In 2008, Matthew Lamb read a book that changed his life.

Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism lays out the difference that businesses around the world can make in eradicating poverty. The author, Muhammad Yunus, is a Bangladeshi social entrepreneur and expert in finance and the economy who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his role in spearheading the practices of microcredit and microfinance – essentially, the practice of extending small loans to borrowers who lack collateral and access to conventional financial resources.

Matthew Lamb (front row, center), CEO of Brandability (asi/319940), with colleagues and locals in Honduras. Brandability partnered with Living Water International to help construct a clean water distribution system.

“The book was about empowering those in poverty,” says Lamb, the CEO of Brandability (asi/319940). “The goal is access to opportunity. It’s not pie-in-the-sky. Yunus laid out in a logical way how capitalism can work well for everyone, and philanthropy can be baked into economic models. We can change the game at a global scale.”

Yunus’ work also resonated with Lamb since the latter had recently spent three weeks in Bangladesh between semesters at Washington University in St. Louis. The social justice trip was hosted by Partners in Sustainable Development International, an organization founded by a high school teacher from the American Midwest who moved to rural Bangladesh to help alleviate need among the locals. Lamb traveled to different villages and learned about a number of factors that contribute to poverty levels, like educational opportunity, work prospects, quality of healthcare and access to clean water.

As Lamb began to build his corporate career, his experience in Bangladesh kept returning to his mind. “I realized I had an obligation,” he says. “I didn’t want to give up on the things I believe in. It planted a seed deep in my soul.”

In early 2023, when Lamb joined Lubbock, TX-based Brandability – formerly Scarborough Specialties, Counselor’s 2018 Family Business of the Year – the company’s commitment to philanthropy, he says, “was a huge draw.” They had been going on mission trips for nearly 10 years – in 2024, they plan to take three (one domestic and two international).

Community members and Brandability staff gather to celebrate the new water distribution system.

The first took place last month, when nine Brandability staff members spent about a week in Honduras with Living Water International, a clean water organization that operates in more than 70 countries. Brandability partnered with Living Water International and several local volunteers to build a clean water distribution system that benefits about 700 people. When they weren’t donning hard hats and getting their hands dirty, Brandability staff also helped teach hygiene classes (like the importance of teeth-brushing and consuming a balanced diet) and participated in Scripture reading.

“As a private business, we don’t have to cap the percentage of profit we give to philanthropic efforts,” says Lamb. “There’s a lot of opportunity to give back in the promo industry because there are few publicly owned companies.”

The finished water distribution system benefits 700 people.

Thanks to Living Water International and dedicated community members, Brandability had the opportunity to make a direct impact on people in need and give staff members the satisfaction of a job well done. It touches on the highest level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, says Lamb – that of self-actualization, the ability to achieve one’s full potential.

“Most people are longing for purpose,” says Lamb. “Businesses can change the world.”