Mozzers believe in doing good, whether we’re helping new SEOs learn the ropes, encouraging young girls to consider a career in STEM, or just maintaining a dog-friendly (and thus smile-friendly) office. It’s why so much of our content and tools are available for free. It’s why Moz has a generous employee donation-match program that matched over $500,000 between 2013 and 2017, supporting organizations making the world a more just and charitable place. It’s why we partner with programs like Year Up, Ignite, and Techbridge to inspire the next generation of technology leaders.
And of course, TAGFEE is the beating heart of everything we do. It’s part of our DNA. That’s why we’re incredibly proud (and humbled!) to announce that our very own CEO and Disney-karaoke-extraordinaire, Sarah Bird, has been accepted into The Aspen Institute’s 23rd class of Henry Crown Fellows, a program whose values resonate deeply with our own.
The Henry Crown Fellowship is an influential program that enables leaders to embrace their inner do-gooder. Every year, around twenty leaders from around the world are accepted into the fellowship. Having proven their success in the private sector, each new Fellow uses this opportunity to play a similar role in their communities, their country, or the world.
Pretty exciting, right? The best part of all, though: it’s not just about reflection. It’s about action. Fellows in the program have launched over 2,500 leadership ventures, using the opportunity to tackle everything from improving healthcare access, to battling domestic violence, to enhancing sustainable living, and beyond. It’s important, highly impactful stuff.
“Executives are often criticized for building successful businesses without giving back to the communities that helped them along the way,” says Sarah, “but we must lead as much in our communities as we do in our businesses.”
Tech companies and executives often face deserved scrutiny for the second- and third-order impacts of their successes. It’s a hard truth that the benefits and costs of technology advances aren’t shared equally between all people, and the cost to our environment is often not fully accounted for. The consequence is an understandable backlash against technologists.
“In order to change this,” adds Sarah, “we need to earnestly and with rigor dive into the sociological and ecological consequences of our work. Those of us with great power and privilege need to recognize and embrace our role in creating a more just and healthy future. I feel called to make a difference, and I’m glad there is a program out there to provide a framework and accountability for action.”
Here at Moz, we’ve been lucky enough to benefit from Sarah’s influence for years — we know she’s good people, inside and out. And now, we can’t wait to see her make waves in the world at large with the support of the Henry Crown Fellowship.
We’d love for you to join us in congratulating her in the comments below, and bonus points if you share the cause that’s closest to your heart!
