We are Business for Good
Jahkeen is an entrepreneur with a portfolio of business development successes, and a commitment to social progress.
He has significant experience in both for-profit and non-profit development. Jahkeen’s worked with GE, AT&T, Keybank, the City of Albany, AVillage, and he’s co-founder of 4th Family, a non-profit that serves at-risk youth.
He’s been repeatedly recognized for his achievements in business, community activism, and philanthropy.
Jahkeen believes that a thriving eco-system of positive, local businesses can lead to communities of greater equity, and equality.
After years in the field, working at multiple construction and architectural firms, Stephanie arrived at Business for Good adept in design and project management. Community oriented, always looking to give back, what drew Stephanie to Business for Good was the opportunity to apply her skills in a new way—to design and make a difference.
With over a decade of experience in project as well as office and facilities management, Donna brings a seasoned, juggler’s hand to BFG. Throughout her career she’s worked closely managing brand teams when in project management as well as vendors, designers, and contractors to pull-off extensive, multimillion-dollar projects. But it’s her experience at Fingerpaint, reaping the rewards of serving on the philanthropy committee, organizing corporate employee and client events and managing the property that propelled Donna to join the BFG team.
Raised in Schenectady, NY, in an economically distressed community, Yousef understands too well the challenges faced by local at risk youth. In joining Business for Good, Yousef hopes to leverage his creative talents to positively impact communities like the one he came from.
With over two decades of experience working with iconic global brands such as Coca Cola, American Express, Samsung, Madison Square Garden, and more, Connie brings big marketing solutions to Business for Good. In her career she’s worked across industries and sectors and knows the importance of aligning creativity and passion with action and data.
An entrepreneur herself, and a founding member of a TEDx committee in NYC, Connie loves mentoring and helping others launch and grow their own businesses.
Connie believes that people are an organization’s most important asset. And that leadership requires a desire to be in the trenches, working alongside your team to create a product that everyone can believe in.
Socially conscious and operationally savvy, Alexa uses her professional tools to support her guiding interest in social action.
With experience in banking and administration, as well as an educational background and teaching stint in the field of women’s studies, Alexa exemplifies Business for Good’s approach: merging the tools of business with the desire for a better world.
With a background in digital media production and photography, Cambridge, NY born Abby is thrilled to be part of a team dedicated to serving local communities like her own.
At Business for Good, Abby’s Capital Region roots, her love of animals and art, and her desire to change the world for the better, all find expression through her work. Her role at BFG is a perfect blend of Abby’s skills and heart.
Maire’s ability to bring people from different walks of life together to achieve big goals makes her a key part of the Business for Good team. Whether through her service in local government, or as a trustee on the boards of multiple area non-profits, Maire’s devotion to our region’s prosperity is clear—and her ability to roll up her sleeves and get the job done is unquestioned. She’s worked alongside community leaders, business owners and City officials to execute large-scale projects throughout Saratoga Springs. And her experience developing and implementing legislation is an incredible asset to an organization committed to exploring every way to advance our local communities.
Kristen’s passion for bringing people together, combined with her entrepreneurial experience, makes her a natural fit at BFG. With a background in wellness, hospitality management, sales, marketing, and business development, Kristen is excited to use all of her varied skills to help bring greater prosperity and a deeper sense of community to the Capital Region.
Justin brings a degree in business administration as well as writing, research, social media, and customer service experience to BFG. Justin sees a tremendous opportunity as a GOOD Fellow to explore new ways to marry his passion for business and desire to do good.
Our Story
We are entrepreneurs. Which essentially means we had an idea, we worked hard, had a few fails, got back up, had some luck (good and bad), and received lots of help and support along the way.
From Lisa’s start in mortgage lending, to Ed juggling a demanding job and three young kids, there was a time, not all that long ago, that our current life would have been unimaginable to us.
We’ve experienced a level of prosperity that’s still hard to get our minds around.
We’re living our dream. And we’re very grateful for it.
But we believe dreams should be accessible to everyone.
Throughout our careers, we’ve been committed to giving back. We’ve worked hard to get to where we are, but we’ve also been uniquely fortunate.
We established Business for Good because not everyone has the same opportunities that we’ve had to pursue and achieve a dream, or to even dream freely because of the economic and social obstacles standing in their way.
We had a simple goal when we started: to help as many people as we could. Do as much good as we could do.
We knew we wanted to be active, hands-on. We wanted to do more than cut checks. We wanted to build something lasting by investing in people for the long term, and in every way.
To do this we had to rethink the relationship between business and philanthropy.
We had to find a path of enduring giving so that we could provide the kind of sustained support that we believe leads to lasting change.
We’ve seen the power of business and entrepreneurship to embolden people, to strengthen and shape communities. And our goal is to harness it—for good. For everyone.
We hope to meet you on the road to a better world.
Ed & Lisa
Ed is a renowned healthcare marketing entrepreneur who has built three businesses totaling well over a combined $800 million in revenue. His current company, Fingerpaint, has been on the Inc. 5000 List of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies for the last eight years. Ed is a published author and prominent thought leader, writing his first book, More Than a Number, with Forbes in 2020, and regularly contributing his expertise to trade and business publications.
Ed has been deeply invested in philanthropy throughout his career. He has made significant contributions to countless organizations focused on improving equity in education, preserving arts and culture, providing emergency services, and fighting homelessness and food insecurity both locally and abroad.
It is Ed’s belief in the untapped potential of entrepreneurship as an agent for social change that inspired him and Lisa to found Business for Good.
Throughout her successful career in mortgage lending, working in management for Countrywide Home Loans, overseeing sales and operations for both upstate New York and Vermont, Lisa has always given back. Over the past twenty years she’s devoted much of her life to community service, philanthropy, animal rights action, and battling homelessness. She’s also written about some of the pressing challenges that face our communities, and our world. Lisa’s defining characteristic is her hands-on approach. Whether she’s walking to end Alzheimer’s, delivering pizzas to Shelters of Saratoga, chairing events for Rebuilding Together Saratoga County and other area non-profits, or gathering eggs on the family farm that donates all proceeds to charity. Lisa is always there, right in the middle of the action, fighting the good fight.
It is Lisa’s humane, connected, hands-on approach to philanthropy and community service that Business for Good is modeled after.
Grace established the Planned Parenthood Generation Action Club at the University of California, Santa Cruz, with the help of three friends and a vision to promote reproductive freedom for students. She then transferred to Emerson College to pursue her BFA in Creative Writing with a concentration in poetry. As a rising senior, she has plans to be a part of the Emerson Prison Initiative, where she will conduct and apply her own research on how recidivism decreases when incarcerated people are able to access college-level education while behind bars.
Currently a therapist in private practice in NYC, Emily has worked as a social worker with children in underserved communities, providing mental health counseling and emotional support to kids in need.
Education: LMSW from Columbia University. BFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts.
Education: LMSW from Columbia University. BFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts.
Currently working in Integrated Production/Video Editing at Fingerpaint, Nick has participated in Checking For Cancer, a hockey tournament to raise money for the Jimmy V Foundation, as well as the Empty Stocking Project, which supplies relief to children in need.
Education: BS in Business Administration from University of Colorado at Boulder.
MITZEN FAMILY
Ed, Grace, Emily, Nick, and Lisa
TOGETHER WE BUILD DREAMS
Excited To See What’s Next?
There’s good on the horizon—
stay tuned!
We Love Making Connections.
Drop us a line and we’ll be in touch.