Halcyon is accelerating the impact-driven future of business.
Here are our three not-so-big bets:
1. In the long run, impact-driven businesses will outperform their traditional counterparts.
2. Impact-driven businesses represent a powerful opportunity to drive equity and inclusivity in the workplace and in society.
3. Impact-driven business is the only viable future for capitalist society, and represents the easiest path forward to solving the problems of the 21st century.
Impact-driven businesses and the entrepreneurs behind them cannot be allowed to fail while the world is convinced of those three things.
Halcyon is the community supporting their progress, and making the public and private sectors ready to receive and embrace impact-driven business.
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So Halcyon shows up in that critical moment where viability is proven and scalability is achievable, but where barriers could limit a business’s ability to last – even if that business has the potential to solve a massive global problem.
A Halcyon fellowship or an investment through one of our funding vehicles brings that venture into our community, where it’s met not only with resources, but with people who truly understand the entrepreneur’s journey – and once a venture is part of the Halcyon family, that lasts a lifetime.
Halcyon’s programs infuse essential resources – space, community, or access – specifically for early-stage ventures.
There’s a reason we resist the temptation to focus on “safer” ventures further along in their entrepreneurial journey: brilliant social entrepreneurs encounter barriers that threaten their ability to grow their businesses, and they encounter those barriers earlier and more often than their traditional business counterparts. This is even more true if the entrepreneurs are women or people of color.
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What our community is building over time is a foundation that makes capitalism sustainable in the 21st century.
Traditional businesses are prone to envisioning stakeholders as a relatively small group – investors, board members, customers – rather than seeing the way our global community fits in. It’s not in their DNA to think that way. But when impact is built from the ground up, businesses see their stakeholders holistically. It’s a competitive advantage that fuels growth and accelerates solutions to global problems.
The kingfisher bird of Greek legend, known for its long beak and bright colors, represents peace and calm.
The mythical Halcyon birds were lovers, cursed by the Greek gods but granted respite for a brief time every year, when the seas would calm long enough for them to nest together. This story inspired the phrase “halcyon days,” a time of peace and positivity. The mythical Halcyon bird is an appropriate symbol for Halcyon, a haven where people with big, bold ideas can find support from a community that believes in their vision. The momentum of the logo’s bird in flight echoes the future-focused drive, energy, and optimism of Halcyon’s mission and work.
Explore the timeline and see how we got to where we are today.
See the measurable impact of Halcyon’s programming.
Learn about our headquarters, the historic Halcyon House.
Our Commitment
We acknowledge the barriers and inequities present in the nonprofit sector, as well as the business world. We commit to creating a culture of belonging where authentic selves are welcome in all Halcyon spaces and value the richness of lived experience. We pursue diversity, reflected in our leadership and throughout our network, and lean on inclusive practices, thoughtful training, and equitable policy in order to do so. We work in tandem with communities we serve to amplify diverse voices, engage in sometimes difficult conversation, and challenge systems of oppression.