Every quarter, Stakeholder Business hosts a Masterclass—a workshop with world-class practitioners and experts designed to inspire continual improvement and growth. These aren’t just lectures. They’re deep dives into the realities of building businesses that create real impact.

On Wednesday, January 29, we held our latest Masterclass.

We expected an insightful conversation—a structured discussion on stakeholder business, impact investing, and the future of food systems.

Instead, we got a call to action.

Tom McDougall—founder of 4P Foods, food systems rebel, and clear-eyed activist—took us deep into the trenches of capitalism, food justice, and the brutal reality of building a business that refuses to sell out.

It was raw, unfiltered, and deeply necessary.

Tom didn’t just talk about fixing the food system. He showed us what it really takes—the complexities, the obstacles, and the relentless work of challenging a broken system.

His mission? Rebuild the food system from the ground up. His reality? A daily battle against outdated financial models, deeply entrenched supply chains that resist change, and an economic structure that punishes businesses for doing the right thing.

This wasn’t just a conversation about food. It was a blueprint for how to change the system—without getting crushed by it.

From Supply Chains to Social Activism

Tom didn’t set out to be an activist. But his life experience made it inevitable.

He grew up in rural New York, watching small farms and independent grocery stores get squeezed out by corporate consolidation. Later, he worked in global supply chains, where he saw firsthand how corporations extract profit at the expense of workers, communities, and the environment. It was there he learned the difference between price and cost—the price of food doesn’t reflect its real cost when the land, labor, and ecosystems that produce it are treated as disposable.

That realization led him to build something better.

Today, 4P Foods works with more than 200 independent family farmers across Washington, D.C., Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, and throughout the Mid-Atlantic to create a food system that actually works. That means paying farmers fairly, making healthy food accessible, and rebuilding the infrastructure that supports local supply chains. But doing the right thing in an economy designed for short-term profit is anything but easy.

Funding a Mission-Driven Business Means Writing a New Playbook

Everywhere he turned, traditional funding models failed him. Venture capital wanted rapid growth and high returns. Philanthropy prioritized safe, small-scale projects. Government funding, while valuable, has always been unpredictable—and in today’s environment, it can disappear overnight.

So Tom had to get creative. He built a capital stack no one had seen before—an unconventional mix of grants, mission-driven investments, expenditure responsibility grants, and government partnerships. It wasn’t easy, but it worked.

Since its founding, 4P Foods has moved millions of dollars in local food sales while ensuring farmers get paid fairly. And they mean fairly—60 cents of every dollar goes to the farmer, compared to just 14.5 cents in the conventional food system.

At the same time, 4P Foods ensures those who need food the most have access to it. Every month, they deliver 7,500 pounds of food to underserved communities in Washington, D.C. through six community partners.

But even with all this impact, the system still fights back at every turn.

Tom isn’t in this to build just another food company. He’s here to build a new system.

Impact Isn’t a Report—It’s a Result

One of the biggest lessons from Tom’s journey? If you let investors define impact, you’ll spend all your time writing reports instead of creating real change.

Early on, 4P Foods found itself in a common trap—different funders wanted different metrics. One foundation wanted food access numbers for D.C. neighborhoods, another wanted farmer income data in Virginia, and another focused only on regenerative agriculture outcomes. Each was measuring one piece of the puzzle, but none were looking at the full picture.

So Tom took control. Today, 4P Foods measures success on its own terms: the amount of local food moved, the percentage going to underserved communities, and the growing network of farmers who are thriving instead of just surviving. Because in the end, impact isn’t a spreadsheet—it’s whether the system is actually changing.

Decentralization: The Future of Food—and Business

If there was one theme that kept surfacing, it was this: the future is decentralized.

For decades, the food industry has pushed for bigger, faster, and cheaper. The result? Fragile supply chains that break under pressure, food deserts that leave entire communities without access to fresh food, and farmers locked into extractive systems that prioritize profits over sustainability.

The solution isn’t just better food—it’s a better system. One built on regional food hubs that connect farmers directly to consumers, schools, and hospitals. One that supports regenerative agriculture instead of industrial monocropping. One that shifts ownership back to the communities that actually produce and consume food.

And it’s not just food. The same shift is happening in finance, energy, and business as a whole. Local, sustainable, stakeholder-driven models are replacing the centralized, extractive systems that have dominated for decades.

This isn’t just a food revolution. It’s an economic shift.

The Fight Continues—Join Us in June

This wasn’t just a conversation about food systems. It was about what it actually takes to build a business that creates change—without selling out.

• The funding playbook? Tom had to write it himself.
• The impact metrics? He had to define them himself.
• The business model? It’s still evolving.

But one thing is clear: we need more entrepreneurs like Tom.

That’s why, in June, Stakeholder Business Society members are heading to 4P Foods for an exclusive, behind-the-scenes experience.

• Walk the farms leading the regenerative agriculture movement
• See how small-scale, sustainable supply chains are being rebuilt
• Learn firsthand how mission-driven companies navigate impact, growth, and survival
• Connect with like-minded leaders building businesses that matter

This isn’t just a tour—it’s an opportunity to see stakeholder business in action, meet the changemakers leading the way, and leave with insights you can apply to your own work.

Find out more HERE

Why Membership in the Stakeholder Business Society Matters

The Stakeholder Business Society exists for leaders who refuse to accept business as usual—who know that companies of consequence don’t just chase profit; they create impact.

Membership gives you:

• Access to exclusive Masterclasses with world-class business leaders like Tom McDougall
• Curated in-person retreats that take you inside the companies shaping the future of business
• A trusted network of like-minded peers—CEOs, leaders, entrepreneurs, and investors committed to stakeholder capitalism
• Monthly personal guide sessions with a stakeholder business expert to help you with anything you need. 
• Real-time insights and practical strategies to help you build a business that aligns profit with purpose

If you’re serious about leading the next generation of business, this is where you belong.

LEARN MORE ABOUT MEMBERSHIP