Our story

Posted on August 29, 2015 by Sam

On the open road, Sam and his high school friends finally experienced independence. With graduation behind them, the four set off on a 12,000-mile road trip across the USA. Sam kept a journal. The journal documented passing thoughts, as the crew settled into their adventure together.

At their startup high school, they’d played competitive sports, developed personal interests, and hung out on the weekends. Looking forward to his time in college, Sam’s journaling began to explore how he could help others discover their interests and use them for self-improvement.

Sam had volunteered in the past, but, unfortunately, his efforts felt misplaced. He wondered if other volunteers without much experience shared the sentiments of trying to contribute, but feeling detached from the outputs of their time.

Studies show that people who volunteer are happier and live longer, but it doesn’t always seem so easy to volunteer.

This opportunity is more significant than each of choosing to help others- it’s the difference between today’s world and the world where our solvable challenges are actually solved.

We could just as easily do the things we do on our own time with others, for the collective benefit. Most of us think we could be more productive- in economic terms, our labor is underutilized.

After nine years of experience building tech companies and considering possible solutions to these challenges, Sam formed Golden.

Today, we’re a lean and mighty team. We’re proud to support you in applying your passions to worthwhile endeavors, and to celebrate the social sector as the economy it has always been.