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Devin: What is your superpower?
Caroline: Positive energy.
Founders of social impact organizations—those working to change the world—often experience a unique kind of isolation. The challenges they face extend beyond scaling a business or managing operations; they wrestle with the pressure of delivering meaningful social change while also keeping a wary eye on their bottom line.
That’s why Caroline Diehl MBE, Founder and CEO of Social Founders, has dedicated herself to supporting the well-being of the people behind these organizations. She’s not focused on the nuts and bolts of business planning or marketing. Instead, Caroline is building a global network that supports founders themselves, giving them a space to connect, decompress and recharge.
As Caroline explained on today’s episode, “It's amazing how some of the most experienced and brilliant social founders in our network still say that they feel lonely. They feel that they can't talk really openly to their board or to their management team. They can't constantly dump on their partner back at home. And they love the idea of connecting with other founders.”
She’s quick to note that the ecosystem for social impact founders doesn’t match what’s available to tech founders. “If you’re a tech founder, you’re on to a good thing. But if you’re a charity founder or a social entrepreneur, it’s pretty tough. And there’s not much support for the actual founder.”
Caroline’s approach is all about founder well-being. Social Founders doesn’t duplicate what others do. Instead, they partner with organizations offering practical business help, like the UK’s School for Social Entrepreneurs, while focusing on the founder’s mental and emotional health. “We’re there for the well-being of the founder, which in turn helps that founder be a better founder,” Caroline said.
The double bottom line—delivering both social impact and financial sustainability—adds another layer of complexity. Caroline captured this tension: “Sometimes you can create more social impact without having to focus on the money all the time and vice versa. If you're focusing on the money all the time, then you end up just maybe selling lots of mugs or stickers or something and not doing enough social impact.”
Changemakers need not go it alone. Social Founders offers a global community, recognizing the value of peer support and connection. If you’re building a social enterprise or founding a charity, consider joining the movement at socialfounder.org. You’ll find a group of like-minded leaders who understand your challenges—and a network designed to help you thrive.
tl;dr:
Caroline Diehl MBE founded Social Founders to support the well-being of social enterprise and charity founders.
She highlights the loneliness and unique pressures founders face, especially balancing impact and financial sustainability.
Caroline emphasizes building networks over business advice, prioritizing emotional and peer support for changemakers.
Her superpower, positive energy, has fueled her success and resilience across multiple impactful organizations.
Listeners are invited to join Social Founders’ global network for community, inspiration and support.
How to Develop Positive Energy As a Superpower
Caroline described her superpower as “positive energy.” She explained, “Whoever I’m talking to, whether I’m meeting some grand poobah running some big company or the people that I really love who are the grassroots founders and changemakers, or whether I’m just on my own… I can call on a superpower inside me of positive energy and make that happen.” Even during difficult times, when doubt creeps in, Caroline channels this positive energy to keep moving forward, whether she’s running marathons or building impactful organizations.
Illustrative Story:
After founding the Media Trust and Together TV, Caroline started Social Founders from scratch, with no investment capital and little personal financial security. She had to convince funders, opinion leaders and founders from diverse backgrounds to join her network. Despite being “not young anymore,” she relied on her positive energy to inspire and mobilize others. Caroline shared that much of her energy comes from the people she meets—like a renowned Japanese dancer who supports people with learning difficulties through dance, or a young entrepreneur in Japan helping formerly incarcerated youth start businesses. These encounters continually fuel her own drive.
Actionable Tips for Developing Positive Energy:
Focus on your love for your mission and your passionate belief in the change you want to make.
Keep reminders—like sticky notes with meaningful messages—visible in your workspace.
Connect regularly with the people you aim to help; their stories can renew your motivation.
When energy is low, spend time outdoors: go for a walk, bike ride or simply get fresh air.
By following Caroline’s example and advice, you can make positive energy a skill. With practice and effort, you could make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.
Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!
Guest Profile
Caroline Diehl MBE (she/her):
Founder and CEO, Social Founders
About Social Founders: Social Founders is the global network for social impact founders - we connect, support and celebrate founders of charities, social enterprises and community organisations.
Website: socialfounder.org
Company Facebook Page: facebook.com/socialfoundernetwork
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/social-founders
Instagram Handle: @social.founders
Biographical Information: Caroline Diehl MBE is a highly experienced Founder, CEO, Chair and Entrepreneur working across the Creative Industries, Broadcast & Digital Media, Social Enterprise and Charity sectors. She is Founder & CEO of two new global networks: SocialFounders and ImpactMedia. She is the Founder, and was CEO until 2017, of the Media Trust - the UK's leading communications charity; she is Founder, and previously CEO, then Executive Chair, of Together TV (The Community Channel) until Sept.2022. She is an INSEAD Entrepreneur in Residence, and a Cambridge MA. She is also a Churchill Fellow, a Governor of the East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT) and an Associate of Newnham College, Cambridge. She has launched a podcast series: 'Social Founder Stories'. In her spare time she is a Marathon runner, an avid arts consumer & reader and a proud mother of two entrepreneurial sons. In addition to English she is fluent in Spanish and French, speaks good Italian and is learning Japanese after living in Tokyo earlier this year.
Personal Facebook Profile: facebook.com/carolineDiehlMBE
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/carolinediehl-mbe
Instagram Handle: @carodiehl
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If a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.
Impact Cherub Club Meeting hosted by The Super Crowd, Inc., a public benefit corporation, on August 19, 2025, at 1:30 PM Eastern. Each month, the Club meets to review new offerings for investment consideration and to conduct due diligence on previously screened deals. To join the Impact Cherub Club, become an Impact Member of the SuperCrowd.
SuperCrowdHour, August 20, 2025, at 12:00 PM Eastern. Devin Thorpe, CEO and Founder of The Super Crowd, Inc., will lead a session on "Your Portal, Your Future: How to Choose the Right Reg CF Platform." With so many investment crowdfunding portals available today, selecting the right one can be overwhelming for both founders and investors. In this session, Devin will break down the critical factors to consider—such as platform fees, audience demographics, compliance support, industry focus, and overall user experience. Whether you're a founder planning a raise or an investor exploring where to put your dollars to work, you’ll walk away with a clearer understanding of how to evaluate and choose the platform that best aligns with your goals. Don’t miss this practical, insight-packed hour designed to help you take your next step in the Reg CF ecosystem with confidence.
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