A business idea can begin with a single person, but turning it into a sustainable company often takes a community. That belief is central to Impact, a San Diego nonprofit founded by entrepreneur and business strategist Tia Lambert to help aspiring and early-stage business owners turn ambition into action.
Impact approaches entrepreneurship as more than a path to personal financial success. Its mission is to equip entrepreneurs with the tools and support to build sustainable businesses that honor their values, contribute to economic growth and create lasting benefits for their communities. The organization is rooted in four principles: integrity, humility, philanthropy and community. Its faith-informed approach is open to people who share its commitment to purposeful leadership.
For Lambert, the goal is to develop business owners who also see themselves as servant leaders. That means making decisions with character, sharing knowledge and creating opportunities beyond their own enterprises. The organization’s model combines practical business education with relationships that can help founders navigate challenges they might otherwise face alone.
From an idea to a viable enterprise
Impact organizes its entrepreneur journey into four stages: discern, prepare, launch and grow. Participants can clarify a business idea, develop a business model and financial plan, bring products or services to market and build systems for sustainable growth. The organization describes its support as a combination of individual coaching, group cohorts, workshops, mentorship and peer community.
Its programming is designed for people at different points in that journey. Someone with a promising concept may need help taking the first concrete step. A newer business owner may need strategy, accountability or a network of experienced peers. More established entrepreneurs may be looking for ways to grow responsibly while contributing to the places where they operate.
Impact also intends to translate its values into service through Impact Days, organized opportunities for members to volunteer alongside local nonprofit partners. In that model, community involvement is not an activity reserved for after a business becomes successful. It is part of how leadership is developed from the beginning.
Putting resources behind the mission
One of Impact’s most visible commitments is its Rising Leaders Scholarship, a $50,000 award intended to help one entrepreneur launch a business. According to the organization, the support is designed to cover eligible startup and legal expenses while providing mentorship, business tools and access to its founder community. It is not a loan or equity investment, and the recipient does not surrender ownership of the business.
The scholarship is part of a broader program that includes a Roadmap Scholarship, which provides a year of guided support, and a First Step Scholarship initiative for entrepreneurs at the earliest stage. Together, these efforts reflect a central idea: Access to guidance and resources can be as important as inspiration.
Impact has set an ambitious three-year vision of equipping more than 500 entrepreneurs, helping launch more than 50 businesses and reaching more than 25 communities. Those figures are organizational goals rather than outcomes already achieved. As a new organization, Impact’s longer-term results remain ahead, but its priorities are clear: practical preparation, responsible leadership and community-centered economic opportunity.
A public introduction to the community
Impact will formally celebrate its launch at a black-tie gala on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026, at the Pendry San Diego, 550 J St. The evening will bring together entrepreneurs, supporters and community leaders, and will include the announcement of the Rising Leaders Scholarship recipient. The gala is one milestone in a larger effort to build an ongoing network of entrepreneurs and supporters.
For readers interested in the organization’s programs, membership or mission, visit www.we-impact.com. Information about the Nov. 14 Impact Launch Gala and tickets is available at www.we-impact.com/gala.html.
