CSR Changemakers - Danny Almagor

Danny Almagor is the Co-Founder and CEO of Small Giants. This week we profile Danny in CSR Changemakers – a new column that examines inspiring people and their careers in the Social Enterprise and Corporate Social Responsibility sector.

Small Giants was founded in 2007 to create, support and empower businesses that are shifting us to a more socially equitable and environmentally sustainable world, known as social enterprise.

The organisation believes in combining the power, scalability and discipline of business, with the altruism, integrity and social impact of Not for Profits. 

The Melbourne-based impact-investment firm has become the first company in Australia to be certified as a B Corporation – a new type of corporation which uses business to solve social and environmental problems.

What are you currently working on in your organisation?
A set of 10 commandments that the organisation should live by.

What drew you to the CSR/ social enterprise sector?
I was CEO of a Not for Profit and also a commercial company. I thought there must be something that combined those two, which lead me to social enterprise. Woohoo.

How long have you been working in the CSR/ social enterprise sector?
Around four years.

What was your first job in the CSR/ social enterprise sector?
The same one I have now – CEO of Small Giants. Although before that I was CEO of Engineers Without Borders which was very connected to the CSR sector.

What do you like best about working in your current organisation?
The people I work with and get to meet. This sector attracts very cool people.

I consider my greatest achievement to be…
Waiting for me sometime in future. To date, my kids are pretty amazing – that something I’m very proud of.

Favourite saying …
Comparison is the death of happiness. If all is not lost, where is it? The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will fix it. Be happy and useful.

What are you reading/watching/listening to at the moment?
Setting the table, by Danny Meyer. He is a restaurateur in NYC who introduced me to an amazing term called enlightened hospitality. Love it.

My greatest challenge is …
What to say yes and no to. There are so many great things to do, but we can't do them all.