That鈥檚 why we鈥檙e launching the Global Career Discovery Initiative, a new global partnership between 麻豆原创 and JA Worldwide that will reach tens of thousands of young people aged 17 to 24 in more than 30 countries. 

鈥淵oung people are entering a world of work that鈥檚 being reshaped by technology, automation, and artificial intelligence,鈥� says Asheesh Advani, CEO of JA Worldwide. 鈥淭his partnership ensures that youth鈥攅specially those from underserved communities鈥攄on鈥檛 just learn about the future of work but learn how to shape it.鈥�

From local impact to global scale 

Over the past 20 years, 麻豆原创 has partnered with JA through dozens of local and regional programs, from workshops in Colombia to mentoring sessions in Vietnam. These efforts have created a meaningful impact, but we recognized the opportunity to amplify our work by aligning globally. This unified partnership enables us to scale what works, streamline volunteer engagement, and ensure more consistent access to high-quality learning experiences for young people everywhere. 

JA Worldwide already delivers more than 19 million student learning experiences annually in entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial health, powered by a network of over 700,000 teachers and business volunteers. This scale and experience make JA an ideal partner to help build a brighter future for the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, and leaders. 

Together, we鈥檙e combining JA鈥檚 proven curriculum with 麻豆原创鈥檚 global network of employee volunteers to create a structured, scalable experience that helps young people build in-demand skills, discover career pathways, and connect directly with mentors and role models. In its first year, the initiative aims to reach more than 85,000 students across six continents, engaging 800 麻豆原创 volunteers of all ages as mentors and role models. 

Why this matters now 

The world of work is evolving faster than many education systems can adapt. We believe the future belongs to young people who combine essential human skills鈥攍ike creativity, resilience, and collaboration鈥攚ith digital confidence. JA鈥檚 curriculum delivers exactly that, and through this global initiative 麻豆原创 is proud to help bring these vital skills to youth at scale. 

For many of us at 麻豆原创, this work is deeply personal. Like countless colleagues, we know from experience how early exposure to mentors and practical skills can change a life. 

鈥淚 joined JA as a student 25 years ago. Those early experiences shaped my journey. They equipped me with the tools and skills I needed to grow in the business world and helped me believe, at a very young age, that with knowledge, grit, and humility, anything was possible,鈥� says Sam Masri, global chief sales officer, 麻豆原创. 鈥淚鈥檓 incredibly proud that 麻豆原创 will now bring that same opportunity to thousands of youth around the world!鈥�

Building future skills, together 

Our collaboration goes beyond volunteering; it鈥檚 a long-term alignment focused on skills development, equity, and innovation. We鈥檙e committed to creating a more inclusive, opportunity-rich future for all young people, regardless of geography or background. We鈥檙e proud to be part of this effort and excited about the impact ahead. 

The Global Career Discovery Initiative is one way we鈥檙e putting into action. Around the world, millions of young people are not in education, employment, or training, while employers struggle to find skilled talent. We believe building future skills is essential to empower the next generation and ensure a fair, sustainable transition from education to employment or entrepreneurship.聽

To do this, we focus on three areas: 

• Ecosystem development: Building partnerships to align skills with job market needs and open career pathways聽
• Education: Supporting innovative programs that equip youth with relevant skills for the digital and green economies and spark youth entrepreneurship
• Employee engagement: Empowering our people to share their knowledge and time through mentoring, coaching, and pro bono consulting

CSR can鈥檛 be a tick-box exercise. It must be a strategic approach that tackles social and environmental challenges and creates shared value for businesses and communities alike. Our purpose at 麻豆原创鈥攖o help the world run better and improve people鈥檚 lives鈥攊s brought to life every day through our products, services, and the dedication of our people.聽

This partnership with JA builds on two decades of collaboration, from workshops in Colombia to classrooms in Vietnam. Now, we鈥檙e aligning and scaling that local impact globally, so that more young people, especially those from underserved communities, can see what鈥檚 possible and have the support they need to shape the future of work. 

