In October 2013, I resigned from Boloco, the fast-casual restaurant chain I had founded in 1997 (originally called The Wrap), as a result of a philosophical standoff between myself and the private equity group that owned the majority of the business at the time.

Though I stepped away, I never lost my love for the brand, the people, and the mission of Boloco. So, In June 2015, I bought the business back. It was in near bankruptcy at that point, and I knew that stepping back in would mean fully committing to an aggressive turnaround strategy. I also knew that I wanted that turnaround to be built from a foundation that would support our mission: to positively impact and transform the lives and futures of our people through bold and inspired food and practices. To honor that commitment, notwithstanding our fragile balance sheet at the time, we became a Delaware Benefit Corporation and within a year received approval as a Certified B Corporation.