Leading Social Impact Strategists Form Hive, a Collective to Help Companies, Organizations, and Individuals Deliver Results

“People are more concerned than ever about social issues, and this plays out in every decision they make—what to buy, where to work, how to invest,” says Hive co-founder Jenifer Willig. “This affects how businesses behave, how charities fundraise, where philanthropists put their money. Hive is about helping them do better smarter and more productively.”

Hive’s clients already include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Girls Not Brides, and recent work with Participant Media on Ai Weiwei’s film ‘Human Flow’ about the refugee crisis.

Bono says about Hive: “The noise coming out of Hive is going to be a lot more than buzz…though they can do that too. These women are Queen Bees of campaigning, policy, marketing and PR. They are very serious about change, and very innovative about how they go about it.” Bono with a ‘B’!

Today, more than ever, research clearly shows that brand perception and business successes are linked not only to what a company, organization or individual does but also how they are impacting the world around them. So, when Katie Harrison, Sheila Roche, Erin Thornton and Jenifer Willig decided to create Hive, they built the collective around three shared goals:

• To help their clients continue to deliver business results and do good in the world as they build or enhance their brands globally;
• To create a collective where other thinkers and experts contribute ideas and work;
• To use their own profits to invest in women and girls.

Hive brings together these four veteran professionals who have unmatched expertise in building world-class brands and social impact organizations. Over the past three decades, the founders have played key roles in the creation and global expansion of such innovative organizations as (RED), ONE, Every Mother Counts, and Whole World Water. Their collective experience includes all the skills—strategy, identity and design, communications, marketing and advertising, social media, advocacy, and policy navigation—that are essential to delivering measurable impact and value in today’s fast-changing digital universe.

To further boost their ability to deliver meaningful results for their clients, the four founders have already welcomed into Hive a collection of experts with pedigrees from tech, entertainment, business, media, and the non-profit world. These experts, on call to work with Hive’s clients, include CMO of Modern Meadow, Bridget Russo; Giving Tuesday/92 Street Y Chief Innovation Officer, Asha Curran; L3 Entertainment Director, Keryn Kaplan; former Disney and Instagram Executive, Marni Tomljanovic; Former Acumen Global Head of Brand Strategy and Communications, Sabrina Dupré; Michael V. Marinello, who launched both Bloomberg Philanthropies and C40 Cities; Amy Hepburn, Principal and Founder of Hepburn Philanthropy Advising; and Robert Wolfe, Co-founder and former CEO of Moosejaw and CrowdRise.

Hive will be working with the global nonprofit venture fund, Acumen, to invest 10 percent of its profits in solutions that focus on reducing poverty for women and girls. “We’re putting our money where our mouths are,” says Hive’s co-founder Sheila Roche. “Acumen is a pioneer of social impact investing and the perfect first partner for Hive.”

Adds Acumen Founder and CEO Jacqueline Novogratz: “Our partners are critical to our work. Their support enables us to build long-term, sustainable solutions that bring dignity, not dependence, to low-income communities around the world. Hive shares our commitment to standing with the poor.”

Hive’s other supporters include Lynn Taliento, Senior Strategist for the Obama Foundation. “This is what businesses and foundations need—some of the smartest creative folks in this field helping them make the world better. And, what could be more perfect than the Hive Founders walking the walk and leveraging their own success to fuel female entrepreneurs around the world.”

About Hive:

Hive is a social impact consultancy founded by experts in strategy, policy, advocacy, marketing and communications to help companies, organizations and individuals create measurable and sustainable social impact. The Hive Collective offers a vast network of experts in branding, communications, micro-financing, technology, design thinking and other critical areas. A for-profit organization, 10% of Hive’s profits are invested in women and girls’ empowerment initiatives. Clients include The Gates Foundation, Girls Not Brides and Participant Media’s documentary Human Flow. To learn more visit www.ahive.com or follow on Twitter at @ahiveco.