Pioneering a purpose-driven path
6 October 2023 at 11:23 am
Danny Almagor, and wife, Berry Liberman founded Small Giants in 2007 with the shared belief that our economic system can and should work better for everyone and that business can be a force for good.
Wandering through Hong Kong airport in 2007, Berry and Danny discovered Bo Burlingham’s book, Small Giants. The narrative of “companies that choose to be great instead of big” resonated deeply with their instincts. Berry’s background in investing and meaningful storytelling, and Danny’s engagement with entrepreneurialism and social change (he founded Engineers Without Borders Australia) have informed their vision for a more empathetic and regenerative society. With Burlingham’s blessing, the company they launched to redefine the role of business in Australia was named Small Giants.
Small Giants has invested in and supported organisations working with sustainable property, regenerative agriculture, renewable energy, circular economy and a wide range of social and environmental activism, and is ever receptive to initiatives that challenge the status quo and reimagine our economy.
The Melbourne-based impact-investment firm was 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.
In our jobs blog last week, we shared an article that was originally written by Daniel Schmachtenberger for Dumbo Feather , a publication within Berry Liberman and Danny Almagor’s Small Giants family of companies. This week, we’re revisiting a change maker interview with Danny from 2012.
What drew you to the Corporate Social Responsibility (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.
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.
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.
Over the 10 years since we last spoke to Danny, Small Giants has led Dumbo Feather, brought The School of Life to Australia, created networks such as the Impact Club and B Labs Australia/NZ and programs including Impact Safari and the Journey to Impact. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the diverse programming and storytelling platforms were brought together under one banner and transitioned to a non-profit entity called the Small Giants Academy.
