THEIR LIFE'S WORK
Good Work for a Good World
Gavin Thomas leads with a deep commitment to making a positive difference.
by Sofia Tokar
Gavin Thomas started TGW Studio, a marketing agency, in 2012 with co-founder Lisa Kribs.
Full-time employees spend about one-third of their waking hours each week on the job. In a perfect world, shouldn鈥檛 a sense of purpose go hand in hand with making a living 鈥 and maybe even turning a profit?
That line of thinking led Gavin Thomas 鈥06 and fellow marketing professional Lisa Kribs to consider starting a business, one where they could make a positive difference and help others doing likewise.
鈥淲e realized that we鈥檇 been spending the vast majority of our energy each day on work that didn鈥檛 necessarily align with our personal values,鈥 recalls Thomas. 鈥淎nd we both wanted our daily work to contribute to something greater than ourselves.鈥
So in 2012, Thomas and Kribs cofounded TGW Studio, a full-service social impact marketing agency based in downtown Rochester, New York.
TGW, which stands for 鈥淭his Good World,鈥 wears its values on its digital sleeve, so to speak. Online the company touts being woman-owned, LGBTQ-owned and -operated, and a member of 1% for the Planet (meaning it donates at least 1% of its annual revenue to environmental nonprofits). TGW is also one of only 2,000 for-profit businesses globally certified as a B Corporation, a business committed to making a positive impact for its employees, the community, and the environment.
鈥淲e鈥檙e an unabashedly progressive company that supports like-minded brands and organizations doing impactful work in areas such as social justice, equity, inclusivity, and the environment,鈥 Thomas says.
That stance, he admits, has cost TGW some lucrative contracts along the way. But after nearly a decade in business, the net result has been dozens of successful partnerships 鈥 regionally and nationally 鈥 across a range of industries, including renewable energy, health care, manufacturing, and tourism.
鈥淎 lot of marketing agencies today either have or are developing verticals in the social impact space,鈥 says Thomas. 鈥淲hat sets us apart is our stated focus on this work since day one. We love this city, and are committed to being good citizens 鈥 both as a business and as individuals 鈥 in our community, but also in terms of the country and the planet. That鈥檚 our North Star.鈥
Thomas traces his personal commitment to the greater good to growing up in the small town of South Colton in northern New York. 鈥淵ou see the same people every day; everybody knows everybody,鈥 he says. 鈥淵ou had to be kind, whether that meant waving and saying hello, or helping people fix flat tires or shovel their driveways.鈥
Drawn to Nazareth College for its similarly close-knit community as well as its business program, Thomas studied business administration (now business leadership). 鈥淭he campus, the classes, the people 鈥 all of it emphasized close relationships and the importance of taking care of each other,鈥 he says.
That lesson has stayed with Thomas as he helps steer a not-just-for-profit company toward sustainable growth 鈥 especially during a pandemic. In the wake of COVID-19, he and Kribs instituted a four-day workweek to prioritize their employees鈥 mental and physical well-being. This radical rethink of work-life balance was even featured in Time magazine.
Ultimately, Thomas believes that a good world starts with good work. 鈥淚t鈥檚 awesome to see our team鈥檚 creativity and productivity expand,鈥 he says. 鈥淎nd giving our people an extra day off allows them not only to take care of themselves, but also to be more involved in their community.鈥
Sofia Tokar is a writer in Rochester, NY.