As small enterprise house owners, we frequently hear in regards to the significance of innovation and adaptableness—however generally, essentially the most highly effective examples come from sudden locations. At SuiteWorld 2025, I had the possibility to talk with Claudia Freed, President and CEO of EALgreen, a nonprofit that’s rethinking easy methods to fund greater schooling by way of the rules of the round financial system. Her group doesn’t simply hand out scholarships; it transforms surplus stock which may in any other case go to waste into life-changing monetary assist for college kids.

That’s an thought any small enterprise proprietor can admire—turning inefficiency into alternative. Whether or not it’s unused merchandise, outdated processes, or legacy techniques, each group faces the problem of doing extra with much less. EALgreen’s story proves that innovation doesn’t must be confined to tech startups or large firms. It may come from a mission-driven nonprofit that has sustained itself for over 40 years with out exterior funding.

In our dialog, Claudia shared how EALgreen developed from a grassroots thought right into a mannequin of operational effectivity and purpose-driven management. She additionally mentioned how NetSuite’s cloud ERP system helped modernize their operations, get rid of danger, and unlock new progress alternatives—all whereas staying true to their mission of serving to college students succeed. Right here’s my full dialog with Claudia Freed at SuiteWorld 2025.

Leland McFarland

All proper, I’m right here at Oracle’s NetSuite’s uh SuiteWorld 2025 with Claudia Freed, President and CEO of EALgreen. So, Claudia, thanks for approaching and uh doing this interview. So, to begin with, for many who are perhaps not that acquainted, uh are you able to begin by telling us what EALgreen does and who you serve?

Claudia Freed

We’re a non-profit group based over 40 years in the past and what we do is give college students scholarships in order that they will go to varsity and fulfill their very own human potential. What we do that’s so distinctive is how we do the funding of the scholarships, which is within the area of the round financial system and reverse logistics. We convert donated stock into monetary assist.

We serve a inhabitants of faculty college students that may like to go to varsity however generally are restricted almost about their funds. We additionally serve company donors which have a provide chain problem of product that they maybe would have needed to ship to the landfill. And in the end, uh we really feel that we serve the world and society so that everybody has a possibility to go to highschool.

Leland McFarland

So just like like consignment outlets that make the most of um donations to uh help native uh charities however as an alternative otherwise you make the most of um objects that will go to the landfill and even surplus to have the ability to uh donate to uh school college students, proper?

Claudia Freed

In actual fact, let me aid you with an analogy. We expect of a school as a small metropolis. So a small metropolis makes use of merchandise for transportation, gear, provides to take care of their infrastructure. Due to this fact, we work with firms which have that kind of product to donate. After which we consider three completely different channels the place we are able to both reuse the product on a school campus.

If the product can’t be reused as a result of it is probably not in the appropriate place or in the appropriate situation, we’ll both attempt to restore, or if it must be resold, the funds that we increase fund further scholarships. And in the end, if it can’t be reused or repaired, it will likely be recycled.

The sensible mannequin that we inherited from our founders from 1982 is that when that snowblower, let’s say, went to a school campus, the college generates operational financial savings. That implies that these financial savings are then transferred to a scholar to decrease their monetary assist prices.

The cool factor about my story is that I used to be the very first scholar that they ever helped in 1982. And I’ve felt the influence of the work that we do in my very own life. And that’s what is a big motivator for persevering with that legacy.

Leland McFarland

So what impressed the founding of it? So unique founders and and also you you had been the like the primary recipient, so you’ll be able to you’ll be able to actually attest to this.

Claudia Freed

The the the nice query, you already know, what impressed an engineer and a businessman that had been pals um in 1982? And there was the proper storm of concepts and alternative. What impressed them was the factor they’d in widespread: each gents had gone to varsity with the monetary assist assist of a scholarship. So that’s what they’d in widespread.

And so they had been actually formidable. And so they mentioned to themselves, “Not if, however once we turn out to be profitable, we wish to pay it ahead.” So what’s the precept behind the founding of EAL? Is this idea of paying it ahead and giving again. And that has been the core worth of EAL that regardless of expertise adjustments 40-some years in enterprise, uh we maintain very pricey.

Leland McFarland

Nice. Uh what challenges or ache factors led you to begin on the lookout for an answer like NetSuite?

Claudia Freed

Nice query. A part of being profitable in enterprise is managing danger very nicely, recognizing when you’ve gotten an publicity, managing the danger and taking mitigating actions. A number of years in the past, we started to take a look at a possible single level of failure. We had been taking a look at outdated expertise. We had gone from pencil and paper to digital, then to um some extent the place if we hadn’t made the choice of updating our expertise, we had been going going to in all probability not be capable of proceed to develop and thrive. We additionally had a really fragile system of volunteers and IT personnel that had been both going to be retiring or transitioning. So we acknowledged that as a single level of failure. Our motivation was to avoid wasting the enterprise from changing into out of date. And that’s the level at which we then started the journey to search for a companion.

