Jamie Lind

Jaime Lind discovered how rewarding community-based initiatives could be, and decided she wanted to make it her life’s work. After a long career in bank marketing, this bright, energetic professional with an extensive corporate background and passion for community involvement joined Solutions Inspired in 2011. Though some people live their entire lives without identifying their true calling, the Rhode Island residents Jaime has helped are thankful that she determined hers.

After graduating from the University of Rhode Island with a degree in business administration with a marketing concentration, Jaime entered the workforce at a direct marketing company in San Diego. Upon her return to Rhode Island, she landed in the marketing department of Citizens Financial Group. After several years and a succession of advancements, she accepted a leadership position with a small professional services firm. This move ignited her entrepreneurial spirit and led to her next venture as founder of a “virtual” integrated communications agency.

A local community bank enlisted Lind’s company for a variety of projects, and eventually she was offered a position as their marketing director. At the bank, she developed and led a community-based financial literacy initiative, which prompted her to realize a need for businesses to be paired with relevant, meaningful and appropriate charitable efforts that they could participate in and implement in their own neighborhoods.

Longtime friend and colleague George Ortiz shared Jaime’s passion for social impact, and founded Solutions Inspired in 2010. “While I was attending seminary in Georgia I realized that pastoring a church was not what I was called to do. So the next question was how could I bring that focus of “loving thy neighbor” to business? Bridging those two worlds of business and the love of Christ was my focus. Solutions Inspired came from that time in prayer. A company that focuses on what business needs and communities desire – unity and love in our every day through engagement and joint efforts.”

Today, the organization is a Rhode Island-based, woman and minority-owned consultancy, focused on strategic engagement and social impact initiatives for corporations, organizations and communities. George knew Jaime would be a great addition to the SI team, and he asked her to become his partner in the business a year later. Her role as chief messaging officer enables Jaime to draw on her program management and marketing skills to tell stories that will positively impact the lives of others.

Indeed, Solutions Inspired “walks the walk”. Jaime and George have been running an independent ministry of their own called The Elisha Project, bringing families together to feed Providence’s homeless, since last summer. Says Jaime, “Making positive contributions to our community is central to the Solutions Inspired mission. It is our raison d’etre.”

When asked about growth, Lind says, “Solutions Inspired has taught me that growth is not always best measured in terms of gross sales or the length of your client list. Since it launched, SI had experienced significant growth in terms of its evolution. Because this business was formed to fulfill a need and to heed a calling, it has taken a great deal of effort (and sacrifice) to truly define who we are. Honing in on whom we want to work with, the types of projects we want to be a part of (and how we articulate it) has often meant turning down work and revenue because it didn’t support our mission and failed our ‘impact’ litmus test. Evolution can be painful, but a steadfast commitment to living our purpose has made Solutions Inspired what it is today”.

Jaime offers this advice to new business owners: “Never forget why you started your business in the first place. Of course we all hope to earn a good living and to leave a legacy, but in the beginning there is always a bigger dream; a passion for something that fuels our persistence. Hold tight to that fundamental purpose and make sure that it’s incorporated into every decision you make. In a world of information overload, authenticity is the key to building lasting relationships with customers and employees. It will help you stand out in thecrowd and create a strong foundation for your business to stand the test of time.”

Jaime Lind maintains a high-profile presence in the marketing industry. She has served as the Chapter President, Southeastern New England Region of the American Marketing Association for the past three years. In this role, she supports local marketing professionals in their education goals and helps them maintain their competitive edge. She’s also a progressive leader in the business community. Through Solutions Inspired, Jaime and George are providing services to support a need that many businesses don’t yet know they have. “The key success factors of tomorrow require foresight and planning today, but most businesses are too focused on the challenges that sit immediately in front of them to think proactively about community engagement and how it can be a game changer for their future.”

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