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Picture the next generation Fortune 500 – companies that aren’t just touted for bottom line results, but for addressing the triple bottom line: people, planet, profit.

TOMS Shoes, Method, Whole Foods, lululemon athletica, GOOD, B Lab, Virgin Unite, Kiva, TED: these companies are among the new “GameChangers 500,” according to the Elevation Institute, which was founded by Andrew Hewitt.

“If the Fortune 500 was the benchmark for success in the 20th Century, the vision is for the GameChangers 500 to become that benchmark for the 21st Century — showcasing heart-centered organizations that are not just good at making money but are also good at making the world a better place.”

They also use this research to equip “entrepreneurs with the best practices for building a game-changing organization,” and help “job-seekers find and connect with game-changing organizations that inspire them and share their values.”

via GameChangers500.com

A growing movement of young adults – whether they’re just entering the work force, or have been working in more traditional jobs for a few years – are developing an urge to gain more from their job than just profit; they want to do something that matters, something that benefits the earth, helps the people on it, or both.

For-Profit Jobs that Give Back
Stacy McCoy spent time in the corporate sector and experienced a similar longing to work at a company with meaning, so she took the leap recently to found a company called Give to Get Jobs. The job hunting website focuses exclusively on “for profit jobs that give back,” as Stacy realized people shouldn’t have to choose between earning a good living, and making a living doing good. Her website now connects people with social enterprise jobs, nonprofit positions, and opportunities at certified B Corps (benefit corporations).

Business for a Better World

ReWork.Jobs is also helping place top talent with meaningful jobs, but they’re taking a more direct — and exclusive — approach through recruitment, both for short-term projects and full-time jobs. The company is strongly based in the idea that people should enjoy what they do, and find meaning in it as well:

“We’ve spent the last five years earning our degrees, traveling around the globe, and working on all sorts of projects for organizations big and small—all with a relentless desire to find work that inspires us, challenges us, and also pays the bills.We’ve realized that there’s no road map for finding meaningful work, no structured career path for people to figure out where and how they can make a difference, no community of people dedicated to this pursuit.”

And now they’re working to make that a reality for people through ReWork.jobs — establishing a “community of ambitious and passionate professionals who refuse to settle for work that doesn’t inspire them.”

Countless entrepreneurs have been posing the question: why shouldn’t we hire the sharpest, most talented people to solve the world’s most challenging problems? And why shouldn’t they be compensated for what they are worth if the value they bring can ignite extraordinary change?

The underlying vision behind all three companies is the same: to facilitate the connections between top talent and the companies that are making the world a better place. There is an opportunity to make a good living — to earn well, from a company that values the wellness and growth of its employees — and at the same time impact the planet and its people positively.

Do you think it’s possible to create a significant shift in the way we approach our careers? If so, where do you think this shift needs to occur — in the families we grow up in, in our schools, universities, or in the world’s leading companies?