08-05-2026IMPACT COUNCIL

Business and civil society’s impact on American democracy

These sectors were instrumental from the start, and that continues 250 years later.

[Photo: Getty Images]

The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of top leaders and experts who pay dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership, and more.

This summer, Americans are celebrating the country’s founders for their courage, vision, and democratic ideals. But as the nation continues recognizing its 250th anniversary, it’s worth remembering that democracy endured not only because of our founding documents, but because generations of citizens, businesses, nonprofits, and civic institutions built the connective tissue that made this great political experiment work.

From the beginning, American democracy depended on more than government. It depended on people and institutions willing to organize around shared needs, solve problems locally, and build trust across communities.

Long before Benjamin Franklin was a statesman, he was a civic entrepreneur. His Junto Club, or Leather Apron Club, grew into a gathering of tradespeople and artisans committed to mutual improvement. They helped establish Philadelphia’s first lending library, the first volunteer fire company in the colonies, and a public hospital. Franklin and his peers understood something essential: When people unite around community needs and values, they can build institutions that........

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