Dr. Paula Cordeiro: The Convergence of Nonprofit, Business, and Social Good

Dr. Paula Cordeiro is a trailblazing educator, leadership expert, and social entrepreneur working at the intersection of business, nonprofits, and global development. A former dean and founder of the Nonprofit Institute at the University of San Diego, she’s reshaping how we think about leadership, wealth building, and the power of purpose-driven enterprises. Through programs like the Global Entrepreneurship Fellowship, she’s connecting San Diego to the world and bringing the best of global innovation home. 

This Episode: 
What if nonprofits didn’t just serve communities but built wealth within them? And what if businesses weren’t just engines of profit but vehicles for social good? 

Paula Cordeiro is championing a new model for leadership—one where empathy and equity are as important as profit margins. From food co-ops and employee-owned companies to certified B Corps and social enterprises, Paula sees a growing movement to blur the traditional lines between nonprofit and for-profit organizations. The goal? Create more sustainable, inclusive, and locally rooted economies. 

In this conversation with Grant, Paula shares how her upbringing in a vibrant immigrant community shaped her worldview, how Mondragon, Spain, sparked her passion for co-ops, and why she believes San Diego can become a global hub for socially minded business innovation. She also reflects on the power of teaching empathy, and the opportunities to address wealth gaps.  

Key Moments:
 [11:20] Defining social enterprise: people, profit, and planet
 [17:49] The evolving challenges facing nonprofit leaders today
 [23:43] The case for employee-owned businesses and generational wealth
 [31:16] How the Global Entrepreneurship Fellowship is building local and global bridges
 [43:27] Empathy as a core leadership trait—and how it can be taught 

Key Terms: 

1. Social Enterprise: A business—either nonprofit or for-profit—that exists to advance a social or environmental mission. These organizations prioritize impact alongside profit and often reinvest earnings into their mission.
2. B Corporation (B Corp): A private company that has been certified by the nonprofit B Lab as meeting high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. 
3. Benefit Corporation: A legal business structure recognized in many U.S. states that allows companies to pursue both profit and a broader social purpose. Unlike B Corps, benefit corporations are not certified but are legally bound to consider their impact on society and the environment. 
4. ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan): A program that gives workers ownership interest in the company. ESOPs are a way to build wealth for employees and create a more engaged workforce. 
5. Co-op (Cooperative): An organization or business owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit. Co-ops can take many forms, such as food co-ops, housing co-ops, or worker-owned businesses. 

Resources Mentioned in This Episode: 

• Nonprofit Institute at University of San Diego – A hub for nonprofit leadership and research 
• Mondragon Cooperative – A global model for employee-owned enterprises 
• Pete Stavros TED Talk – A talk on rethinking  corporate structures to expand who benefits from a thriving c