As a member of the Pacific Community Ventures’ community, we wanted to let you know that our President and CEO, Mary Jo Cook, has made the decision to retire from PCV. We’re thrilled to announce that effective today, PCV Board member Bulbul Gupta has taken over as our new President & CEO. To ensure a smooth transition, Mary Jo will continue as a full-time advisor until the end of the year and join our Advisory Council in 2020.
Mary Jo has decided to retire to spend more time with family; focus more on Ganaz (the social enterprise working to create better jobs for farmworkers, whose board she chairs); continue contributing to Sustainable Brands; and pursue some personal passions. We want to thank Mary Jo for her leadership in strengthening small businesses, creating good jobs for working people, and making markets work for social good.
In the past few years, together with folks like you, we’ve launched a holistic new approach that provides entrepreneurs with affordable loans, pro-bono mentoring through PCV’s BusinessAdvising.org platform, and practical resources like our Good Jobs, Good Business toolkit, now available in an interactive, on-line format.We’ve more than doubled the number of small businesses we’re serving — the vast majority owned by women and/or people of color — and we’re helping small business owners grow their revenues while creating jobs that pay average hourly wages of $20.
We’re also increasing the focus on impact, through our Impact Due Diligence report which helps investors proactively assess impact prior to making an investment, as well as through impact management projects in areas like healthy food financing, affordable housing, and community economic development. We’re proud to be working with mission-aligned partners, including foundations, investment funds, faith-based organizations, other CDFIs, and field-building collaboratives like the GIIN, the Impact Management Project, and the UN Development Program.
We’re thrilled that Bulbul will be stepping in to further accelerate PCV’s mission. Bulbul brings a wealth of experience in small business lending, entrepreneurial advising, impact investing, and public policy. Most recently, Bulbul has focused on how emerging technology and artificial intelligence can positively impact the future of work and workers. Previously, she led Entrepreneurship & Impact Investing at the Clinton Global Initiative. She has also supported debt finance for entrepreneurs as a family office advisor for Open Road Alliance, and early stage equity as a board member of Upaya Social Ventures.
Bulbul says, “I am excited to join PCV as CEO to advance the work that Mary Jo and our amazing team has been doing in thinking about how we create good jobs for all. I am also eager to more fully leverage emerging technology and new partnerships that will ensure the future of work means better livelihoods, stronger local economies, and more equitable communities for all.”
Welcome
Bulbul!