A successful and innovative business entrepreneur recognized for his strong values for more than 50 years, Ed Satell is the Founder and CEO of Progressive Business Publications (PBP), in Malvern, PA. A multi-division executive information and education provider, PBP serves businesses (including nearly all of the Fortune 1000), government and nonprofit organizations. Ed employs more than 500 individuals in three states. His company is well-known for a strong, supportive culture of accountability and dedication to corporate social responsibility. He believes, models and teaches “Think we, not just me”.
Ed established two charitable foundations to support his belief that with success comes responsibility. The Satell Family Foundation and the Progressive Business Publications Charitable Trust are among of the most effective in the region. They created and fund more than 30 selected activities with 24 institutions.
His Foundations turn his thoughts into action, focusing on five key areas. In each area, his quiet but extensive philanthropy is uniquely hands-on. He provides the business expertise and understanding of best practices greatly valued by the nonprofits supported. Ed is known in the nonprofit world as a “thinking partner”.
His areas of giving focus are well-structured and highly disciplined. First, Ed believes children deserve a positive childhood. In his quest to improve the lives of disadvantaged children, a key initiative is his extraordinary 18+-year partnership with the Cook Wissahickon K-8 Elementary School (CW) in Philadelphia. Inspired by a challenge from General Colin Powell, Ed “adopted” this failing public school and transformed the culture and community by putting a series of vital support programs in place. The partnership took Cook from the bottom 20% academically to the top 10% of city public schools today. He enables his employees to participate by mentoring at-risk students on company time; he also established the safe, structured Before and After-School Programs; as well as sponsors many enrichment activities for students and professional development opportunities for Faculty and Staff.
Continuing with his concern for developing disadvantaged children, Ed is the founding sponsor of the impactful S.T.E.M. Scholar Program at the Franklin Institute, a unique four-year cohort program that starts in 9th grade for a diverse group of economically-challenged but academically-talented students in Philadelphia. At the Caron Foundation, he identified and filled a need for a resource program for children and teens with family members affected by substance abuse by creating the Satell Family Children’s Education Program. And the list goes on, with initiatives with Junior Achievement and the Cradle of Liberty Council Boy Scouts, as well as the Yemin Orde Youth Village and the Jaffa Institute in Israel.
In his second giving area, Higher Education initiatives and developing young people of promise, at Franklin & Marshall College Ed created the Life After College Success Program, known as the Satell Scholars, preparing Juniors and Seniors for productive transitions to the business world. The Satell Social Entrepreneur Internships at the University of Connecticut, an Honors Program, trains promising Business School students in micro-entrepreneur skills they then teach to indigent Guatemalan families during an intense eight-week program in rural villages. The Satell Doctoral Fellows initiative at The Technion Institute, Israel, empowers the research scientists in key medical and energy fields, while the Satell Teen Fellowship for Leadership & Social Activism teaches leadership and social responsibility to the best and brightest 11th & 12th grade Jewish students in the regional community.
Because he believes nonprofits contribute to the quality of life in the community, and a vibrant, opportunity-rich community benefits all, Ed’s third area focuses on supporting institutions like the National Constitution Center, the Walnut Street Theatre, the World Affairs Council, International House, the National Liberty Museum and the list goes on. He believes all human lives are impacted by disease, so he has founded and supports a number of medical research programs and labs across the globe involving using stem cells to combat cancer. To serve the world-need for affordable energy alternatives, he developed the Satell Nitrogen Hydrogen Alternative Fuel Program at The Technion, Israel which shows great promise.And finally, Ed has a number of projects that support his heritage, as he believes all individuals should be proud of their heritage. One of his favorite comments is: “We all
stand on the shoulders of those who came before us.”
Although Ed prefers little publicity and quiet giving, many nonprofits chose to honor him as an inspiration and role model. Ed tries to accept no more than one award each year, and gives his concentrated support to benefit the organization honoring him.
Ed holds several Honorary Degrees, including an honorary Doctorate presented in 2007 by Gratz College, where he was also the Commencement Speaker, and an International Fellowship Degree from The Technion Institute, Israel, presented in 2011.
He has written a comprehensive and highly-regarded book on sales techniques, The Principles of Sales Excellence and contributed the foreword to The American National Tree and the final chapter for Defining New Christian-Jewish Dialogue. Ed is a proud graduate of the University of Connecticut. He was a member of the Phi Sigma Delta Fraternity, elected to student government and a leader in various campus-wide activities. Ed is a longtime member of the Young Presidents Organization. He founded the Nonprofit CEO forum which fosters executive development for top regional nonprofit CEOs. Ed also serves on numbers boards in the Philadelphia region.
In 2016, Ed founded the highly acclaimed Satell Institute, a unique Think and Do Tank dedicated to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). This nonprofit, nonpartisan, independent organization, grounded by free enterprise values, both commissions and curates cutting edge research on the broad topic of CSR, and serves as an inspiring CEO member organization. Since its inception, the Satell Institute has helped shaped the local, regional and national conversation on CSR.