Rethinking the Definition of Financial Success

What if, rather than divesting from/ litigating against unscrupulous entities, we used investment to effect meaningful changes from within?

This idea became the central theme of my time as a law student, and has shaped the trajectory of my legal career.

I launched Do Better Together, in October of 2023.  At the same time, I began the process of opening The Sun Also Rises - Wills & Estates, L.C.

The goal?  To explore what it means to run a corporation that’s focused on advancing environmental and social justice initiatives, over and above increasing a shareholder’s bottom line.  51% of The Sun Also Rises - Wills & Estates, L.C.'s profits are donated to further Do Better Together’s mission.

I've been told, more than once, that this is a terrible business model. That to be successful I need to keep more than I give away. Maybe that's true under the prevailing metrics of corporate success. But I think that's a part of the problem. If you can't be successful while striving to improve the lives of others, then maybe it’s time for us to rethink our definition of success.

Thanks to a small influx of cash, and a board comprised of three of the most badass women around (shoutout to Laurel Hunt, Tori Callahan, and Tessa Erwig), Do Better Together provided assistance to 36 unhoused/housing insecure individuals in its first 14 months.  This number includes 3 senior citizens, and 11 children.

Through our cash motel program, we were able to provide temporary housing to 7 individuals, 5 of whom were able to go on to secure a lease for long-term housing.

The Sun Also Rises is a unique test case, but your charitable goals needn’t start at 51% of all profits. The more than half initiative invites corporate leaders and community members to commit to donating 51% of profits exceeding their annual goals. Disclosing this commitment in advance is pivotal to ensuring that we stay true to our philanthropic goals. It works as a safeguard against forever moving the financial goalpost. By assigning value to the changes we want to see, we can begin to identify the tangible difference associated with each donation.