I’m lucky to have had lots of opportunities to think through Gainsight’s mission statement—and what it means to the thousands of people who hear it: “To be living proof you can win in business while being Human-First.”

Inevitably, it will resonate in different ways. In 2020, running a Human-First business meant addressing the inequalities still facing our industry. As a leader in Customer Success (CS), Gainsight was in a unique position to influence the industry’s trajectory. Our philanthropic initiative—Pulse Impact—was launched in response to the #BlackLivesMatter protests following the murder of George Floyd. From the start, Pulse Impact was our attempt at giving underrepresented individuals a chance to become a meaningful part of the CS Community.

What began as a standalone, up-skill training program (in the form of CS YOU) has now developed into a world-wide, multi-pronged initiative. After a highly successful launch with CS YOU, Pulse Impact now consists of GS ALL, and will soon include a mentorship program that spans across the community. To date, CS YOU has driven $15 million in wage expansion, and GS ALL has seen an 172% increase in income expansion per participant. Soon, our mentorship program will complement these skill-training initiatives by focusing on community building and career development.

I can’t wait to see where Pulse Impact takes our industry next. Thanks to you—the community members—who continually show up with your passion for social impact!