Leland McFarland

Okay. Um, how had been you managing operations earlier than NetSuite? Now, you you probably did cowl that. You you mentioned pen and paper and so, yeah. Um, are you able to share how NetSuite has modified your day-to-day operations?

Claudia Freed

NetSuite has modified our day-to-day operations in ways in which has made in some methods life slightly bit easier. And the way? By giving us super visibility into the group, and giving us mobility, and giving us the security of our knowledge within the cloud to have a backup. So, particularly the way it has modified: at anybody level, anybody in my crew has been capable of develop their very own KPIs and their very own dashboard. So no matter their space of operation or duty, at a second be aware—at a second’s discover, they see knowledge real-time. Once we had 5 completely different techniques, we needed to be leaping from one to a different. So it has modified the effectivity with which we arrive at knowledge, empower choices. We will now make choices a lot quicker. We don’t have to attend for 5 reviews. If we now have to pivot, if we now have to supply a special resolution, the flexibility for NetSuite to supply that knowledge to us extra rapidly, extra clearly, uh in a reporting format that may be communicated, uh that has been an amazing increase to the operations of a small group with 12 workers.

Leland McFarland

So drilling down slightly bit, was there like a aha that like that that that second the place you simply go, “Wow, this factor works and this factor goes to avoid wasting us cash”? Was there that defining second?

Claudia Freed

Effectively, sure, and it continues, proper? The second for me, as a result of I’m chargeable for finance on prime of the uh mission, uh was actually once we declared that we had been going reside. And we needed to switch knowledge, so we needed to deliver knowledge from different techniques. The method took just a few months, however the aha second for us was once we acknowledged our personal knowledge within the new shiny mannequin. So for us, it was the flexibility to belief the information the second that it landed there. These had been our numbers, that was our P&L, these had been our scholarships.

I feel if we had not been profitable in that transition, you can not speed up the change the best way that we now have performed it. However we made an excellent first step. From there, we are able to construct out from it. The second aha second is admittedly coming now as we’re enjoying and demo um AI options to see the best way that AI is increasing our means to investigate the state of affairs, the flexibility to consider potential dangers and potential alternatives for us to create extra scholarships. You talked about about, you already know, how does the enterprise measure its success by way of how are you going to be extra financially profitable. For us, success is measured by the variety of college students we may also help. And NetSuite has enabled us to measure these uh lives as nicely.

Leland McFarland

Nice. You’ve already answered some questions that had been down right here too. So, however um which NetSuite fashions or instruments are you most criti— or are most important uh to your group’s success immediately?

Claudia Freed

Nice query by way of pairing your enterprise to the appropriate resolution. We, as I’ve mentioned, are a non-profit group. NetSuite does have a module known as Social Affect. Social Affect is designed for non-profit organizations that function a extra conventional fundraising mannequin, the place maybe you’re monitoring grants, you’re monitoring ticket gross sales to a gala or an occasion. That’s not the EALgreen enterprise mannequin. We reside on the earth of reverse logistics and operations. So for us, what was most tasty was the wholesale distribution mannequin. So we use wholesale distribution to trace a catalog that has about 1.5 million SKUs, by way of which we then fulfill orders. The second module that we use out of NetSuite is SuiteCommerce Superior. And SuiteCommerce Superior is, in fact, the extra superior model of SuiteCommerce. And why we’d like that? As a result of our mannequin is based on an object, a chunk of stock, a instrument, changing into a scholarship. And when you find yourself beneath an built-in system, as NetSuite is, that transaction will find yourself in your common ledger to feed into your financials. And SuiteCommerce Superior permits us to try this.

Leland McFarland

That’s nice. Um, you already talked about like measurable outcomes and and and the efficiencies that you simply’ve already um achieved by way of uh NetSuite. Um, how has having real-time knowledge by way of NetSuite influenced your decision-making uh um decision-making um as a uh CEO?

Claudia Freed

It permits me to speak to my board of administrators the influence of their help. So their determination to help a digital journey just a few years in the past, earlier than this was even a recognized a recognized frontier, we mentioned, “We acknowledge a danger. We have to make an funding. Belief us, we’re going to discover the appropriate companion.” And the flexibility to now reveal success, not solely to the board, but in addition to donors. How are we measuring success?

Through the years, we now have transformed over $40 million price of donated stock into over 30,000 scholarships. These are actual college students which have gone to varsity. Yr over 12 months, simply within the final 12 months, due to the brand new instruments that we now have applied in NetSuite, we now have seen a 55% enhance within the scholarships which might be being awarded to college students. The typical scholarship is $3,000. We’re on our strategy to award 1,000 scholarships this 12 months alone. In SuiteCommerce, the platform, by way of an implementation of AI, which is clever merchandise advice, our prospects, who’re bodily plant administrators of faculties and universities on the lookout for that snowblower, a tough hat, instruments to finish their work, they will log onto the system and be supplied suggestions. That has elevated engagement with our personal companions by over 13%. And as a CEO, having knowledge in a short time you could comply with by way of and examine why is that occuring, why is it 13% and never 15, or what made it go from 10 to 13, it provides you the ability of analytics in a short time.

