For Subscribers

Building Up Teams--and Communities These entrepreneurs help companies become teams, and they make it easy to give back.

By JJ Ramberg

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Lain Hensley has always had a passion for helping those in need. In 2001, he saw the opportunity to do just that when he was hired by Lucent Technologies' supply chain team to get employees working together. "They were going through a reconstruction and wanted to get their team aligned around a vision, and we wanted to do something different to get them there," says Hensley, 41, co-founder of training and team building company Odyssey Teams. "I thought, what if we use the training experience we've created and allow the participants to give back at the same time?"

So instead of running a typical training program, he had the Lucent employees work with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to construct homes for dogs. It was a success.

Since that first project, Hensley, along with co-founder Bill John, 45, and the rest of their team, have developed an entire training course around helping others. To date, the groups participating with Odyssey have given away about 20,000 bikes to at-risk kids and constructed 1,000 prosthetic hands. The Chico, California, company has done well for itself, too, with sales of about $1.5 million in 2008. But Hensley says it's about more than what they've created in the training sessions. "After they work with us, because of the enthusiasm of the employees, many of the companies continue to support these causes," he says. "We're inspiring a whole movement to do good in these communities."

JJ Ramberg is the host of MSNBC's small-business program Your Business and co-founder of GoodSearch.com.

JJ Ramberg is the author of It's Your Business, host of MSNBC's Your Business and founder of GoodSearch.com, a Yahoo-powered search engine that donates to charity with each search.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Leadership

Lead From the Top: 5 Core Responsibilities of a CEO

Knowing exactly what the chief executive's role entails is critical for steering a company to success.

Business News

The CEO of the World's Most Valuable Company Says This Would Be His College Major in 2025

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang graduated with a Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Oregon State University in 1984, but he would change that major if he were in college today.

Business News

Amazon Ring Staff Reportedly Must Prove That They Use AI To Get Promoted

Ring founder Jamie Siminoff is back at Amazon as a VP, leading the tech giant's home security camera division.

Leadership

Guy Fieri Teaches His Team This Customer Service Secret — And It Can Unlock Unexpected Success For Your Business Too

We sat down with the Mayor of Flavortown to find out the philosophy that helped him build a global brand centered on food, fun, and family.

Marketing

AI Is Changing Public Relations — Here's How to Stay in Control

AI is transforming public relations by reshaping how brands are discovered and represented.