At Hunsicker, I’ve garnered a reputation of being rather obsessive about word selection. In part, it’s due to my background in the world of impact (lifetime member of the nonprofit sector here), where we strive to think through ripple out consequences and authentic intention. But also, words matter. They serve as a mirror to your motivation. So when our team originally coalesced around the concept of prioritizing “doing good” in tandem with profitable and innovative companies as our Venture Studio’s key objectives, you can be sure that we wrestled with the right way to articulate the “good” we’re after. 

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Impact is the colloquial standard, and is attractively short and buzzy. Alas, with the immersion of impact investment, this word has become tarnished as a euphemism for subpar returns, even spawning so-called “impact washing” for new companies to attract the billions of dollars earmarked in this category. Give me an opportunity to sit face to face with someone and discuss our authentic drive to help people improve their daily lives and I can pretty quickly bring them to a place of mutual understanding. But that takes time and personal connection - a highly limited and inherently un-scaleable resource. As a team, we arrived instead at the verbiage of “expanding access” to describe the intent of our target portfolio companies because we thought that was more descriptive of our desire to empower individuals and generate collective gain through our products and services. 

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As a team, we arrived instead at the verbiage of “expanding access” to describe the intent of our target portfolio companies because we thought that was more descriptive of our desire to empower individuals and generate collective gain through our products and services. 

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But access is a tricky thing. For example, if you’re trying to improve your life, what do you need more access to? Is it true that more access is always better? Do you need less access to some things? Can we have too much access? Well, it's complicated.

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By all measures, our modern life involves more access than ever before. We have internet, mobile smartphones, streaming entertainment, and goods that can be delivered straight to our doorstep in mere hours, minutes even. All this access is meant to make our lives (and by association, our purchases) more and more convenient. But there’s more to life than simply convenience. And convenience is not a fair substitute for access.

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There’s more to life than simply convenience. And convenience is not a fair substitute for access.

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From my previous work in food education, we talked a lot about food deserts. These areas are regions across the US where residents live with high rates of poverty but don’t have a grocery store within close proximity. The name might imply that there’s no food available in those neighborhoods, but that would be a false assumption. These spaces are riddled with fast food establishments and “convenience” marts. But what they’re providing access to is high calorie, cheap junk food, while wholesome nutrition remains elusive. This reality, in fact, has led to the identification of the “hunger-obesity paradox,” whereby the appearance of  hunger in America now presents as overweight rather than emaciation. This is a clear case where there’s too much access to one thing (empty calories) and not enough access to another (quality fresh ingredients).  

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Essentially, access is a Goldilocks phenomenon - we want to find just the right amount for optimization. That seems like the perfect challenge for capitalism. Increasing access can be equated to customer love, where traditional KPIs and various engagement metrics can be used to determine effectiveness and market penetration. From this framework we’ve learned more about how humans can be motivated (game theory, crowdsourcing, influencers, peer review, etc.). Not surprisingly, the last decade has seen the most rapid adoption of new products and services offering convenience and efficiency. We’ve never had more powerful tools for growing access, and when combined with rapidly developing technology, their impact can exceed the loftiest of predictions. And the emergence of AI is just beginning…

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With all these great tools at our disposal, access alone is not often the problem. Instead, the challenge comes in finding the right level of access. How can accessibility be empowering, allowing individuals to better their lives and those of their loved ones? The magic comes when better access allows for betterment. For upward mobility and a rise for the rest. That’s the sweet spot Hunsicker is targeting, and the place where we believe true impact blooms.

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The magic comes when better access allows for betterment. For upward mobility and a rise for the rest. That’s the sweet spot Hunsicker is targeting, and the place where we believe true impact blooms.

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One final caveat though. We’re not interested in acting as Big Brother. This isn’t about amassing manipulative power or dictating the choices that people should or shouldn’t make.  To the contrary, this is about ceding control to others, empowering them to do for themselves. And that might require our new companies to unlock a few doors along the way. 

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In summary, we see access akin to calories. You can’t improve your life without it anymore than you can function without fuel. But the quality of the calorie matters - junk isn’t nourishment. Thus, we’re working to open up pathways for individuals to find meaningful career paths. Reside in dignified housing they can afford. Save and build wealth. And yes, even partake in wholesome food. That’s the access diet Hunsicker is offering - and no worries, it’s not just for a limited time.

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