Leland McFarland

That’s nice to listen to. Um, as a pacesetter, how do you steadiness EALgreen’s social mission with the necessity to keep operati— operationally environment friendly?

Claudia Freed

Many, a few years in the past, I needed to provide you with a metaphor for that query. As a result of in life and in enterprise, it’s all the time a couple of trade-off. We’re buying and selling off a profit and a price. And so for us, it’s all the time been the concept of flying a twin-engine aircraft. We want the mission to draw the help. And with out the help, we actually, what’s the purpose of a mission? So for us, they they matter in equal measure.

And one of many issues that we’re very pleased with is that once we communicate to our donors, a few of whom have been with us from day one, they funded the very first scholarship they usually’re nonetheless our donor with out interruption. One of many phrases which might be used to explain EAL is that we’re a considerate group. And I consider that that comes from that concept that it’s a must to all the time be conscious, what’s the mission of EAL? To assist college students go to varsity. And what’s the enterprise mannequin? We’re self-funded. We rely in completely no exterior funding. We don’t have grants. That’s why we don’t use the Social Affect mannequin, however we use the wholesale distribution. And each side from the board of administrators on down, we all know that what we do every single day issues to that scholar that someday could also be sitting right here with you talking as a result of we do change lives.

Leland McFarland

All proper, closing query. Uh, for those who had been to explain your NetSuite expertise in a single sentence, what would it not be?

Claudia Freed

In a single sentence. Um, difficult however rewarding. Difficult and rewarding. I I wouldn’t say however. Difficult and rewarding. Rewarding as a result of uh we are actually on the opposite aspect. However higher but, let me uh share with you, simply earlier than coming right here, I’m the CEO, I name Greg at considered one of our success facilities on a Thursday afternoon at 2:30. He was understandably nervous. Why is the CEO calling me unannounced at 2:30 within the afternoon?

And I mentioned, “Greg, I’m getting ready for this occasion in Las Vegas. Would you describe for me a few good issues about NetSuite and a few not-so-good issues about NetSuite? What has been your expertise?” And he was so fast to enumerate, “Effectively, Claudia, we now have plenty of visibility. I do know the place all of the snowblowers are.” Nice.

“Some issues that aren’t so good.” And I heard nothing. Silence for a pair seconds. And I used to be like, “Greg, are you there?” And he mentioned, “Effectively, I’ve to consider it. Nonetheless, for those who had requested me that query two years in the past, the listing would have been flipped. I might have solely unhealthy issues to say. It was difficult. We didn’t have the appropriate techniques. We had the appropriate knowledge, however we needed to put higher Wi-Fi within the system, within the warehouse. Um, we needed to uh purchase completely different kind of apparatus for them to do their job.” So there have been some ache factors. However with something, with something in life that could be a change or an enchancment, um, it’s troublesome. Even in case you are making an attempt to be more healthy in your personal life, um, that is bringing health into our operations. And subsequently now we’re fully reliant on our knowledge that comes from NetSuite. So for us, it has been difficult and rewarding and the proof is that we’re right here immediately as their visitor, showcasing and sharing the good thing about EAL being a buyer, and we consider in that.

Leland McFarland

Nice. Effectively, thanks uh in your perception. Uh, it talking with you has been actually nice. And I I like seeing what you’ve been capable of do with NetSuite and and having the ability to speed up your progress and and yeah, it’s it’s it’s really wonderful. Thanks.

Claudia Freed

Thanks, Leland. I I admire your curiosity and the questions and, you already know, I might discuss all day about EAL. I like what I do, however I do know we now have issues to do. So thanks very a lot.

Talking with Claudia jogged my memory that expertise, at its finest, isn’t nearly automation—it’s about amplification. It amplifies influence, effectivity, and the attain of a good suggestion. What EALgreen has performed by way of its partnership with NetSuite isn’t only a story about software program implementation; it’s a blueprint for resilience and reinvention.

Small companies can study a terrific deal from EALgreen’s journey. Claudia’s concentrate on managing danger, eliminating single factors of failure, and aligning mission with metrics displays the identical balancing act entrepreneurs face every single day. Her metaphor of “flying a twin-engine aircraft”—maintaining each the mission and operations in concord—resonates deeply in an period when many small organizations wrestle to develop sustainably with out dropping their function.

Much more inspiring is the measurable influence: changing $40 million in donated stock into 30,000 scholarships, and seeing a 55% enhance in awards after modernizing with NetSuite. That’s proof that effectivity and empathy aren’t opposites—they’re companions in long-term success.

For small enterprise house owners, the takeaway is evident: digital transformation isn’t only for large enterprises. With the appropriate mindset and instruments, it’s attainable to scale influence, make smarter choices, and be certain that each ounce of effort drives each revenue and function. EALgreen’s story exhibits that significant progress begins with a transparent mission—and the braveness to evolve.