A Profile of Paul Feith:
Leadership, Philanthropy, and Mission-Driven Entrepreneurship

Paul Feith is the President and Founder of Paul Gregory Media (PGM), a digital marketing agency headquartered in Naperville, Illinois, that has carved a distinct niche in the competitive marketing landscape. He is a leader whose professional identity is defined by the foundational belief that business success and social good are not merely compatible but are intrinsically equal and interdependent goals. This philosophy has been the driving force behind PGM’s evolution from a traditional startup into a highly regarded social enterprise.

Feith has strategically positioned Paul Gregory Media as a premier marketing partner for nonprofit and mission-based organizations, particularly within the Chicagoland area and for clients across the country. He has successfully translated a personal passion for technology and community service into a recognized, award-winning agency sought after for its dedication to amplifying the impact of its clients. The agency’s formal certification as a B-Corporation in 2020 stands as the definitive validation of this commitment, legally binding the for-profit company to rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and public transparency. More than just an entrepreneur who serves the nonprofit sector, Paul Feith has deliberately engineered a business model where social impact is the central tenet of corporate strategy, client acquisition, and company culture, making the business itself the primary vehicle for his philanthropic mission.

The Formative Years:
Career Trajectory Before Paul Gregory Media

Before establishing his mission-driven agency, Paul Feith built a robust career grounded in technology and corporate new media. A self-described “computer and technology nerd,” his initial foray into entrepreneurship was as the owner of Compu-Tech, a database programming company. This early venture established his foundation in the technical aspects of data management and systems, skills that would later prove invaluable.

Feith’s formal career in the digital space began in 1998, a period marked by explosive growth and innovation. He took on a role as a new media manager for Playboy Enterprises, an experience that immersed him in the dynamic and rapidly evolving landscape of a major media brand adapting to the digital age. Following this corporate experience, he navigated the turbulent but formative dot-com boom, holding various positions within tech startups, including MyPoints as a director of client services & production, and Golliath Falls as a VP of Technology.

This pre-PGM period was critical in shaping the leader he would become. His work in database programming, corporate new media, and the high-pressure, results-oriented startup world provided him with a comprehensive toolkit of traditional business and technology skills. This background equipped him with the technical expertise and adaptability necessary to later offer sophisticated, professional-grade digital solutions to the nonprofit sector. The hard skills honed during this time—in areas like search engine optimization (SEO), web development, and digital strategy—would eventually lend significant credibility and efficacy to his agency’s work, allowing him to deliver high-value services and tangible return on investment for mission-based clients who often lack access to such specialized expertise.

The Entrepreneurial Venture:
The Founding and Evolution of Paul Gregory Media

Driven by a desire to create his own enterprise, Paul Feith founded Paul Gregory Media in 2006, deriving the company’s middle name from his own. The agency began as a modest, one-person operation focusing on graphic design projects from its base in Naperville, Illinois.

The company’s early years were marked by significant challenges, most notably the 2007 mortgage and banking crisis which created a difficult economic environment for any new business. Feith’s response to this adversity was counterintuitive and ultimately prescient; rather than retracting, he leaned into community engagement. By taking on pro bono work and becoming deeply involved with his local chamber of commerce, he built a strong reputation for creative excellence and community partnership. This strategy of building social capital during a downturn directly led to landing his first significant client, Jung Family Painting, and laid the groundwork for the company’s future ethos.

A pivotal moment in the agency’s growth occurred in 2013 with the strategic acquisition of Silverline Creative. This move was instrumental in transforming Paul Gregory Media from a solo graphic design practice into a full-scale, multi-service digital marketing agency. This expansion happened after Feith’s personal philanthropic awakening in 2011, suggesting the growth was undertaken with a clear intent to broaden the agency’s capacity to serve the comprehensive needs of nonprofit organizations. The company’s evolution demonstrates a pattern of resilient, mission-aligned growth. Its survival and subsequent expansion were not accidental but were fueled by the very community-oriented strategies that now define its core identity. As of 2020, the agency reported annual revenues of $1.125mm with a staff of five, though its team size is noted to fluctuate between four and eight employees to meet project demands.

