Business For Good San Diego, a scrappy counter to the San Diego Chamber of Commerce, announced it is hiring a full-time CEO to direct the progressive business association.
The organization hired Melinda Casey thanks to a “transformative” grant from the Prebys Foundation targeted at strengthening the network of purpose-driven businesses in the region. The foundation gave Business For Good (BFG) and another organization for ethical businesses, B Local San Diego, a $500,000 grant in July.
At the time, BFG pledged to use the grant to hire a leader who would expand the group’s local policy advocacy while further developing entrepreneurial training programs aimed at underprivileged business owners.
They found that leader in Casey, who served most recently as director of learning and engagement at literacy nonprofit Words Alive.
“For nine years, the people in this community have shown that being pro-business and pro-community go hand-in-hand,” said Emily Renda, board chair of Business For Good, in a statement. “With Melinda leading fulltime, we can reach more business owners and show up for more policy conversations that shape our local economy.”
In addition to advocacy and education, Casey will work to secure stable funding for the organization after the Prebys grant expires. BFG, founded in 2017 following a national push from small businesses to pass the Affordable Care Act, has experienced the negative impact of grant monies drying up.
The organization’s membership has exploded, contracted and grown again since its inception. At first it had a staff member doing day-to-day administration, but when grant funds ran out, it switched to a volunteer-run model with paid memberships. It nearly collapsed during the virtual meetings of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to co-founder Mikey Knab, but has since stabilized and begun to grow.
B Local San Diego was founded during that period of struggle, as a way for Certified B Corps to network and unite to help their community. For-profit businesses in the organization must undergo a rigorous certification that they meet social, environmental and transparency standards. Unlike B Local, Business For Good includes non-profits and government agencies that align with their mission and values.
As part of Prebys’ 2026 grant to B Local and Business For Good, the two associations will work closer with each other. Casey will be part of that collaboration.
“Her values align perfectly with ours, she brings a strong social justice mindset to the work, and has seen a volunteer-driven nonprofit through a time of real transformation,” Knab said in a statement. “We’re confident Melinda will help us reach the next level.”
According to their bio, Casey’s personal experience growing up in Appalachia informs their commitment to businesses that help, not hurt, the local community.
“I’ve seen what it costs a community when the wealth leaves and the people who built it are left behind,” Casey said in a press release. “San Diego can do it differently, and Business For Good’s members are already modeling how businesses can care about people and the planet, in addition to profit.”
After beginning in her role Monday, Casey will meet BFG member businesses and partners at upcoming events, including the organization’s Fall Fundraising Dinner at Coastal Roots Farm in Encinitas on Oct. 29.