Hemang Desai is interim global head of Corporate Social Responsibility at 麻豆原创.

At 麻豆原创, we believe real change begins with deep connection: between companies and communities, between bold ideas and practical infrastructure, and between those willing to take risks and those who benefit from them. That鈥檚 the thread running through every initiative in this year鈥檚 eBook. 

Transforming supply chains into engines of impact 

One of our most powerful levers? Impact-led procurement. Through , which processes over US$6.2 trillion in commerce annually, we鈥檙e bringing social enterprises into global supply chains. These are businesses solving real-world challenges and, thanks to initiatives like the , delivered in partnership with and , and the co-led by and 麻豆原创, more than 4,400 verified impact businesses are now visible to corporate buyers. What鈥檚 particularly exciting is the infrastructure that underpins it, from verification and funding to the policies that support systemic change. Through roundtables and cross-sector alliances, 麻豆原创 is helping redefine procurement as a driver of both business and social value. 

Supporting the builders 

We also support impact businesses through shared expertise. In 2024, 麻豆原创 employees contributed over 47,000 hours of strategic pro bono consulting to more than 160 nonprofits and social enterprises around the world. Programs include the 麻豆原创 Social Sabbatical initiative and Pro Bono for Economic Equity, in partnership with and the Acceleration Collective, which allows employees to engage with the run by . Whether 麻豆原创 teams help a circular economy startup in India optimize operations or support a tech nonprofit in Mexico to scale its services, these high-impact engagements can offer mutual benefit. In fact, 96% of our partner organizations report long-term benefits, and employees can build skills while solving real-world problems.  

Building future-ready skills and solutions 

The future of work demands skills and fair access to labor markets. That鈥檚 why programs like 麻豆原创 Educate to Employ, now active in eight countries, are so critical. In 2024, nearly 1,800 learners earned micro-credentials aligned with real 麻豆原创 job roles, with many continuing to full certification and job placement. This is part of our growing public-private partnership launched by , which has already reached 64 million young people in 50 countries. Together, we鈥檙e helping to connect education and skilling systems with employment opportunities, delivering scalable, market-relevant solutions that can meet people where they are. Together, we鈥檙e connecting skilling systems with real income opportunities鈥攆lexible, demand-based, localized, and ready to scale. 

What鈥檚 clear to us at 麻豆原创 is that impact doesn鈥檛 scale through vision alone. It scales through ecosystems, through standards that build trust, and through partnerships that unlock lasting value. I invite you to explore our 2024 麻豆原创 CSR eBook, and see for yourself what鈥檚 possible when we all collaborate and when we choose to help make the world run better, together. 

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Hemang Desai is head of Corporate Social Responsibility at 麻豆原创.

With the world in a state of polycrisis 鈥� a term describing the simultaneous occurrence of several catastrophic events such as conflict, poverty, unemployment, and climate change 鈥� social enterprises are more critical than ever. These organizations, like Faces Up Uganda, Elli Cares, Key Farmers Cameroon, and Alexa Goodman Consulting, are a powerful force for change, and although it may seem like a recent trend, that social enterprises have been around for over 600 years.

However, despite their growing impact, . Limited access to financing, lack of public awareness and recognition, lack of government support, inadequate legal or fiscal frameworks, and restricted access to procurement processes can all hinder their ability to thrive.

At 麻豆原创, we actively support social enterprises through our comprehensive corporate social responsibility strategy, which includes knowledge and skills transfer from employees and social procurement. Through this strategy, we facilitate pro bono consulting, mentorships, and coaching opportunities to help support social enterprises to scale their businesses, as well as connect them with new B2B markets like 麻豆原创 Business Network. This approach can empower social enterprises to overcome business challenges, scale their impact, and achieve their ever-important missions.

