By Arthur Combs THESIS We have observed that defining power, methods of sharing power, and reinforcing these practices through meaningful performance management, can be a starting point for greater productivity, talent retention, and workplace wellbeing.    CONTEXT Consensus over command-and-control. It’s become axiomatic that many Global 500 companies are...

This May, Schaffer&Combs successfully closed two searches for Higg Co and we would like to extend our congratulations to Del Hudson and Jose Guzzardi, Higg Co’s incoming Vice President, Marketing & Communications and Senior Manager Sales, respectively.  Higg Co is a technology company that delivers, implements, and supports the...

We continue our Meaning and Work series with Stephanie Cohn Rupp. “Find your conviction and determine ways to pursue that. Keep an open mind about what that looks like.”   What she does: Provides strategic, operational, and systems-level leadership within the impact investing sector, in order to deliver social...

In 2018, the Northern California Community Loan Fund (NCCLF) Board of Directors approved an ambitious, paradigm-shifting Strategic Plan, with economic and racial equity at the center.  The Loan Fund has been in business since 1987, as a pillar of the San Francisco community development ecosystem. Upon approval of the...

Schaffer&Combs is proud to announce a new partnership with Braven. Braven empowers promising, underrepresented young people—first-generation college students, students from low-income backgrounds, and students of color—with the skills, confidence, experiences and networks necessary to transition from college to strong first jobs through their fellowship program. S&C continues our journey...

Just two years after Greenpeace challenged the apparel industry for unchecked toxic waste, the Rana Plaza collapse in 2013 was a tragic wake-up call for the industry’s treatment of workers. Since then, Schaffer&Combs has supported the sector’s efforts to dramatically change practices, and generate credible environmental and social improvements....

Co-Authored by Monica Walls and Arthur Combs On May 29, S&C hosted ~100 participants to learn from three accomplished leaders: Valerie Red-Horse Mohl, Dmitri Belser, and Cynthia Nimmo. We want to thank our panelists for facilitating an excellent discussion.    We’ve summarized 6 highlights of what we learned below.  ...

“I hate diversity workshops. Real change comes from having enough comfort to be really honest and say something very uncomfortable.”  ​​MICHELLE OBAMA Please join Schaffer&Combs at 6pm on May 29th at WeWork 600 California for a panel on diversity, equity, and inclusion that goes beyond the traditional “best practice”...

  With support from Schaffer&Combs, Children’s Council of San Francisco selected Gina Fromer as their next Chief Executive Officer. Says Fromer, “Ensuring that children and their families have the child care resources they need to thrive is good for families, good for business and hugely beneficial to our great city....

Any organization that claims to be purpose, impact, or mission driven had better define its terms. “Purpose driven” has become a common, but poorly defined phrase for many organizations in the impact sector. We challenged ourselves to think critically about how we define purpose, and what being a purpose...