You may have seen the recent announcement of our first-ever Social Good Advocate Adrian Grenier and wondered just what it means to take on that role. The actor told a group of us gathered to hear more last Friday, that to him it presents a unique opportunity to affect positive change.
“I think it’s exciting to be the first ambassador of this sort for Dell. And it’s a true commitment by them to doing good,” he said. “I think one of the reasons I was asked to come on board was because I have an ability to bring people together.”
With the announcement of the new role so recent, he says that’s exactly the first thing to do – gather around a table with our Dell team and talk about what possibilities exist for us to work together.
"We’re just getting to know each other, but one thing that I’ve gathered is that Dell has real tangible goals which is really exciting. When you have real goals that you can actually measure and know whether or not you’re being effective, that’s really useful,” Grenier said.
They are goals that we first started articulating in 1998, and as knowledge has increased since that time, we’ve evolved them into what is now called our 2020 Legacy of Good Plan. It’s the culmination of nearly 18 months of work that took place at the same time we were in the process of taking the company private.
“So when we were presenting this plan to our leadership, we had to ask what impact that might have,” David Lear, executive director of our sustainability programs said. “And unequivocally, they agreed that this was important and no matter what happened, our company would remain committed to it.”
A company our size brings scale to social change and creates infrastructure for others.
“Scale comes slow, though. We offer free recycling in 78 countries, but that didn’t happen overnight,” Lear said. “Dell Reconnect, a partnership with Goodwill Industries, has enabled easy drop off of unwanted technology. It is a great example of the type of partnership we’re looking for, but they start small and then get bigger.”
We think bringing a social good advocate like Grenier to our team will help us spotlight sustainability initiatives, and inspire responsible lifestyles in a way that feels simple and easy.
“The 38-year-old actor/filmmaker/entrepreneur – ironically – was the epitome of conspicuous consumption as Vince Chase, the lead character in Entourage,” John Swartz noted in USAToday. “Off-screen, he is spreading and living the gospel of green. He uses shredded jeans for insulation, for instance.”
That commitment was critical for Dell.
“I admit I’ve never watched Entourage. I haven’t had cable in 10 years,“ Lear said, “I knew Adrian more for his entrepreneurial and environmental endeavors than for his acting career. But a little star power doesn’t hurt us either.”
Writing for Mashable, Lance Ulanoff noted that the actor is especially adept at blending his celebrity profile and social awareness pursuits.
“When people come up to me and they want to take a picture or get an autograph, to me I think it’s a wasted opportunity if I just walk away. I have an opportunity to really connect with somebody in that moment,” Grenier told Ulanoff.
