Men Doing Wonders Series - Cameron
This year, to celebrate the month of Father’s Day, we asked men that running impactful enterprises and are part of our Ethical Lifestyle Hub Directory, what is driving them to lead a business with purpose. Those we highlight are men of strength, compassion, and resilience - working toward bettering the world around them as well as being a Father or mentor. This blog highlights Cameron Neil of Red Hat Impact
The Red Hat Impact helps enterprises, investors and organisations to collaborate, break through barriers and grow their impact.
Tell us about you and why you started your organisation
Ever since high school, I've been motivated to make the world a better place. That's been the thread that has run through my journey, as I've forged a career in building things that matter, like networks, organisations, businesses, institutions. I thrive when creating new things, new opportunities, bringing people together to make things. Over the last 5 years my time has been split between Common Code (an agency providing technology services to enterprises and startups), Red Hat Impact (a boutique impact intermediary focused on growing SMEs and creating innovative financial solutions), and LendForGood (a joint venture startup with StartSomeGood to enable crowdlending to address the missing middle in impact finance globally).
Did fatherhood encourage you to set up an impactful business? Why?
I was already well on my journey in the impact world before becoming a father. Having said that, some days it is the motivation to do what I can to create a better world for them that keeps me energised and focused when I just feel like giving up. Fatherhood has also meant making decisions to scale back my work so that I can spend more time with them. I haven't worked full time since my eldest son was born. I was privileged to be able to spend almost every Tuesday with him from when he was born until school took over! I'm attempting to do the same with my youngest (Friday's this time - though COVID has made it all a bit weird).
What impact do you hope to achieve through your business?
The commonality across all the hats I wear at the moment is enabling and empowering motivated people and teams to have the positive impact they want to have on the world. Whether that be helping them to build new software solutions, execute a business strategy, or access growth capital, the purpose is the same. With LendForGood in particular, the goal is to build a new 'institution' that changes how impact finance flows and can address the massive problem of access to capital for impact SMEs.
What legacy do you want to leave behind as a father to your children?
The legacy I want to leave for my children is I imagine the same as most people - and is less about what I'm doing 'professionally'. I want them to be able to go confidently into the world, to know they are loved unconditionally, to know they can be part of improving the world around them, to value kindness and compassion, creativity and collaboration.
To learn more about Red Hat Impact, visit: https://www.moralfairground.com.au/red-hat-impact
Become an Ethical Lifestyle Hub Member today : https://www.moralfairground.com.au/ethical-lifestyle-hub-membership