When Hasnain Zaidi was in Tony Brown’s Social Entrepreneurship class at Duke, he dreamed up a plan for a campus food cart, Holy Crepe, that would fund impact ventures. Tony remembers it as “the best-planned failure” of the class. But the project taught Hasnain a lot, and his career has included successful entrepreneurial projects and other roles. Their conversation explores how to be a force for good and expanding the definition of impact. Tony says “work” is often misconstrued as your job. The real question we should be asking is ourselves is, “How do I make better decisions to enhance my results for the world and for myself?”

At the Table with Tony is a series of conversations with Tony Brown, professor emeritus at the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University. Tony is facing significant health challenges, and he is clear about his 2025 priorities. In addition to prioritizing his wife, Teddie, and his family, nurturing a generative, “grow together” friendship community that creates benefits for others is an important 2025 aspiration. At the Table with Tony helps him do that. As always, Tony is joined at the table by Duke senior, Penelope North.

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