Leading with Purpose—Thoughts from the CEO: Why Hope is a Radical Act in Today’s World

Hope feels like a fragile thing these days, doesn’t it? Hope, you cradle carefully, afraid it might slip through your fingers if you hold it too tightly. I don’t need to tell you how heavy the world feels right now and you probably don’t want to hear it either. Political turmoil, climate disasters, social injustices—it’s enough to make anyone (including myself) want to crawl under a blanket and stay there. But here’s the thing: choosing hope in times like these isn’t naive.

It’s bold. It’s defiant. It’s radical.

And for me, for Ainoa, hope isn’t just something we talk about. It’s what drives us forward every single day.

We live in a world where despair seems to be the default setting. When leaders with hateful agendas are rising to power and human rights are being stripped away piece by piece—LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights, trans rights, immigrants’ rights—it feels like every step forward we have taken as a society is met with two steps back. The climate crisis feels overpowering, with raging fires and rising seas, and social media platforms amplify hate while silencing progressive voices, where do you find light? Add to that the cost of living crisis, the housing crisis, wars and the growing divide between the rich and the rest of us—it’s overwhelming.

I won’t sugarcoat it: feeling hopeful about our future during such times isn’t always easy.

And yet, in the face of all this, hope isn’t just necessary—it’s revolutionary.

It’s saying, "No, this isn’t good enough." It’s believing in better, even when the odds feel stacked against you.

Built on Hope, Fuelled by Action

When I founded Ainoa, it wasn’t just about starting a business. It was about creating something that could stand as a counterpoint to all the cynicism and greed out there. I wanted to build a company where people came first—a place where values weren’t just pretty words on a website but the core of everything we do.

Ainoa is a collective effort, a community. It’s a space where everyone, no matter their background, gender, disability, or identity, feels safe and supported. The money we earn doesn’t end up in the CEO’s pocket (that’s me, by the way); it gets reinvested into the team and the causes we care about. We’re here to show that business can and must be a force for good—not by talking about it, but by living it.

Let me share a story. One of our team members was preparing to represent Ainoa at a major conference. They’re autistic, and they were worried—worried about needing their noise-cancelling headphones, about the possibility of a meltdown, about how they might be perceived.

They asked me, "What if I can’t represent Ainoa well?"

You know what I told them?

"If you need to sit on the floor, I’ll sit there with you. If you need to lay down on the floor, I’ll lay down there with you."

Because at Ainoa, we don’t ask people to hide who they are. We celebrate it.

That team member went to the conference, headphones and all, and they absolutely smashed it. That’s hope in action: creating spaces where people can thrive just as they are.

Why Hope Matters More Than Ever

Despair has a way of making us feel small, powerless. Hope does the opposite. It says, "Your actions matter. Your voice matters." And at Ainoa, hope isn’t just a feeling—it’s a strategy. It’s what keeps us pushing forward, even when the road is rough.

Every day, I see the impact of hope in our work. I see it in the way our team shows up for each other, in the way our clients embrace more ethical and sustainable practices, and in the way we’re slowly but surely building something bigger than ourselves. This isn’t just about business. It’s about creating ripples of change that reach far beyond our little corner of the world.

I know it’s easy to feel cynical, to think that one small company can’t make a difference. But I’ve seen the opposite. I’ve seen how our values resonate with people—clients, partners, even strangers who hear about what we’re doing and want to be part of it. That’s the thing about hope: it’s contagious. When you choose it, you give others permission to do the same.

And here’s the kicker: hope isn’t just good for the soul. It’s good for business. Clients come to us because they believe in what we stand for. They want to work with a company that doesn’t just pay lip service to values but lives them. And the best part? Those partnerships help us extend our impact even further.

At Ainoa, our dreams are big. Affordable housing for our team and others. Sustainable hubs where entrepreneurs can collaborate and thrive. Projects that give back to the planet instead of taking from it. These aren’t just dreams—they’re goals we’re actively working toward. With every new client and every project we take on, we’re one step closer to making them a reality.

Hope is what fuels these dreams. It’s what keeps us going, even on the tough days. And it’s what reminds us that even small actions can create big ripples.

A Final Thought

I don’t have all the answers. None of us do. But I do know this: choosing hope, especially in times like these, is one of the most powerful things we can do. It’s not about ignoring the darkness—it’s about refusing to let it win.

So here’s my ask: join us. Whether it’s by sharing our story, working with us, or simply choosing to believe that better is possible, you can be part of this.

Together, we can show the world that hope isn’t just an act of defiance—it’s a blueprint for a brighter future.