Should Businesses Grow a Heart, Olivia Khalili is the Doctor Oz Trying to Save the Capitalistic Tin Man

Olivia Khalili

Olivia Khalili is trying to erase the line between non-profits and for-profits, because she believes that neither is fully functional without the other. That is a proposition that has a scary feeling to it. We've all seen companies go green, or donate money just to bump up profits, and it has irksome malaise to it. Khalili is sure though, that a company with a solid cause will have more direction.

Khalili's blog Cause Capitalism is pushing forward with the a mission to make capitalism conscious. An idea that at the very least should be considered as part of all modern business school curriculums. I don't doubt that having a cause will get some feel good vibes flowing through the office, but at the same time I'm not sure it is necessarily what is best for the product or service that's offered.

Bottom line a company that creates a good business will find that they are naturally creating jobs as well as pushing society forward. Trying to inject business with a humanitarian soul is leaning dangerously towards making the whole system resemble more of a government than a company.

Photo from http://deardemure.blogspot.com

That said I do believe that Khalili is correctly identifying a shift in a segment small businesses. Companies like Red Earth Trading Company are involved in exactly the kind of praxis she promotes. RETCo has made a mission to buy direct from african artisans.

 These types of start ups are creating a new sub genre of business. Call it conscious business or whatever you want it's definitely something new, and worth keeping an eye on.