Aaron Hurst

Aaron Hurst, an award-winning social entrepreneur and CEO, is committed to leveraging technology, research, and human connections for positive societal change.

He is the founder of Taproot Foundation, Imperative, and Board.dev, and is currently working on purpose-driven ventures during his sabbatical.

Through Imperative, Aaron introduced the first employee purpose profiling technology and later developed the enterprise peer coaching platform.

Taproot Foundation, founded in 2001, played a significant role in catalyzing the pro bono service market in the US and globally, promoting corporate social responsibility.

Author of the best-selling book 'The Purpose Economy,' Aaron is known for predicting the rise of purpose as a key driver of economic growth and innovation.

He has led various studies on purpose in the workplace and higher education in collaboration with top corporations and universities, coined the term 'Purpose Mindset,' and developed a measure of employee fulfillment.

Aaron is a TED Prize finalist, a LinkedIn Influencer, and has received fellowships from Ashoka, Draper Richards Kaplan, and Manhattan Institute.

His work has been featured in prominent publications, and he is a sought-after keynote speaker at corporate events and conferences.

Aaron holds a BGS in Service Learning from the University of Michigan and has studied Czech History and Culture at Charles University.

He has held executive roles at Almabrands, Board.Dev, and Imperative, along with serving in various capacities at Taproot Foundation, iSyndicate, and iOwn.

Aaron resides in Seattle with his wife, Kara, who is Amazon's head of sustainability and his co-author for the children's book 'Mommy and Daddy Do It Pro Bono.'