Social Impact Pioneer Michelle Grogg is the Executive Director of the Mars Impact Fund. Listen in as Michelle shares her insights on why Mars can do more with an Impact Fund now. She shares her experiences on how businesses can drive meaningful social impact at scale and how delivering impact through both business operations and targeted investment is a vital way to make limited resources go further.
Michelle has held senior leadership roles at Mars and Cargill, and her influence extends across major global platforms, including the World Economic Forum’s Food Action Alliance, the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, and the Munich Security Conference’s Global Food Security Task Force. Known for her systems thinking and collaborative leadership, she has spent years working at the intersection of business, sustainability, and social impact. With a career spanning corporate responsibility, global philanthropy, and international development, Michelle has deep expertise in building partnerships, shaping sustainable business strategies.
This podcast conversation is recorded in the early days of the Mars Impact Fund, the innovative, LLC-structured fund designed to work alongside the business rather than separately from it. Michelle explains why Mars chose to create a dedicated impact fund now, despite its long history of embedding social impact into its operations, and how this new approach unlocks greater flexibility to partner with nonprofits, social enterprises, and for-profit organizations alike.
We also explore why Mars prioritises building resilient communities in sourcing regions, supporting a pipeline of future scientists and improving access to veterinary care. Michelle shares insights into why strong supply chains depend on strong communities, and why businesses must take a systems-level approach to creating lasting change.
Beyond strategy, Michelle reflects on her personal journey into purpose-driven work, the importance of collaboration, and why failure is an essential part of driving innovation and impact. She also discusses emerging trends in impact investing and corporate sustainability, including the growing need for long-term thinking, partnership-driven solutions, and intentional decision-making.
Whether you’re interested in ESG, corporate responsibility, impact investing, or sustainable business strategy, this episode offers practical insights and inspiration. Tune in to learn how companies like Mars are rethinking their role in society, and what it takes to create impact that endures.
Links:
Mars Impact Fund
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