Building Global Movements and Mindfulness With Charlie Hartwell

Amplify People

Charlie Hartwell is the Managing Director at Bridge Builders Collaborative, an investment group supporting early-stage companies focused on mental wellness, consciousness, and spiritual well-being. A Harvard Business School graduate, he has led, founded, or served in leadership roles across more than a dozen industries — from corporate marketing at H.J. Heinz and Pillsbury to founding innovative ventures.

Before Bridge Builders, Charlie was President of Ideas to Go, an innovation consulting firm, and founded the first for-profit US expedition company, launching a high-impact Antarctic expedition. He also serves on boards such as Insight Timer and advises or invests in companies like Interaxon and The Shift Network.

In this episode…

Organizations often struggle to build cultures that endure beyond their founders, ensure sustainable growth, and genuinely empower their people. Many leaders want to amplify their teams’ potential but get stuck when balancing profitability with purpose. How can organizations create movements that thrive, scale, and positively impact humanity?

Charlie Hartwell, an investor and expert in mindfulness, mental health, and organizational growth, shares his journey of building global movements and supporting companies shaping human well-being. He highlights lessons from founding a nonprofit in Kenya, creating a groundbreaking expedition company, and investing in over 30 companies in the mindfulness and digital therapeutics space. His insights emphasize aligning mission with business models, fostering authentic connections, and amplifying others through systems that empower leaders, entrepreneurs, and communities.

In this episode of Amplify People, Eric Taussig interviews Charlie Hartwell, Managing Director at Bridge Builders Collaborative, about scaling impact through mindfulness and conscious leadership. Charlie also discusses how his nonprofit work in Kenya shaped his mission-driven approach, why Insight Timer’s community model is a game-changer, and how having the right support systems frees leaders to focus on their strengths.