When my father opened Yurek Pharmacy in 1963, he never saw giving as an afterthought. Helping people was simply part of doing business. He believed that success wasn’t just measured in profits but in the lives he touched, whether it was a neighbour struggling with medication costs or a family with a sick child in need of advice.

Today, Gen Z business owners are echoing that same philosophy — even on a global scale. They’re not waiting until they’ve amassed wealth to give back. Instead, social impact is baked into their businesses from day one. Companies like Unto, which tackles global hunger, and Colossal Biosciences, which restores endangered species, are structured to do good while being profitable. These ventures show that you don’t need traditional philanthropy to make a difference; you need purpose-driven action.

Just as my father built his pharmacy around community care, Gen Z builds businesses around meaningful impact. Both understand that helping others isn’t a separate task — it’s the reason you exist. In a world where profit and purpose can coexist, the lesson is timeless: true success comes when doing well and doing good are inseparable.

By Peter Yurek, BSc. Phm.