Read more
In the 21st century, businesses are increasingly faced with complex, "wicked" problems--challenges with social and environmental dimensions they cannot solve on their own. This is especially common in the frontier markets of Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the former Soviet bloc. In many cases, the best solution is to create cross-sector partnerships with organizations from outside the business world--foundations, nonprofits, government agencies, and more. The resulting partnerships can generate business value as well positive social impact, thereby benefiting companies and communities alike. PARTNER WITH PURPOSE by Steve Schmida is a step-by-step guide to planning, launching, and successfully maintaining cross-sector partnerships, illustrated with vivid real-life stories from the author's work with companies around the world.
About the author
Steve Schmida is the Founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Resonance, an award-winning global development and corporate sustainability consulting firm with more than 100 consultants worldwide and offices in Vermont, Washington, D.C., Seattle, and Manila. Resonance clients include Fortune 500 companies, international donor agencies, and leading nonprofits and foundations.
Steve has been at the forefront of corporate sustainability and global development for more than two decades, focusing on developing cross-sector partnerships that enable clients to tackle "wicked problems" from climate change to human trafficking in supply chains. His writing has appeared in the Huffington Post, Stanford Social Innovation Review, and the Moscow Times. He sits on the Leadership Group of the Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy (PACE) and on the Sustainable Innovation Executive Council of the Grossman School of Business at the University of Vermont.
Prior to founding Resonance, Steve lived and worked for eight years in Russia and Central Asia, where he established and led programs to support entrepreneurs and civic activists for the Eurasia Foundation and the National Democratic Institute. Fluent in Russian, he holds an M.A. from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He lives in Vermont with his wife, Nazgul (who is CEO of Resonance), and their two children.
