Get to Know POWER’s VP of Community Impact and President of the Power for Good Foundation: Anu Gupta

Culture

The next iteration of who POWER is going to become is a business founded in service, and our newest leadership hire, Dr. Anu Gupta, is ready to tear the roof off your expectations of corporate social responsibility.

POWER always looks for opportunities to show up for our people in ways they would never expect from an exterior home remodeling company. When it comes to giving back, we’ve donated millions of dollars, thousands of goods, and countless volunteer hours to the causes our employees care about. Now, we’re excited to make even more of an impact, tying in our people-first business philosophy with a people-first philanthropic approach. Read on to learn about the 20+ years of experience Anu brings to our organization.

Tell us about your career before joining POWER.

“My story has so many twists and turns, but I started my journey at Brown University where I studied English & American Literature. I quickly realized I loved reading, but I didn’t want to make a career out of something I loved. So, I followed in my father’s footsteps and decided to apply to med school after having all the necessary prerequisites. I received my Doctor of Medicine from the Yale School of Medicine, and went on to specialize as a primary care doctor focused on women’s health. At the time, Johnson & Johnson was funding a project at Yale, and I got to know the head of their social responsibility group. I ended up at Johnson & Johnson for 12 years spearheading their philanthropic portfolios in global health — my first experience of corporate America and philanthropy, and it opened my eyes to the power of nonprofits and what they could do. I then found myself at McKinsey for another long stint — seven years — leading McKinsey’s approach to giving back and addressing their responsibilities in the climate space across their global footprint.”

What was it about POWER that stood out to you?

“This company is heart-forward and purpose-fueled, and I have never met 3,500+ people that are collectively that way. There are so many big and small ways that POWER people give back to each other, their families, and their communities. I was drawn to the strong culture of donating and volunteering that already exists here, especially what the company does to support Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. I saw this undeniable spirit of wanting to serve and help others that existed in everyone I met at POWER.

I’ve been in corporate philanthropy for two decades at this point, and the job description for this new role spoke to me so deeply. 99% of companies are looking to align their social responsibility with their core business, but POWER is that 1%, because POWER’s business is its people. The idea that the philanthropic passions of our employees — the causes all 3,500+ people care about — are going to be the north star of what I needed to build, was so exciting to me.”

What’s something people might not know about you?

“I have only recently begun to realize how much of an influence being the eldest child of immigrants has been for me — more than being a woman, more than being an Asian-American — and how universal the immigrant story is. No matter where you’re from, there’s this universal thread about the experience — and I want those who identify as an immigrant, or a child of immigrants — to be seen.”

What does the future of corporate social responsibility look like?

“The field of philanthropy is moving toward being more trust-based, and I’m excited to create a trust-based movement within POWER’s walls — by giving our own employees a voice and a choice in where our philanthropic funding goes to impact the causes they care about in their local communities.”