Insights

Writing & ideas

Independent essays and conversations on social impact, CSR, inclusion, and the cultures that make work worth showing up for.

Home/Insights
Latest

Fresh thinking

Nikki Lasley · Aug 2026 · 3 min

The myth of the trade-off

You don't have to choose between doing good and doing well. Purpose and profit tend to move together — and the trade-off that gives leaders a clean reason to cut is a myth the data buried years ago.

Read the essay
Nikki Lasley · Aug 2026 · 2 min

Slow philanthropy — and the ROI trap inside companies

A new Stanford Social Innovation Review essay calls stalled giving "slow philanthropy." The mindset behind it is the same one that quietly funds the wrong work inside companies.

Read the essay
Nikki Lasley · Jul 2026 · 2 min

The third wave gets real

Two weeks ago the "third wave" of AI-funded philanthropy was a projection. The IPO filings — and a possible $38 billion from Anthropic's founders — make it real. The question now is where it lands.

Read the essay
Nikki Lasley · Jul 2026 · 2 min

The third wave of philanthropy: fund what already works

A "third wave" of American giving is coming, funded by OpenAI and Anthropic fortunes. The smartest thing we can do with it is almost boring: bigger, unrestricted checks to the organizations already doing the work.

Read the essay
Nikki Lasley · Jun 2026 · 3 min

Volunteering is the cheapest leadership development you'll ever buy

Companies spend a fortune growing managers. The best training ground they own is already running quietly in the volunteer program — and it costs almost nothing.

Read the essay
Nikki Lasley · Jun 2026 · 3 min

Keep the program. Your retention numbers will thank you.

When budgets get tight, social impact is usually first on the chopping block — and that's one of the most expensive mistakes a company can make. The data on purpose, volunteering, and retention.

Read the essay
Earlier writing

From the Amplitude blog

These pieces were originally published on the Amplitude blog during my time leading DEI there. More independent writing coming soon.

Let's talk

Want me to write or speak for your team?

I write and speak on social impact, education equity, inclusive cultures, and leading distributed teams. Tell me your audience and the moment.

Get in touch See speaking