Happy Anniversary to ProSocial!
It’s been 10 years since the start of ProSocial. In the year 2007, when the company got off the ground, iPhones launched, Twitter hashtags made their debut, the Harry Potter series broke book and box-office records and promoted cross-platform storytelling, and the sustainable food movement popularized the concept of eating locally.
The opportunity to do something innovative was palpable, and I decided to found this company in an attempt to marry the two different paths I’d taken in my career.
In the nonprofit world, I had spent more than a decade deep in the trenches as a social entrepreneur, providing direct services and strategizing and organizing around policy reforms. Later, working in the film industry at Participant Media, dedicated to producing films like “An Inconvenient Truth” and “Good Night, and Good Luck” that could inspire social change, I founded the social-action department and worked in the realms of large audiences, high visibility, and brand partnerships.
I recognized that nonprofits could better raise awareness and attract new constituents by supporting entertainment projects aligned with their message, and that issue-oriented media projects could build their audiences by tapping into the engaged networks of grassroots organizations. This work was pioneering back then, but now an entire field has developed around the intersection of storytelling and social impact, though we’re all still learning and innovating.
Helping foundations, companies, and individuals develop and execute strategies for their philanthropic missions, I have had the privilege of being surrounded by some of the smartest people on the planet, the most dedicated activists changing the world for the better, and some of the greatest innovators of our time. In any given week I can go from boardrooms to living rooms, collaborating with artists, executives, and activists to shine a spotlight on an array of issues, from global humanitarian work to the environment to education reform to the science behind developing a sense of purpose.
ProSocial has been a part of life-changing events, world-changing activations, and incredible efforts where we did our best to advance an issue while appreciating that there would continue to be both need and opportunity to do more in the future.
Thank you for following along with us in this journey and being part of our community of passionate people working in all sorts of socially conscious ways. I’m excited to see what the next 10 years will bring!
—Meredith Blake, ProSocial Founder & CEO
