This is the question I have been asked the most over the past few years. Making the leap into social impact can feel daunting. Many seasoned professionals assume they’ll have to abandon the skills, networks, and experiences they’ve built over their careers. In reality, the opposite is true: the expertise you’ve developed in business, marketing, technology, or leadership is often exactly what impact-driven organizations need most.

For most of my career, I worked with some of the world’s most iconic brands — Netflix, Google, Audi, P&G, Samsung, Unilever and many others. I was helping organizations navigate change, scale with purpose, and innovate through storytelling and digitally-led strategies. It was fast-paced, global, and rewarding.

But in 2019, I felt something shift. I wanted my skills to serve a bigger purpose. That year, I helped Director X launch Operation PreFrontal Cortex in Toronto, a program bringing mindfulness to at-risk communities. That experience opened a door I didn’t know I was waiting for. Two years later, in the middle of the pandemic, I began advising organizations like YLabs, World Resources Institute, and Forest Carbon through the Rippleworks advisory network. By 2023, I was Rippleworks’ Head of Marketing and had led a rebrand for Forest Carbon that earned international recognition at the 2025 Cannes Lions.

This journey taught me that moving into social impact isn’t about abandoning your past experience — it’s about repurposing it. If you’re considering a similar shift, here are some lessons from my own path.

Here are five actionable steps that can help you make your own transition.

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1. Start with a Project, Not a Leap

My pivot didn’t begin with a full-time role in social impact. My shift started with a single project: helping launch Operation PreFrontal Cortex to bring mindfulness to at-risk communities in Toronto. That one experience made the social sector feel accessible and gave me the confidence to take on more.

Action Step: Identify one small way you can apply your skills—whether it’s joining an advisory board, volunteering for a nonprofit, or mentoring a social entrepreneur. Small wins open doors.

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2. Reframe Your Skills for Impact

Organizations in the social sector often lack the marketing, business, or organizational expertise common in the private sector. When I began advising organizations like YLabs, Forest Carbon and World Resources Institute, I discovered that my background in brand strategy and organizational design translated directly into helping them scale their impact.

Action Step: Write down three core skills you’ve mastered in your career. Then, reframe them in terms of the value they could create for a mission-driven organization (e.g., “revenue growth” becomes “sustainable funding growth”).

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3. Partner with Change-Makers Who Inspire You

Working with organizations like Rippleworks, YLabs, WRI and Forest Carbon gave me a front-row seat to founders solving massive global challenges. Their passion fueled my own. And working alongside them gave me the network and credibility to fully step into the space.

Action Step: Attend events, join communities, or engage in programs where impact-driven leaders gather. Platforms like Ashoka, Acumen, or the Rippleworks Expert Network can be great entry points for volunteering. Start by listening, learning, and offering your expertise.

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4. Redefine What Success Looks Like

In the agency and brand world, success was often measured in awards, growth, and shareholder value. In social impact, the metrics change: lives improved, communities strengthened, futures unlocked. That shift has been the most fulfilling part of my transition. Being part of Forest Carbon’s rebrand wasn’t about winning a Cannes Lion — it was about helping them stand out in a misunderstood category and reach new audiences to help get nature on the corporate balance sheet, ultimately strengthening their ability to fight deforestation.

Action Step: Ask yourself: “What outcomes matter most to me?” Align your definition of success with tangible social or environmental outcomes, not just financial metrics.

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5. Keep a Balance Through Side Hustles

You don’t have to abandon everything else to move into social impact. I still serve as an advisor for early stage innovative companies and pursue live music photojournalism on the side. These pursuits keep me creative and energized, while reinforcing my purpose-driven work.

Action Step: Maintain at least one creative or professional outlet outside of your social impact work. This balance prevents burnout and keeps your skills fresh.

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Closing Thoughts

Transitioning into social impact is less about starting over and more about redirecting your expertise. Begin with small projects, reframe your skills, grow your network, embrace new definitions of success, and keep balance through side pursuits.

The path isn’t linear, but it’s deeply rewarding. If you’ve been waiting for the “right time,” here’s the truth: the right time is when you decide to start.

✨ If this resonated with you, subscribe to my LinkedIn Newsletter or my Substack, Good People Doing Good Things. Every week, I am going spotlight an inspiring organization making a real impact— and the best part? Some of them are also hiring. It’s a way to discover opportunities, learn from change-makers, and take your own first step toward impact.