Jesse DeRose

Mission Statement


I help the next generation of business leaders and employees create purposeful work that balances profit and social impact.

I spent over a decade in the tech industry, and found myself burnt out from work that prioritized profit over people. There were so many unmet social needs in the world that these companies could help solve if they simply put their resources to it, and yet they didn't. I wanted to do something more purposeful, to feel like I was making a difference.

And I wasn't alone. Employees today seek meaning and [intrinsic] satisfaction from their jobs and a 2019 report found that "four out of five responding college graduates say it is very important or extremely important to have a sense of purpose in their work."

So I've dedicated myself to creating the work we want-purposeful, intrinsically satisfying work that balances profits and people, because I want to help the next generation make a difference.

My Values

Helping others helps you.

Healthy organizations learn from their mistakes, and a learning organization requires open communication, collaboration, and psychological safety.

Wisdom > intelligence.

Work is greater than its product or service, and must account for human nature. It's not about being the smartest person in the room, it's about being the wisest.

It's okay to be wrong.

I encourage innovation by rewarding creativity and implementation of creative ideas, and risk-taking and learning through iteration. I also encourage leaders to designate certain research and prototyping tasks as learning zones where employees have space to explore and learn from failure without fear of punishment. Knowing which tasks are in the learning zone and which aren't alleviates social pressure for employees to perform at peak ability in all work, which ultimately increases overall performance. This value also encourages leaders to actively engage every team member in decision-making, ensuring employees feel safe speaking up, and increasing product viability which increases chances of the product succeeding in the market.

Humility above all.

I promote communication and collaboration by encouraging employees to approach each other with humility first, recognizing that we may not always have the same frame of reference for our work, and curiosity second, asking empathetic questions to find common ground and a path forward. My value "It's Okay to Be Wrong" also comes in handy here because psychological safety is a precondition for learning AND humility.

Certifications