Next in our series of Social Enterprise Stories we feature Jessica Rich who is the ‎Director of Operations & Employee Services at The Walker Group. The Walker Group provides professional IT services, including cloud hosting, security and disaster planning, web and interactive services, and technology advisory services. In this interview, we take a look at how The Walker Group became a social enterprise and has encouraged social entrepreneurship in Connecticut.

Why are you operating in Connecticut?

Our founder and CEO, Kate Emery, grew up here in Farmington and as the fourth generation of her family to reside here feels a great connection to the community. The foundation of what would become The Walker Group has been growing and evolving for the last 30 years, yet our focus has remained centered around combining the desire to create a best-in-class IT services firm with the desire to promote social good. We recognize the growing business potential in the state of Connecticut and, by leveraging our strong foundation, longevity, and reputation, we’re confident that we’ll continue to be successful in accomplishing these goals.

Why did you decide to start a Social Enterprise?

Giving back has always been embedded in the culture at Walker, therefore integrating that concept as an official component of our business model seemed like a natural progression. As we started to formalize our existence as a Social Enterprise, we began to consider how our business practices could positively impact future generations and promote sustainability. Defining ourselves as a Social Enterprise also helps us to differentiate ourselves in the marketplace. It reinforces our mission with our employees, clients, and other stakeholders in that we operate not only to generate profit but to invoke social good, and contribute to solving problems faced by people and planet. From this perspective, it is a win-win for all of our stakeholders. Lastly, the social enterprise model greatly influences our hiring process and allows us to attract talented individuals who share our values and commitment to social good.

What is the community you’re trying to have an impact in?

We are committed to helping Connecticut become a hub of Social Enterprise and a model for other states to emulate. While we support a number of local initiatives, our primary commitment is to support reSET(Social Enterprise Trust) through financial contributions and a highly collaborative partnership. reSET, in turn, works to promote, preserve, and protect the social enterprise model through a variety of programs for social entrepreneurs. Together, we work to give social entrepreneurs the resources and guidance to succeed with this business model and lead by example in the CT marketplace.

How do you/will you achieve that impact?

With our support, reSET has grown from a 1 person organization operating here in Walker’s office, to a fully staffed business operating completely independently at 99 Pratt Street in Hartford. Beyond our success with reSET, we are constantly seeking ways to have an impact on our own community through community service initiatives led by our internal Action Team, and strategic sponsorships and donations to organizations that make the largest social impact here in CT. As a company, we incorporate social impact into our strategic plan and design standards for how our company and the individuals among it, will give back. Our staff receives 2 paid days a year to volunteer at organizations that are meaningful to them and we organize several large initiatives each year where we unite as a team for a common purpose.

How do you balance purpose and profit?

Finding this balance can sometimes be a challenge but we recognize that a true social enterprise maintains their commitment to both purpose and profit in equal parts. Most companies are steadfast in their commitment to profits but supporting the community only comes when it is financially convenient. Walker maintains these commitments equally and remains dedicated to our social commitment regardless of profitability at any given time. Because our employees are working towards a bigger cause, we find that they are more invested in the success of the company. This translates in their performance and leads to more satisfied clients and ultimately, more business.

What have been your biggest challenges thus far?

Our biggest challenge was the official transition to a Social Enterprise model, which occurred in 2007. With the rapidly declining economy, this shift presented many challenges but also phenomenal opportunity to experience how a social enterprise functions when economic factors aren’t working in your favor. We had to be far more strategic in how we balanced profitability with our mission and it forced us to examine the process much more carefully than we would have in a better economy. It’s also been difficult to pinpoint the most effective way to educate employees, potential employees and the business community on what social enterprise really is, how it affects our business, and the impact on our stakeholders.

What is the most rewarding thing to you about operating a social enterprise?

Knowing that there’s an overarching purpose for doing what we do every day is empowering. Every decision we make not only impacts us as individuals or an organization, but the community at large. Our success reaches beyond our bottom line and will positively influence future generations beyond anything we could accomplish in a conventional business model.

Why do you want to incorporate as a benefit corporation?

For us, becoming a benefit corporation is a formal declaration that we are building a different kind of business. It sends a message to our employees, our clients and our community that we are committed to social good. Additionally, it provides us access to the resources necessary to further develop our contributions in the local community.