and then put it forward – that’s the dominant cultural mentality of entrepreneurship.
But how can I lead you and so many other students where I wouldn’t go myself? How can I ask our community to be scientists of their own experience, journaling and asking why constantly until we uncover who we really are… and then turn around and run a company totally differently?
I couldn’t, of course. The only way to run BE MORE with Anu is as we do: with a generosity of spirit, with our spiritual and societal values forward, and with a ceaseless optimism that, while dismantling bias and ending racism in our lifetimes is a tremendously audacious goal, it is possible.
Anything that pushes against our society’s capitalist nature comes with some moments of discomfort, and my journey as a business owner is no different. A growth edge for me over the years, for example, has been to present these concepts without polishing them to fit a US veneer of whiteness, and to instead use the Sanskrit names that thread through the traditions that ground me: dana, karma, nyaya.
Another example is this: before now, I have never turned to our broader BE MORE community and asked you to consider supporting us financially, as I am now in the spirit of this upcoming Giving Tuesday.
As I’ve moved through the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program, I’ve come alive with the opportunities that lie ahead of us to grow and scale our mission of dismantling racism to create a world where everyone belongs. And I am understanding that, just as I spoke last week of nyaya and of the idea that in this interconnected world, one way to magnify our resources is to support organizations whose values align with ours: we can do more when we steward our resources effectively.
We work with organizations across the legal, medical, and nonprofit sectors whose commitment to social good and impact is profound. In 2023, we hope to reach 50,000 people at these organizations, and I’d love for you to consider helping us ensure the ability to scale our generosity alongside our programmatic growth as we achieve this.
Today, I am asking that you consider making a financial gift to support BE MORE with Anu’s work.
Financial donations help us keep moving the needle on equity
A financial donation to BE MORE with Anu allows us to continue to make our work more accessible to folks who need it. For example, this past year we were able to extend financial scholarships to six people who otherwise wouldn’t have been able to attend our Summit.
We were also able, in 2021, to offer reduced rates to a small group of start-up organizations who otherwise would not have been able to access our work.
"Thank you so much for this gift. I learned so much and I'm so grateful I was able to participate."
Offering this spirit of generosity is at the core of who we are; yet, as we continue to grow and scale our offerings, we also need to be able to grow and scale the resources we use to extend this generosity if we wish to grow sustainably, prioritizing our ability to continue to re-invest into our work.
Your financial support allows us to continue to offer scholarships and sponsorships to people and organizations who are transformed by these opportunities. It has meant the world to me to be able to include the line “no one will be turned away for lack of funds” whenever we open our doors. I hope that you will consider making a financial donation.
The fine print:
- We’re partnering with an organization called the Himachal Foundation to accept donations on our behalf. (If you’ve been to a live program with me, you may recall that I am an immigrant; Himachal is the state in India from which my family hails.) The Himachal Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization, which means that your donation is tax-deductible, and that you’ll receive a letter of confirmation. Please allow up to 48 hours to receive the letter to the email address you provide in the form.
- By default, your donation will be used at the greatest area of need. If you’d like your donation to support a specific programmatic area within BE MORE with Anu’s operations, please reach out to info@bemorewithanu.com.