When Scott Jackson says his role as CEO of Global Impact is to be a 'follower of leaders,' he challenges conventional thinking about executive leadership. In our conversation, he explains how this counterintuitive approach—empowering others while providing crucial behind-the-scenes support—has helped his organization channel over $2.5 billion to global causes. Scott's practical insights on trust-building and strategic empowerment offer a compelling leadership model for CEOs grappling with how to scale impact while developing their teams.

About Scott Jackson

Scott Jackson is the President and CEO of Global Impact. He also leads Global Impact Ventures, a family of mission-driven organizations, including Global Impact, Geneva Global, Capital for Good, GI Social Welfare Fund, and Global Impact's international affiliates. Jackson is a global philanthropy, fundraising, communications, and marketing veteran with over 25 years of experience. He oversees advisory and infrastructure services and provides leadership, direction, and oversight for Global Impact, which has raised nearly $2.5 billion with our partners for global causes. Jackson is the author of the 2017 book “Take Me With You,” which was rereleased with new content in 2021. Previously, he served as Vice President for External Relations at PATH, as Senior Vice President of World Vision US, and as President of APCO Seattle. Jackson received a Master of Business Administration from the University of Edinburgh. He also holds a bachelor’s degree and an honorary doctorate from the University of Puget Sound.

In this commentary, Deborah Fell examines the psychology of entrepreneurship, drawing from her conversation with Net at Work Co-Founder and Co-CEO Eddie Solomon. Through stories of infrastructure pioneers, transformational leaders, and second-generation successors, she reveals how true entrepreneurs share an unshakeable mindset – they may pivot, but failure is never an option.

Listen to the full episode here.

Eddie Solomon - Co-Founder & Co-CEO

Eddie has over two decades of entrepreneurial experience in the technology and services industry. In 1996, Edward co-founded Net at Work, offering a service-oriented approach to IT and network support. As an owner of an emerging business, Edward completely understands the value of executive-level involvement- and its contribution to a project’s ultimate success- from the earliest planning stages through completion and beyond.

Additionally, Eddie has co-founded several start-ups, including Docutrend Imaging Solutions, a managed provider of office equipment and print management services; Cloud at Work, a hosting services provider; Pixafy, an eCommerce agency recently acquired by Kensium, LLC. with a focus on integration to ERP, and Swype Payments, a payment processing provider acquired in 2021 by FortisPay. Eddie serves on the board for Young Jewish Professionals (YJP), a not-for-profit organization focused on providing business, educational, and mentoring opportunities for the new generation of Jewish business leaders.

In 2021, Edward was named to the Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting.

Before starting Net at Work, Edward worked in commercial and investment banking for Republic National Bank and NatWest Markets, where he managed accounting for real-estate properties and restructured Chart of Accounts, respectively. Edward received his MBA in Finance from Baruch College, NY.

Company Overview

Net at Work is a well-established IT service provider based with offices in the United States, Canada, and India specializing in software solutions and services for small and medium-sized businesses. Founded in 1996 and headquartered in New York City, the company has grown to over 450 remote-based, full-time employees. Net at Work’s core offerings include software sales, implementation, managed services, fractional CIO, and hosting services for ERP, CRM, HRMS, and e-commerce solutions.

Net at Work serves a diverse North American client base exceeding 6,000 customers across various industries such as service, distribution, manufacturing, retail, software, technology, healthcare, not-for-profit, and construction. Providing a strong portfolio of value-added professional and managed services, Net at Work partners with industry-recognized software publishers like Sage, Oracle NetSuite, Acumatica, Creatio, and Rippling to provide comprehensive business management solutions. In addition to its primary services, the company offers IT-managed services and private hosted cloud services through its sister company, Cloud at Work and a strong alliance program that includes Sage 100/300 ERP resellers and over 300 managed service providers. Net at Work’s technology solutions, deep business expertise, and strategic partner network together provide highly adaptable and scalable solutions that empower clients to optimize performance and drive growth.

In this episode, we sit down with Eddie Solomon, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Net at Work, a technology services company he started with his brother in 1996. From their humble beginnings as Russian-Ukrainian immigrants in Brooklyn to building a thriving enterprise serving over 5,000 businesses, Eddie shares insights about true entrepreneurship versus business ownership, the delicate balance of working with family, and how to maintain an innovative spirit while scaling. Eddie shares his fascinating perspectives on creating a culture of "intrapreneurship" and the importance of meeting both clients and employees where they are. This conversation offers valuable lessons for business leaders at any stage of their journey.

Co-Founder & Co-CEO

Eddie has over two decades of entrepreneurial experience in the technology and services industry. In 1996, Edward co-founded Net at Work, offering a service-oriented approach to IT and network support. As an owner of an emerging business, Edward completely understands the value of executive-level involvement- and its contribution to a project’s ultimate success- from the earliest planning stages through completion and beyond.

Additionally, Eddie has co-founded several start-ups, including Docutrend Imaging Solutions, a managed provider of office equipment and print management services; Cloud at Work, a hosting services provider; Pixafy, an eCommerce agency recently acquired by Kensium, LLC. with a focus on integration to ERP, and Swype Payments, a payment processing provider acquired in 2021 by FortisPay. Eddie serves on the board for Young Jewish Professionals (YJP), a not-for-profit organization focused on providing business, educational, and mentoring opportunities for the new generation of Jewish business leaders.

In 2021, Edward was named to the Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting.

Before starting Net at Work, Edward worked in commercial and investment banking for Republic National Bank and NatWest Markets, where he managed accounting for real-estate properties and restructured Chart of Accounts, respectively. Edward received his MBA in Finance from Baruch College, NY.

Company Overview

Net at Work is a well-established IT service provider based with offices in the United States, Canada, and India specializing in software solutions and services for small and medium-sized businesses. Founded in 1996 and headquartered in New York City, the company has grown to over 450 remote-based, full-time employees. Net at Work’s core offerings include software sales, implementation, managed services, fractional CIO, and hosting services for ERP, CRM, HRMS, and e-commerce solutions.

Net at Work serves a diverse North American client base exceeding 6,000 customers across various industries such as service, distribution, manufacturing, retail, software, technology, healthcare, not-for-profit, and construction. Providing a strong portfolio of value-added professional and managed services, Net at Work partners with industry-recognized software publishers like Sage, Oracle NetSuite, Acumatica, Creatio, and Rippling to provide comprehensive business management solutions. In addition to its primary services, the company offers IT-managed services and private hosted cloud services through its sister company, Cloud at Work and a strong alliance program that includes Sage 100/300 ERP resellers and over 300 managed service providers. Net at Work’s technology solutions, deep business expertise, and strategic partner network together provide highly adaptable and scalable solutions that empower clients to optimize performance and drive growth.