THE GOOD STUFF BY BRIGHT SIGHTED POSTS NEW EPISODE
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (February 2026) Bright Sighted Media has posted a new episode of The Good Stuff, featuring Ed Mitzen, co-founder of the Business for Good Foundation, a Capital Region-based organization using business strategy to create long-term change in local communities.
After selling part of FingerPaint in 2020, Ed and his wife Lisa found themselves in a position to think bigger about impact.
“My wife and I found ourselves in a financial position we never dreamed of, and we wanted to use our business skills to help people get up the income curve. We didn’t just want to write checks. We wanted to roll up our sleeves and do the work alongside them.”
— Ed Mitzen
Since launching in 2021, Business for Good has centered its work on building generational wealth across the Capital Region. That includes developing pathways to homeownership for first-time buyers, exploring creative no-interest loan models, and partnering with local churches and construction firms to make affordable housing a reality.
The foundation also invests directly in entrepreneurs who lack access to capital, mentorship, and networks. In one instance, they fully renovated a long-standing Central Avenue hair salon, allowing its owner to reinvest in her business and serve her community with renewed momentum. In another, they helped a local restaurant owner package and distribute her signature mac and cheese into Price Chopper and Market 32 stores, transforming a neighborhood staple into a scalable product.
Business for Good operates businesses such as Hattie’s and the Bread Basket, directing profits back into the foundation’s mission. A Hattie’s location in downtown Albany now functions as a workforce development culinary lab in partnership with the SEAT Center, where young adults receive hands-on training in both front- and back-of-house operations before transitioning into jobs throughout the region.
Mitzen speaks directly about the widening wealth gap and the responsibility that comes with financial privilege. From paying off employee student loans during the pandemic with a simple request to “pay it forward,” to donating an ice cream truck to support youth programs, to building partnerships that expand access to ownership and career mobility, the objective remains consistent: create systems that generate lasting opportunity.
To learn more about the Business for Good Foundation, visit https://www.bfg.org/.
The Good Stuff features weekly uploads highlighting stories that strengthen the Capital Region through creativity, service, and connection. The podcast is sponsored by Girls Inc. of the Capital Region.
