~Contributed by Giovanna DiFalco, Pepper Foster Recruiter
Pepper Foster Consulting is a local management consulting firm that prides itself in being people first, and values driven. We specialize in helping our clients turn their ideas and concepts into transformative realities and we exist to make a difference: for our clients, for our people, and for our community.
Making a difference is part of Pepper Foster’s DNA. Damian Smith, the Founder and CEO of the firm started Pepper Foster knowing that the role of business in society was changing, that businesses will have to do good in the world and be seen as actively improving society to be successful.
In his white paper, Behind the Curtain of Consulting, he shares “Making a difference means going above and beyond. Making sure our clients, our people and our community not only achieve their goals, but smash them! It’s an ethos and purpose we bring to everything we do; and a metric we measure and track for every project, every client, and every consultant.” This belief has underpinned and guided the work that Pepper Foster has done over the past 7 years.
Our goal is not only to be the best consulting firm in the cities we operate within, but also to be the company that has the largest positive impact on the lives of the people who live in those communities. Some of the ways that we live out this commitment include our community impact, and sustainability employee led interest groups.
Community Impact
Community is a core belief at Pepper Foster, we aspire to do something authentic and effective, applying expertise and passion to drive projects which serve our community. Our philanthropic activities are driven by input from our employees and we are constantly on the lookout for new ways to support and engage with our community.
We are humbled by the service that we’re able to provide to our community, and in the nature of our industry and people, we know that we must continuously learn and grow in order to continue to make a meaningful impact.
When speaking about our community impact work, the Managing Partner of the Portland Practice, Jerris Marr, shared “It’s not just about us. We are accountable to our community.” To that end, we continuously evaluate our efforts, fine-tuning and assessing our 3-year strategic plan for our community impact efforts, and maintaining focus on how we can continue to make a positive impact.
Pro Bono & Reduced Rate Consulting
Pepper Foster consistently engages in pro bono and discounted rate projects for nonprofits and local businesses that serve youth, the houseless population, historically-underrepresented groups, the environment and more. We provide hands-on workshops, strategic planning, and implementation of new processes, systems etc. to support the functions of these organizations and companies.
You can see examples of our community work in the following case studies:
Soccer for All: Developing Strategic Goals for a Portland Non-Profit
Research & Strategy Development for Alternate Sources of Funding
Determining the Feasibility of a New Community Business
Volunteering
Pepper Foster encourages its team to get out and get involved in the community through company organized events and independently. Many of our team members are engaged on an individual level, and Pepper Foster supports them through providing paid time off to volunteer. In addition, the Pepper Foster team also organizes quarterly events so the team can volunteer together and share their passion for service to others. Most recently, we partnered with SMART reading to help restore donated books that will be provided to youth and schools in the Portland Metro area.
Sustainability
With Pepper Foster’s focus on making a difference and acknowledging the changing role of business in society, it was only a matter of time before we started a sustainability group. This team was founded by employees who wanted to get rid of the plastic water bottles in our kitchen and have a space to talk about the newest sustainable innovation. It has since grown exponentially and resulted in Pepper Foster consistently being recognized as one of Oregon’s 100 Best Green Companies to work for.
In addition to making our office greener and providing educational opportunities to employees, the group has also authored several sustainability articles:
Seven Ways Today’s Challenges Can Make Your Organization More Sustainable
Learn more about Pepper Foster
Interested in learning more? Reach out to info@pepperfoster.com