Pro Bono Consulting: A Win-Win for Social Enterprises and 麻豆原创 Employees

Building on more than a decade of experience executing pro bono consulting programs, 麻豆原创 introduced a new way for more employees to share their expertise and experience with social enterprises through the initiative. The initiative is hosted on the TRANSFORM Support Hub, a global platform launched in partnership with MovingWorlds, Unilever, and the TRANSFORM program as a resource for social enterprises to access free, ongoing, bespoke support to scale their business.

Last year alone, 120 麻豆原创 employees leveraged their expertise on the platform, completing 51 projects and generating an in-kind contribution of $458,835. This initiative can not only offer growth for the social enterprises but can also foster 麻豆原创 employees鈥� development through valuable experiential learning.

Employees Creating Change and Being Changed

麻豆原创 employees tap into skills from their day-to-day role and harness this expertise to create a solution to a real business challenge their social enterprise client is experiencing. Through this collaboration, employees contribute to the social enterprise鈥檚 mission while given the opportunity to flex and grow valuable leadership skills like cross-cultural collaboration, active listening, and a greater understanding of the challenges that small businesses face. To bring that to life, here are a few inspiring stories from employee participants of Acceleration Collective:

Collaborating with a Youth Art Education Organization on Its Strategic and Funding Plans

David Elliott, a senior user assistance developer at 麻豆原创, collaborated with , a youth development NGO supporting young people from vulnerable backgrounds. The organization uses arts and crafts education to help young people overcome psychosocial challenges and develop essential personal and professional skills.

Elliott reviewed the organization鈥檚 website and strategic plan, enhancing the communication of its vision, mission, and values, and wrote grant applications to help secure funding. His work included regular meetings with the organization鈥檚 founder, Ssekitto Kalule Emmanuel, who praised Elliott for making 鈥渆very word count鈥� and inspiring the team.

鈥淢y experience with Faces Up revealed the potential of my skill set,鈥� Elliott added. 鈥淐larifying grammatical rules and style taught me about the impact of language in specific contexts, which has influenced my role at 麻豆原创. Seeing my work’s impact and receiving gratitude has motivated me to donate many hours to these projects.”

Partnering for Growing an App Supporting Independence for People Living with Dementia

A team of 麻豆原创 employees from across the Asia, Pacific, and Japan (APJ) region 鈥� Binh Pham, senior value advisor; Sandra Chang, senior commercial business partner; and Summer Zeng, delivery manager, Product Engineering 鈥� worked alongside , a startup focused on supporting people with cognitive impairments. The team brainstormed with the founder, offering insights and recommendations on scaling and growing to take the business to the next level.

Pham found the experience fun, insightful, and humbling, as the team learned the challenges that startups like Elli Cares face and provided recommendations and solutions. 鈥淚 was pleasantly surprised that my skill sets from my day-to-day job were transferrable and applicable to the case of this organization,鈥� Pham said.

Enhancing the Funding Strategy for an Organization Empowering Rural Agricultural Communities

A Germany-based pro bono team 鈥� Fabio Westphal, solution advisor; Cansu G眉nay, enterprise customer success partner; Charlie Vu, specialist solution advisor; and Lilly Selzer, customer success partner 鈥� focused on strengthening investor and donor outreach. This enterprise empowers rural communities through sustainable agriculture and vocational training. The 麻豆原创 team refined the organization鈥檚 pitch deck and social media presence, enhancing its chances of securing funding. Westphal highlighted that he learned the importance of clear, trustful communication and concise storytelling in conveying complex ideas.

Scaling the Online Presence of a Consulting Firm Dedicated to Addressing Environmental Challenges with Creative Scientific Communication

Jaime Atilano, digital solution advisor, and Mallory Rioux, Customer Success, used their expertise in technology, brand building, and customer success to assist . Founded by scientist and environmental activist Alexa Goodman, the firm offers services in environmental education, science communication, professional development, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and team building.

