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Lots of entrepreneurs donate a percentage of revenue to charity--typically in the low single digits. But Nate Rajalingam, 44, founder and CEO of Uncommon, has considerably upped the ante. He chose to donate 10 percent of revenue, a figure he says is truly meaningful.

"It's 100 percent alignment from everyone, that what we're doing is bigger than all of us," he says. "And if we do it correctly, we will all benefit--meaning our brands, we financially, as well as the community. And it seems to be working."

The Minneapolis-based sales agency reps some 40 brands sold at Target, half of which are minority-owned. It has doubled the number of brands it reps in the past year.

Within its charity framework, Uncommon works with organizations nationwide, but selected five local flagship causes for 2023: Big Brothers Big Sisters Twin Cities, the BeliEve Foundation, Every Meal, GiGi's Playhouse, and Make-a-Wish Minnesota. While serving the community, Uncommon is growing at a 103 percent rate this year, and the brands it reps--including Yumi baby and kids food, Naturium skin and body care, and Starface skin care--are expanding rapidly.

Donations are growing commensurately. By January 2024--Uncommon's third birthday--the company will have given nearly $1 million.

Rajalingam says his 15 employees pick nonprofits they have connections to, whether it's a cause they've become passionate about or an organization they've been personally moved by. One employee benefited from Make-a-Wish, so Uncommon granted wishes to three children. More than half the employees have volunteered at Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Uncommon employees prioritize participation. With Every Meal, an organization fighting food insecurity, the company helps package and prepare food that local schools discreetly put in kids' backpacks to feed them over the weekend. And Uncommon created a companywide holiday dedicated to volunteering, dubbed Uncommon Day, which takes place on October 10.

That marks the day Rajalingam's father migrated from Sri Lanka to America. "My parents sacrificed everything for my brother and me, off very low means, but they always instilled paying it forward," says Rajalingam. Honoring significance over success became a guidepost to leading his business. "I wanted to have a meaningful impact. And I really wanted to create a place people love to work--and I think we're doing that exactly."

A refreshed look at leadership from the desk of CEO and chief content officer Stephanie Mehta