A Business with a Purpose:
The Philosophy and Operational Model of PGM

The defining characteristic of Paul Gregory Media is its unwavering focus on purpose-driven work, a philosophy born from Paul Feith’s personal experiences. In 2011, he joined several nonprofit boards and committees, where he discovered a profound passion for nonprofit operations, governance, and mission-based work. He “caught the bug” for fundraising, volunteer recruitment, and rallying around a cause, a realization that served as the catalyst for fundamentally reshaping his business model.

This personal passion was systematically translated into a new corporate direction. The agency began a deliberate pivot toward serving the nonprofit sector, a transition that was both rapid and decisive. By 2016, 80% of PGM’s clientele consisted of nonprofit organizations. Just two years later, in 2018, that figure had climbed to 90%. Today, the agency is devoted to serving mission-based organizations, with a particular focus on those that support underserved and marginalized communities. Its client roster includes prominent organizations such as Habitat for Humanity of Illinois, Giving DuPage, Turning Pointe Autism Foundation, DuPage Children’s Museum, United Way of Will County, and Benedictine University.

The ultimate expression of this philosophy came in July 2020, when Paul Gregory Media became a Certified B-Corporation. This certification is not a self-proclaimed status but a rigorous, third-party validation from the nonprofit B Lab, confirming that a for-profit company meets the highest standards of social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. The certification transformed the company’s abstract values—such as transparency and a “hassle-free” client experience—into a concrete, measurable, and legally accountable operational framework. PGM’s successful re-certification with an improved score in November 2023 further underscores a commitment to continuous improvement, not just meeting a baseline.

To serve its clients effectively, PGM operates as a full-service agency offering a comprehensive suite of digital marketing solutions. These services are tailored to the specific needs of nonprofits and include brand identity, web design and development, social media management, SEO, programmatic advertising, ADA website compliance, virtual event planning, public relations, copywriting, professional videography, and photography.

The Philanthropic Footprint:
Community Engagement and Board Leadership

Paul Feith’s commitment to social good extends far beyond his company’s client list; it is deeply rooted in his personal dedication of time, expertise, and leadership to community organizations. His intensive involvement in philanthropy began in earnest in 2011 after joining his first nonprofit board. This experience ignited a passion for the mechanics of nonprofit success—governance, fundraising, and volunteer recruitment—which he immediately began to integrate into his professional life.

Feith’s board service is not a passive or honorary role. He actively shares his professional expertise in technology and marketing to help these organizations thrive. This hands-on involvement serves as a real-world laboratory, providing him with an invaluable, insider’s perspective on the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing the nonprofit sector. By understanding that these organizations are primarily focused on funding, volunteer recruitment, and awareness, he has been able to continuously refine PGM’s service offerings to provide direct solutions to these core needs. This symbiotic relationship—where his volunteer work informs his business strategy and his business provides high-level support back to the community—gives PGM a significant strategic advantage over agencies that approach the nonprofit sector from a purely external, vendor-based position.

His extensive civic footprint is demonstrated by his service and membership across a wide range of influential community and professional groups.

The Culture of Giving:
PGM’s Commitment to Social Impact

Paul Feith has successfully operationalized his personal philanthropic values by embedding a culture of giving directly into the financial and operational fabric of Paul Gregory Media. This commitment is quantified and transparent. The agency formally donates 1% of its gross revenue—a significant distinction from the more common practice of donating from net profits—in cash contributions to local nonprofit organizations. In addition, PGM dedicates 15% of its collective time to providing pro bono and in-kind services to its mission-based partners. This commitment to service became especially pronounced during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020; as many nonprofit clients faced uncertainty and paused contracts, Feith made the pivotal decision to continue providing services, resulting in the agency donating 50% of its time that year.

