The New Capitalists

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A better word for the relationship between the butcher and his customer is reciprocity. Smith's notion of self-interest is easily contained in the term -- in a reciprocal relationship, after all, both sides get something. But unlike mere self-interest, reciprocity implies mutual acknowledgment, interdependence, and diplomacy. In short, it's the "win-win" of reciprocity, not greed masquerading as self-interest, that forms an appropriate foundation for a civil society.

If Donald Trump is the comb-over king of the Adam Smith bottom-liners, the figurehead of reciprocity is Josh Mailman. You won't find his name in gold letters on any skyscrapers; Mailman's style is unassuming. He is, however, a remarkably active philanthropist and an entrepreneur who invests heavily in businesses that reflect his progressive values. His fingerprints are on virtually every major socially responsible business venture in the nation.

In 1987 Mailman helped form the Social Venture Network, a kind of incubator for entrepreneurs who measure success by the "triple bottom line" of people, planet, and profits. Over the years, the organization has in turn launched a number of initiatives, including Business for Social Responsibility, which helps large corporations adopt CSR initiatives; the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, which promotes local and sustainable practices for small entrepreneurs; and Net Impact, which functions as a network for swapping ideas for young socially minded leaders.

Social Venture Network's membership includes familiar brands like Clif Bar, Greyston Bakery, and Tom's of Maine. It also includes progressive media outlets, such as Mother Jones, the Nation, and Utne (editor in chief and CEO Nina Utne is on the board).

Unlike larger corporations, smaller socially responsible entrepreneurs aren't seeking to balance "immoral" profit seeking with "moral" social responsibility projects, says Social Venture Network co-executive director Pam Chaloult. Instead, "they believe, fundamentally, that business can be and should be a force for social change." The triple bottom line is built right into their business plans.

For example, Pura Vida, a leading fair trade coffee dealer based in Seattle, not only offers farmers a just price, it invests millions of dollars in the Latin American communities where the coffee is grown; the Wisconsin co-op Organic Valley is run by farmers who take home 45 percent of the company's profits (see page 46).

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