It was 2003 when Tim Salmonson, founder of Social Economic Enterprises moved back to the United States after serving in the Dominican Republic for almost three years as the short-term teams coordinator for Willow Creek Community Church. Tim loved adventure, telling stories, and helping people so he started a non-profit organization, coordinating short-term, service-learning trips to under-resourced communities around the world. He traveled to over thirty countries, working with hundreds of volunteers trying to make the world a better place.

After ten years of what might be described as putting Band-Aids on many challenging social issues, Tim had an epiphany. He realized that businesses serving in the marketplace have the human and financial capital to fill in the gaps in society where the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health of people and wellbeing of the planet are overlooked and neglected.

Tim decided to marry his passion as an advocate for the health of people and the planet with his love of stakeholder capitalism - a shared commitment to the success of all of the stakeholders in any market. He founded what has now become Social Economic Enterprises in 2012 and helps conscientious leaders and their organizations clarify, communicate, and integrate noble purpose in all they do as a way of setting them apart from their competitors, and attracting, engaging, and retaining like-minded people committed not only to the brand but to promoting their purpose.