Bert Jacobs is Co-founder and CEO (Chief Executive Optimist) of The Life is Good Company, which spreads the power of optimism through inspiring art, a passionate community, and groundbreaking nonprofit work. Bert and his brother John launched their business with $78 in their pockets, selling t-shirts in the streets of Boston. Today, Life is Good is a $100 million positive lifestyle brand sold by over 2,000 retailers across the US and Canada.
Bert worked as a ski instructor and pizza delivery guy in Vail, CO before teaming with his brother John to design and sell T-shirts in college dorms up and down the East Coast. After five years traveling in their van together, the brothers officially launched Life is Good.
Bert focuses his energy on guiding the Life is Good brand vision, and developing strategic partnerships and collaborations with organizations that extend the Life is Good brand to new product categories and customers. He enjoys live music, travel, and surfing. His shoes do not always match.
Bert combines innovative business lessons, humor, and inspired storytelling to weave the compelling tale of how he and his brother John, with a combined sum of just $78 in the bank, launched a business that now sells products in over 2,000 retailers nationwide. Life is good attracts a rapidly growing community of optimists by forging meaningful, emotional connections. BertÂ’s innovative lessons on branding, leadership and corporate social responsibility apply to organizations of all sizes, and his inspiring story will help you see how optimism can truly take you anywhere.
The smartest capitalists today and in the future will integrate social work into their businesses because their customers demand it, because it enables deeper purpose to their work and because it strengthens their organizations. Bert guides audiences through the process and benefits of philanthropizing for-profit organizations. From integrating charity into the sales process, to marketing the message, to cultivating a genuine culture of social good at the workplace, Bert has lived and breathed “giving” at every stage of Life is good’s growth-making his ideas and experiences relevant to audiences of any size.
