For decades, Burton D. Morgan Foundation has supported organizations that help entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses. That support has focused on what entrepreneurs need to build a company: capital, connections and opportunities. But we also recognize that building and running a business asks a great deal of the person leading it.
While entrepreneurship can be exciting and rewarding, it can also bring pressure, uncertainty, and isolation that often go unspoken. How entrepreneurs are doing and feeling affects how they lead, how they make decisions, and how they show up for their families, teams, and communities. With that in mind, Morgan Foundation is paying closer attention to entrepreneur well-being as part of its support for entrepreneurs. We believe supporting entrepreneurs means caring for the people behind their businesses as well as the businesses themselves, and that when entrepreneurs thrive, the impact ripples outward.
Earlier this year, the foundation collaborated with Peg’s Foundation and Edward Lowe Foundation to host an Entrepreneur Wellness Retreat. The gathering provided a small group of entrepreneurs space to step away from their businesses, connect with peers, and reflect on their mental and emotional well-being.
To share what we heard, we created The Human Side of Entrepreneurship, a seven-part video series featuring voices from the retreat. Leaders from the three foundations discuss their perspectives on well-being and entrepreneurship, and entrepreneurs speak candidly about connection, leadership, and personal growth.
This page will grow as we continue to explore this work.
The Human Side of Entrepreneurship Video Series
The Entrepreneur Wellness Retreat
What happens when entrepreneurs set aside time to focus on their own well-being? This video offers a look at a day of connection and reflection hosted by Burton D. Morgan Foundation, Peg’s Foundation and Edward Lowe Foundation. The short videos that follow share more from the people who were there.
Why It Matters
Why Well-Being Matters, with Daniel Hampu, Burton D. Morgan Foundation
Dan explains why the foundation is joining the conversation about entrepreneur well-being, and why supporting entrepreneurs also means recognizing the person behind the business.
Supporting the Whole Entrepreneur, with Rick Kellar, Peg’s Foundation
Capital, ideas and connections matter, but they’re not the whole story. Rick reflects on why helping entrepreneurs build the capacity to handle pressure and uncertainty can matter as much as helping them build the business.
Healthy Leaders, Healthy Businesses, with Colleen Killen-Roberts, Edward Lowe Foundation
Colleen explores how an entrepreneur’s well-being shapes the way they lead, develop people and build a company for the long term, and why spaces for candid conversation with peers matter.
In Their Own Words
Connection, With Erick Stewart, LAGNIAPPE Strategic Consulting
Entrepreneurship can feel isolating, especially when it seems everyone else has it figured out. Erick shares the value of connecting with other entrepreneurs who understand the journey.
How You're Doing Affects How You Lead, with Dustin Kaplan, OrthoSportHQ
Dustin reflects on how his own state of mind affects his ability to show up for his team: to engage, encourage growth and bring the energy his role requires.