I recently finished my master's degree in International Strategic Marketing at the University of Northampton in the UK. My research interests include prosocial consumption, mindful consumption, biopsychosocial perspective, globalization, higher education, customer-centric sustainability, integrated strategic marketing communications, sustainable business models, and digital and social transformation. In recent years I have been increasingly disillusioned and disgruntled about the nature of growth-based business models that continue to perpetuate serious issues in our society.

The planet aside, citizens and communities have also suffered. This prevailing business model is increasingly outmoded in the 21st century. As marketers, we have a responsibility to make some drastic changes to our theories, practice, and perspectives if the sustainability mandate is to be achieved. In other words, people's health is highly influenced by the surrounding culture and the people in it. "A culture can be toxic or nourishing," writes Thom Hartmann. If marketing is indeed the quintessential social practice of postmodern consumer culture (Firat & Dholakia, 2006), it then also carries the burden of determining the conditions and meaning of life in the future. Marketing plays a crucial role in giving meaning to our lives.

As a marketer of many years who identifies as a member of several marginalized groups, I feel increasingly responsible for moving the sustainability mandate forward by supporting organizations like Certified B Corps that operate in a fundamentally different way, whereby profit maximization is important but not the sole purpose of the business. Citizens want to believe companies have their best interests at heart. They want to engage and trust organizations.