Creating Connected Capitalism at the Crossroads of People, Planet and, Yes, Profit

A corporation is a man-made keystone definition that cues decisions and behaviors that guide commerce. Its influence has been evolutionary and far reaching. The corporate-form shapes decisions, behaviors and commerce in numerous interconnected ways.

The retired Chairman of Coca-Cola, Neville Isdell, has coined a term: Connected Capitalism. The aim is to change the way we practice capitalism to include sustainable development, philanthropy, localization and to move more toward becoming “a truly engaged company.” Isdell also describes an engaged corporation’s “footprint, handprint and blueprint.” Respectively, a company’s brand and what it stands for, the impact of its supply-chain network, and finally, its effect on politics and civil society.

The modern corporation is a series of definitions encapsulating ownership, liability and authority. What’s changing is mankind’s expectations around the role corporations should play in society. The positive news is that U.S. states are experimenting with new business-entity forms.

Without a scaled set of definitions, how can any company know the connective degree achieved or demanded from its numerous constituencies: the public, customers, stockholders, government, partners and employees? Plus, how will it be able to decide on next steps to either raise or lower a corporation’s non-financial connected capitalism level?

That’s one possible starting point for the project team. Another might be a gap analysis of the arena between the current mix of state and U.S. federal forms of corporation, LLC, non-profit [a 501(c)(3)], Co-op, DBA (Doing Business As) and newer forms like a L3C or a behavioral-cued B Corporation. This project, nonetheless, remains Open 4 Definition and team guidance.