Social Responsibility a Big Part of the Corporate Culture for One HEROware Hero

June 17, 2013

Brent Allen, founder and CEO of Falkor Group, LLC, has a simple business goal: to do the best job possible for his clients. He continuously attains this goal by hiring qualified, passionate people who are well-rounded and who understand the importance of giving back to the community.

Since co-founding his business in 2002, Brent has found that, by incorporating his love of volunteer work into his corporate culture, he, the community and his employees have all benefitted on both personal and professional levels.

“There are no better people to be around than a bunch of business-oriented folks who also love to give back,” he says, referring to the mindset that permeates his 20-employee Chicago business.

Brent’s volunteer work reflects both his family priorities and his support of his own staff. He’s the father of two disabled children so he knows the important work done by Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. By participating in their annual Ironman Competition, he has helped raise $13,000 for the hospital. His company also sponsored the “Falkor Group Most Interactive Award” as part of the 3rd Annual Create for a Cure fundraiser that raised almost $100,000 for the hospital.

When two of his sales reps created a theater company after 9/11 to fight the misconceptions about Middle Eastern culture, Brent not only offered them financial support but volunteered for their board of directors. The Silk Road Theater Project eventually went on to become an award-winning theater in the Chicago area.

Brent’s business reflects his belief in employing, and supporting, a diverse population. His sponsorship of the Gay Games Chicago through donated technology management and support helped The Federation of Gay Games put together a successful event and showed his own gay employees that their company is an ally.

Brent’s company also supports children and the arts in the Chicago area through his sponsorship of Alternatives for Youth, a nonprofit youth and family service organization, and the Chicago Opera Theater. Additionally, he sits on the board of directors for both the Chicago Chamber of Commerce and his alma mater, Northern Illinois University.

In addition to feeding the positive work environment at Falkor, the company’s community service-oriented culture has had the added benefit of being a marketing vehicle for the organization.

“We have earned clients who may not have otherwise contacted us because they like our community involvement,” he says. “We have also attracted a dynamic, extraordinarily diverse staff due to the types of organizations we are involved with. People feel safe and welcomed working with us and for us.”

In Brent’s eyes, community service is a win-win for any organization: “I encourage all business owners to join a board for an organization they feel passionate about. I have made such unbelievable, powerful contacts that will surely benefit my company, my employees and my clients down the line.”