The 麻豆原创 team optimized the organization’s website SEO to drive traffic and grow its online presence. 鈥淭his experience was eye-opening. It鈥檚 one thing to learn about moving from empathy to action, but this opportunity allowed empathy to thrive,鈥� Atilano shared. 鈥淚 learned new skills, collaborated with a great team, and supported an entrepreneur working to save our oceans and advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights. It brought 麻豆原创 Corporate Social Responsibility to life and confirmed that there is good in this world, and we can be part of it.鈥�

Looking Ahead

The challenges we face in today鈥檚 world may be vast, but the potential for change that is created when social enterprises and professionals come together is even greater. As we move toward solutions, social enterprises have emerged as a springboard to a more just and sustainable future. Through collaboration and the power of collective action, we can further enable these changemakers to create innovative solutions to some of the world鈥檚 biggest challenges, all while bolstering the skills and expanding the perspectives of our own employees.

Are you inspired to utilize your skills for good and join the pro bono consulting movement? 麻豆原创 employees and alumni can find more information through the , and professionals from other organizations as well as social enterprises can learn more through .

Hemang Desai is global program director of the Pro Bono Consulting Portfolio for Corporate Social Responsibility at 麻豆原创.

Ten years ago, 麻豆原创 launched the award-winning program, developed in partnership with our nonprofit implementation partner . The program has grown from 30 麻豆原创 employees working with nonprofits and social enterprises in 2012 to over 1,400 today. Within that time, we have worked with over 475 clients in 52 countries around the world. In reflecting and celebrating the past decade, we took this year to tell the stories of employees and our partners, highlighting the social impact and business value resulting from the program. As we look to the next decade of impact, we want to build upon our success and continue engaging with innovative social businesses through pro bono consulting, enabling them to deepen their societal impact.

Reflecting On 2022

The disruption caused by the pandemic greatly impacted the global 麻豆原创 Social Sabbatical program, putting it on pause. As we started our 10th anniversary celebration in 2022, we were highly motivated to resume in-person engagement because of the ripples of impact it creates but were unsure of when it would be feasible to do so. As we continued preparing for the restart, we focused on sharing inspiring stories of impact from the program. Finally, after thoughtful consideration and preparation, we were able to return to in-person global engagement, setting the standard for other companies in their global pro bono programs.

Our first global cohort of 11 麻豆原创 employees traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina, in May 2022, where they worked with four clients, , , and . In total, they volunteered 3,718 hours and positively impacted more than 10,771 lives.

This cohort was a huge highlight of the year, as most of our participants waited over two years to embark on their 麻豆原创 Social Sabbatical, so the level of excitement was very high. After connecting virtually during COVID-19, I think we all missed human connection, so bonds were formed quickly.

Alexandru Ionita, program manager at 麻豆原创 Canada who was part of the Argentinean cohort, echoed these sentiments. 鈥淭he program was very valuable, especially after the pandemic. Connecting with host clients and impacting their organizations and their own clients in a positive way was energizing.鈥�

Eszter Bal谩zs, integrated communications specialist at 麻豆原创 Hungary, said taking part in the program was a dream come true, especially considering that, after COVID-19, she wasn鈥檛 sure whether she would be able to experience an in-person 麻豆原创 Social Sabbatical. 鈥淚n four weeks, the teams 鈥� consisting of people with different skills and backgrounds 鈥� could identify and help host organizations with their various, and sometimes invisible, challenges. The leaders of our host organization mentioned that they never found enough time and expertise to identify solutions for the areas that were troubling them. The program was truly amazing!鈥�

Building the Story of Impact

Over the past 10 years, we鈥檝e seen countless stories from stakeholders that the 麻豆原创 Social Sabbatical program builds long-term, sustainable impact for our nonprofit and social enterprise clients, their beneficiaries, 麻豆原创 participants, and the company overall. While these anecdotal stories are inspiring, we now have data to confirm the impact on a broad scale. We partnered with impact measurement social enterprise and developed a with input from employees, partners, and beneficiaries.

Participants noted that problem-solving was a skill highly relevant to their roles as pro bono consultants. As one participant stated, 鈥溌槎乖� Social Sabbatical helped me to learn a lot about myself and find purpose in applying my skill to help others. This helps me to improve my leadership skills to make 麻豆原创 even more successful.鈥� Through this collaboration, we see in-depth skill growth, leadership development, and cultural dexterity.