This deeply ingrained mission is a powerful tool for attracting and retaining talent. The agency’s purpose-driven identity naturally appeals to professionals seeking meaningful work, and Feith actively looks for candidates with a demonstrated history of volunteering or nonprofit experience to ensure a genuine cultural fit. The culture is so central to the company’s identity that an employee who does not believe in giving back or rallying around a mission would simply not thrive there.

Feith has also addressed a core business challenge with this model: how to attract top-tier talent while serving a sector known for tight budgets. Unable to compete solely on salary with larger, for-profit-focused agencies, he has strategically chosen to compete on a different axis: time, flexibility, and quality of life. PGM has instituted highly attractive and progressive employee policies, including a 100% remote workforce, a 32-hour, four-day work week, and an unlimited Paid Time Off (PTO) policy that requires employees to take a minimum of two weeks off annually. These benefits are not merely “perks” but a calculated response to the financial constraints of the business model. They create a compelling value proposition that allows PGM to attract and retain the highly skilled team necessary to deliver exceptional work, turning a potential weakness into a unique cultural and recruitment strength.

Feith’s leadership in the sector is further amplified by his role as host of the award-winning “Mission Matters Podcast,” where he interviews leaders from various nonprofits, sharing their stories and insights with a broader audience. The external validation of this purpose-driven approach is evident in the numerous accolades received by both Feith and his agency.

In 2021, Paul donated most of the trophies (over 300lbs) to Plaques Plus to be melted down and recycled.

Personal Life and Interests

Beyond his extensive professional and community commitments, Paul Feith maintains a full family life. He resides in Aurora, Illinois, with his wife, Lorraine. He is the father of two daughters, who are now in their mid—late 20s. In his personal time, his interests include collecting cigars and playing the piano.

A notable event that perfectly encapsulates the integration of his personal, philanthropic, and community values occurred when he made a winning bid of $2,500 at a charity auction for the Paramount Theatre in Aurora. The prize was a special walk-on role in a performance of the musical “Annie.” Feith gifted this unique experience to his daughter, Melanie, who was in 8th grade at the time. This single act was simultaneously a meaningful gift to his daughter, a direct financial contribution to the theatre’s “Dreams Do Come True” program for underprivileged children, and a show of support for a vital local arts institution. It serves as a microcosm of his overarching philosophy, demonstrating that his commitment to community betterment is not confined to his business but is a fundamental part of his identity as a father and citizen. Paul supports the Paramount Arts Foundation to this day, with a financial commitment of over $12,500 each year for a minimum of 3 years.

Summary

Paul Feith represents a modern paradigm of entrepreneurship where success is measured not only by financial returns but by the depth and breadth of community impact. His career path shows a distinct and deliberate evolution from a traditional technology professional and business owner to a pioneering leader in the social impact sector. Grounded in a robust early career in database programming and corporate new media, Feith possessed the technical acumen required to build a successful digital agency. However, it was a personal awakening to the world of nonprofit governance and service in 2011 that provided the mission that would come to define his life’s work.

This passion was not treated as a corporate social responsibility initiative but became the very core of his business strategy. He systematically reshaped Paul Gregory Media, pivoting its client base almost entirely to the nonprofit sector and transforming the company into a full-service partner dedicated to their unique needs. This transformation was formalized and validated through the agency’s certification as a B-Corporation, a rigorous standard that holds the company accountable to its promise of using business as a force for good.

Feith’s leadership model is holistic. He has successfully interwoven his personal philanthropic activities, such as his extensive board service, with his company’s operational model. His time spent within nonprofit organizations provides him with unparalleled market intelligence, which in turn allows PGM to offer more effective and empathetic service. This synergy is further reflected in the company’s culture, where quantified commitments to donating revenue and time are paired with progressive, employee-centric policies like a four-day work week. This approach serves the dual purpose of attracting top talent and living out the company’s values.

Ultimately, Paul Feith has built a thriving enterprise by rejecting the notion that profit and purpose are competing interests. His work demonstrates that a deep, authentic commitment to community betterment can be the most powerful driver of business strategy, employee engagement, and sustainable success. He stands as a prominent example of a leader who has built a company not just to serve a community, but to be an integral, contributing member of it.