Case Study:

Before Being Purpose-Led

Everything changed for CEO, Stella Heesom, when she was asked, “What is your business Purpose?” At the time, she was running a successful but soulless technology hardware reseller. Despite being profitable, something was missing. “I was truly miserable as a human being – I really hated what I did. I felt like an impostor. The question about our Purpose hit me between the eyes,” Stella remembers. “Making money is an outcome or an objective, it’s not a Purpose. Right there and then, I knew had to make a choice – either continue to do this in a Purposeful way, or go away and get a job.”

A Bold Transformation

Instead of making minor adjustments, Stella took radical action. “We went all in!” she says. They shut down their existing profitable business and launched a new company – one built around Purpose from the ground up. They even named it after their newfound mission: TechForGood. The company restructured as a certified B Corp and social enterprise, making Purpose-Before-profit their mandate. They let go of customers who weren’t values-aligned and completely reimagined their business model.

Extraordinary Results

The results have been extraordinary. Since launching in November 2021, TechForGood has grown from just two people to a team of seventeen. Starting from scratch, revenue soared to $1.8 million in three years, and is projected to reach $8-million in year four – earning them #8 ranking on The Australian Financial Review Fast Starters list. Most remarkably, this growth happened without a single salesperson. “We don’t need it anymore,” Stella explains. “Our customers come to us because our value proposition is so clear.” The company maintains a 95% customer retention rate and has grown entirely through word of mouth.

Purpose in Action

The company now donates 2% of revenue to social and environmental action, supporting UN projects in Mali and the Philippines. They’re on track to be carbon positive across all scopes of emissions, including offsetting carbon from their customers’ use of products and services. “I’m motivated and driven by sustainable and social impact outcomes and was really looking to build a different way of doing business,” says Stella. The company fills a crucial gap in the tech sector, helping large organizations meet their social procurement objectives without charging a “purpose premium.”

Continuing the Journey

Three years after the initial workshop, TechForGood’s growing team completed another Where and The Why session to align around an even bolder vision. Together, they defined their Moonshot – “One Million Connections, One Million GB of Data Donated, Net Positive Technology Supplier by 2027” – and crystallized their Purpose: “We Create Meaningful and Long-lasting Human Connections.”