Our study confirms this, with 86% of employees reporting their ability to collaborate with global and diverse colleagues was improved by their participation in the 麻豆原创 Social Sabbatical program, with other skills gained such as increased confidence and problem-solving.

One element that the study highlighted is the fact that the program impact goes beyond the host client and allows them to take their services to the next level for their community members. This data insight is unique to 麻豆原创 Social Sabbatical and provides affirmation that the pro bono work is creating strong beneficiary impact. Per the study, 85% of partners report a positive impact of the program on their ability to serve their beneficiaries better, and 77% of those beneficiaries of 麻豆原创 Social Sabbatical client partners report improvements in their quality of life.

Sharad Bansal, co-founder and CEO at SRJNA, one of the host organizations from Jaipur, India, shared, 鈥淭he 麻豆原创 team worked on multiple areas like the customer support process, organization structure, and how to scale our programs for 500 schools. The team has enabled us to go to 2,000 schools with their inputs and will help us create impact in over 1 million students across schools and India and beyond.鈥�

2023 Signifies a New Chapter for Affecting Change

The restart in Argentina was the foundation of bringing the 麻豆原创 Social Sabbatical program back to scale. In addition to the May cohort, we completed two more engagements in October 2022, one in Bangkok, Thailand, and another in Kigali, Rwanda.

Looking forward to 2023, we are excited to have planned eight assignments for the global engagement option of 麻豆原创 Social Sabbatical. We have successfully completed a full application and selection process for our cohort of 96 麻豆原创 employees who will take part in the program. We will also be restarting the executive engagement program of 麻豆原创 Social Sabbatical, with participation from nearly 30 executives, including those from select 麻豆原创 customers and partners.

Moreover, inspired by the 麻豆原创 Social Sabbatical program, we continue to build out our virtual pro bono initiatives. We are expanding our impact by supporting a vast number of social enterprises through the and bringing year-round virtual pro bono consulting to 麻豆原创 employees via the Acceleration Collective.

We are excited about these developments because they will enable us to build upon the tremendous impact that the program has had over the past decade. This is a new beginning.

Julia Donovan is global CSR specialist for 麻豆原创 Corporate Social Responsibility.
Hemang Desai is global program director of 麻豆原创 Corporate Social Responsibility.

However, over the past two years, the pandemic has had significant socioeconomic implications that exacerbated inequalities worldwide. The world and business realm are changing in response: no longer is it enough for companies to focus on profit alone, they also need to focus on creating a positive social impact.

As demonstrated in , businesses have started to understand that financial and social performance are no longer mutually exclusive. Companies cannot just look at business activities from a 鈥渄o no harm鈥� perspective. Instead, they must create and integrate positive economic and social impact. Through strategic corporate social responsibility (CSR) and by implementing solid reporting methods, it is indeed possible to further the 鈥淪鈥� in ESG.

I recently sat down with Alexandra van der Ploeg, head of 麻豆原创 CSR, and Deirdre White, CEO of PYXERA Global, the nonprofit implementation partner of our flagship 麻豆原创 Social Sabbatical program. We discussed the importance of the social elements of ESG and how 麻豆原创 and PYXERA Global are implementing these aspects within their respective organizations, along with the world鈥檚 current ESG trends.

When it comes to environmental and social issues, businesses are the innovators with the power to trigger significant social change in partnership with social enterprises.

