Dr. Moby Kazmi is the President and Co-founder of COPILOT Provider Support Services.
In part one of this article, I spoke about how a company’s mission, vision, values and True North aren’t just internal slogans. They should guide how businesses grow and why teams show up every day. In part two, I’ll look at how to bring those values to life through philanthropy.
Living Core Values
Every organization has core values that shape its culture and drive its purpose. Two that sit at the heart of my companies are “Change Lives, Create Futures” and “Execution Over Excuses.” One speaks to the impact we’re trying to make, and the other is about getting it done. Together, they form the foundation for how I approach philanthropy.
What I’ve learned through years of business is that real purpose can’t be manufactured. It has to be lived. That’s what makes philanthropy so powerful. It’s not just about writing a check or sponsoring a cause. It’s about aligning your work and your values to truly change lives and create futures. The most compelling proof point of a company’s value isn’t a quarterly report. It’s a life, changed.
Even a relatively small, thoughtful investment, when targeted and grounded in empathy, can spark real, lasting change. And when your team sees that? They’ll rally behind it. They’ll find shared purpose in the mission.
Digging Deeper Than Water: Why The Right Partners Matter
Many of the projects my companies have supported started with a story, a single person’s experience that hit so hard it couldn’t be ignored. And then, from that one story, something bigger unfolds. That ripple becomes momentum. And execution starts by finding the right people to work with.
Globally, millions live without reliable access to clean water. In rural areas, it’s not just inconvenient, it’s dangerous. What really pushed me to act was hearing the story of a woman and her daughter who were attacked while trying to collect water from a distant well. That hit me hard. It wasn’t just about clean water. It was about safety, dignity and basic human rights.
We discovered that some organizations were charging $1,000 to $1,500 to install a single water pump in rural areas. But when we got past the middlemen and spoke directly with people doing the work, we found those same pumps could be built for closer to $200. That’s a huge difference, and it reinforced something I believe deeply: you have to vet who you work with. You need partners who share your values, not just your goals.
Eventually, we found a team that we could build and grow with—people who didn’t just talk impact, they lived it. To date, we’ve installed over 1,000 water pumps across multiple countries, and we’ve also invested in girls’ schools in some of the same areas.
Ripple Effects
One of the most emotional stories I carry with me is of a young boy who lost both legs in a train accident. When we helped him get fitted with prosthetic limbs, it wasn’t just about walking. It was about giving him a childhood. A second chance to live, move and grow like every other kid his age. That’s an impact that goes beyond mobility and restores confidence and hope.
Also, in many developing countries, operable blindness is still far too common. Something as simple as cataract surgery, which takes minutes in the U.S., remains out of reach for thousands due to cost or access.
When we hosted eye surgery camps in South Asia, one man told us he hadn’t seen his grandchildren in 12 years. After his surgery, he cried. Not just because he could see them again, but because he said it made him feel like his life still mattered.
That’s what this work is really about. It’s not just about restoring vision or mobility. It’s about showing people that their lives are still valuable.
Making It Real: Execution Over Excuses
Every mission, no matter how noble, means nothing if you don’t get it done. That’s why I approach every philanthropic project with a clear framework. It starts with defining the objective and setting measurable goals. Then we identify the right partner: someone with boots on the ground and alignment on vision, purpose and follow-through. Once we’ve vetted the team and agreed on scope, timeline and budget, we begin with a pilot, a small-scale execution designed to test communication, transparency and reliability.
Once we know it works, we scale with accountability. We celebrate and share the results publicly, not for credit, but to raise awareness and inspire others to get involved. And no project is complete without a plan for sustainability making sure what we create is built to last, with community training, follow-ups and support in place. Execution isn’t just about completion. It’s about committing to the full arc of impact, from start to future.
Start Small, Stay Focused
I’ve learned that the best way to create meaningful impact is to start small and stay focused. Don’t try to solve the whole world. Just start with one life, one story, one village and let the work grow from there.
You don’t need a massive foundation to make a difference. What you need is clarity of purpose, the commitment to act and the belief that business—when grounded in values—can do more than scale revenue. It can scale hope.
The stories you carry from the field become anchors. They remind your team that no matter how busy we get chasing numbers, the real success is in how many lives were touched along the way.
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