The second idea embodied in our icon is genius.

What does a leader do, when faced with trying to achieve two goals that appear to be in direct conflict with one another? The leader considers the “Genius of the And.”

Jim Collins, author, researcher and lecturer, describes how in most business settings, the obvious approach to a dilemma is simply “either/or.” You do one or another. You can’t do both.

Or can you?

His example was of a large pharmaceutical company, who had made significant breakthroughs in a medicine that treated river blindness, a disease that afflicted many river dependent tribes in South America. It became clear to the leader of the company that they possessed the power to help these people, but there was one catch; the tribes could not afford the medicine.

Simply giving it away was not an option without resistance, because the company was also accountable to its shareholders. This created a dilemma. Do you help the diseased, or the shareholders? If you give away the medicine, do you lose your shareholders, and in turn lose your ability to stay viable as a company? But if you ignore the people in need, you commit an immoral act. Which way do you choose?

The Genius of the And asks, “Is it possible to do both?” and in this case, it was. The decision was made to give the people in need the medicine at no cost, while subsidizing it by raising the cost of other medication consumed by those who can afford it.

What does this have to do with bread&cup? We hope to grow our company with this both/and mentality. We ask ourselves how can we succeed AND benefit others. We plan to be profitable AND charitable. We want to do well AND be well.
And it all starts with the