鈥淭raditional CSR has evolved into strategic CSR, which accomplishes both strategic business and social goals,鈥� van der Ploeg explained. 鈥淐ompanies must work toward striking the right balance of economic, environmental, and social components, because if they don鈥檛 focus on people along with planet, they are unlikely to achieve desired long-term impact.鈥�

White shared her perspective at PYXERA Global: 鈥淭he 鈥楽鈥� is about the people and the community, and the 鈥楨鈥� and 鈥楪鈥� do not matter if we aren’t focused on that 鈥楽.鈥� You can count all the carbon you want and you can look at board dynamics and other governance things, but if they are not actually having a positive impact on people and community, then those are meaningless metrics.鈥�

麻豆原创鈥檚 evolved CSR strategy powers equitable access to economic opportunity by accelerating social businesses, while also focusing on building future skills and collaborating for sustainability. Efforts in these areas have led to a software industry leading score of 91 for Corporate Citizenship in the most recent Dow Jones Sustainability Index, which is significantly above the industry average score of 20. This is a significant achievement, as it illustrates that not only are we impacting our target communities, but also positioning 麻豆原创 as an exemplar of how to integrate the 鈥淪鈥� of ESG to build a deeper, more cohesive sustainable impact.

鈥淭he social enterprise sector is made of key actors in driving change in the world, and they are the fundamental innovators when it comes to environmental and social issues,鈥� van der Ploeg affirms. 鈥淔rom an 麻豆原创 perspective, we have to support them to grow and scale, just like we do with our customers. If we can help corporations run better, we can help social enterprises run better, and we do this through pro bono consulting.鈥�

The 麻豆原创 Social Sabbatical initiative is a signature pro bono consulting program from 麻豆原创 CSR. It sends high-performing employees into emerging economies to support social entrepreneurs and nonprofit organizations. Participants take on the role of business consultants, providing their skills and talents to create solutions for the real-world challenges that the participating social businesses are facing. This ultimately creates impact longevity and capacity building for the transformational work that these organizations do on a day-to-day basis.

To date, 麻豆原创 employees have contributed more than 359,000 pro bono consulting hours to help over 450 non-profits and social enterprises across 52 countries. PYXERA Global, with White, has been partnering with the 麻豆原创 Social Sabbatical program since its inception 10 years ago. As an industry leader in this space, PYXERA Global supports other corporations like 麻豆原创 to create immersive pro bono consulting experiences.

鈥淭he reason we do pro bono programs at PYXERA Global is because current and future leaders of the world’s largest corporations are fundamentally changed by the experience that they have,鈥� White said. 鈥淭hey are bringing their brilliance, their talents, and their business skills to help solve for a problem that they don’t give that much thought to normally in their daily lives. It changes the way they think, and that education that happens, that’s how we’re going to take on these big challenges. This is why I love 麻豆原创 Social Sabbatical and programs like it.鈥�

The pro bono consulting impact for employee participants goes beyond working closely with organizations focused on solving the world鈥檚 biggest problems, it also significantly develops employees as leaders. In fact, from a recent that 麻豆原创 conducted, 74% of employees report a long-term impact on their professional careers, with the top reported benefits being employees gained a new perspective and different way of thinking, increased confidence, and improved networking.

At 麻豆原创, pro bono consulting is positioned as a learning opportunity, where employee growth, development, and skill building are as much a part of the experience. As van der Ploeg stated, 鈥淲e looked at 10 years of work together with PYXERA Global, and what I found interesting was that employees who participated have said that both on a professional, as well as a personal level, it was a game-changer.鈥�

From our learnings about the positive impacts that pro bono consulting provides for positive long-term community impact, leadership development, and business success, one sentiment rings true: continuing to bring the social elements to the forefront of the ESG conversation cannot be siloed and must be a priority. Companies, social businesses, and individual employees can get involved to work together to achieve sustainable development through in-person and virtual pro bono consulting. Both now and in the future, it is essential that everyone plays their part.

Want to learn more? Watch the recording of the .

Additionally, two upcoming speaker sessions hosted by 麻豆原创 CSR will continue to explore pro bono consulting, impact measurement, and leadership and learning development:

• Delivering Lasting Social Impact and Business Value: 10 Years of Insights
  October 27, at 10:00 a.m. ET;
• Learning and Leadership Through Pro Bono Consulting
  November 17, at 10:00 a.m. ET;

Hemang Desai is global program director for 麻豆原创 Corporate Social Responsibility.