Courtesy Busiess for Good
By Rod Bacon
When some entrepreneurs achieve success, they give back to the communities that have supported them.
For Ed and Lisa Mitzen, that took the form of launching Business for Good, a philanthropic initiative committed to bridging the wealth gap in America.
The Mitzens started with the 2020 purchase of Bread Basket Bakery in Saratoga Springs, creating an entity that not only pays its employees competitive wages and provides free health insurance benefits but also donates all of its profits to local organizations that address food insecurity. In 2021, they duplicated this model with the purchase of Hattie’s Restaurant. That year, they also donated $5.4 million in grants and resources to 25 local nonprofits. In 2022, they registered the organization as a public foundation and purchased the historic University Club in downtown Albany, later donating its use to the newly formed Albany Black Chamber of Commerce and Social Club.
In May 2025, the organization was rebranded as Business for Good Foundation (BFGF), a 501(c)(3) public foundation. As such, it secures external donations and funding.
Its mission is focused on four key pillars: workforce development, housing attainability, economic mobility and small-business growth.
In conjunction with the rebranding, a national rollout was announced that takes the foundation’s charitable work beyond the Capital Region.
“I am committed to using my privilege for good and with today’s announcement we will be expanding our focus on a national level,” said co-founder Ed Mitzen when making the announcement. “I realized that to have the impact that we want we will need to partner with other leaders to make a difference – one person, one neighborhood and one community at a time.”
Maire Masterson was named executive director of the foundation, charged with moving it forward on the local level.
“I was drawn to this role because of the foundation’s unique mission to tackle some of our country’s largest challenges through a different way of giving back. Strengthening our inclusive partnerships while helping the organization expand its reach is a large part of what gets me up in the morning,” she said.
A resident of Saratoga Springs, she was deputy commissioner for the city’s accounts department for seven years before joining Business for Good. Her first position was director of people and culture before being named executive director.
“Naming Maire Masterson as our new executive director will strengthen our local efforts and we are confident that Maire’s passion and experience will help us build on what Ed and I started,” said Lisa Mitzen.
Recent collaborations include the Social Enterprise and Training (SEAT) Center in Schenectady, where funding helps expand its trade skills programs, such as Build Up and the Culinary Lab.
“The old stigma surrounding trade-based careers is dead, and we have to stop pretending a four-year degree is the only viable path to success,” said Masterson. “The reality is that while AI is rapidly disrupting office-based roles, it cannot replace the essential hands-on work of a skilled HVAC technician. By investing in the Build Up program we are providing young people the opportunity and tools to secure high paying, high demand careers right here in the Capital Region.”
The foundation also contributes to Vanderheyden, a private, nonprofit social services agency in North Greenbush. Funding supports special-needs workforce training at the Vandy Thrift Shoppe to equip people with the skills needed for the modern workforce. This is done in partnership with Pioneer Bank, Stewart’s Shops, M&T Bank and Broadview.
Support is also provided to You Inc.’s financial literacy initiative for small businesses through implementation of a customer relationship management (CRM) program.
Grant recipients submit applications via the organization’s online portal at bfg.org. The Business for Good Foundation’s board of directors reviews them twice annually and makes decisions based on need, impact and correlation to the foundation’s four pillars and overall mission.
A Voorheesville native, Ed Mitzen earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Syracuse University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Rochester’s Simon Business School.
He worked as a pharmaceutical representative and was vice president of product management at Cardinal Health before founding the consulting firm Creative Healthcare Solutions in 1997. In 1999, he founded the advertising agency Palio in Saratoga Springs, later selling it to inVentiv Health. He then launched Fingerpaint, an advertising and marketing firm, in 2008, serving as CEO until this year when he became a member of the board of directors.
A graduate of Hudson Falls High School, Lisa Mitzen earned an associate degree from Adirondack Community College and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in business administration with a concentration in finance from the SUNY Institute of Technology in Utica/Rome.
She worked as a teller at the First National Bank of Glens Falls during college vacations, later accepting a management position with Countrywide Home Loans. She managed sales and operations for upstate New York and Vermont.
“Our future is focused on scale and resilience,” said Masterson. “We are moving forward with a national rollout to partner with like-minded leaders across the country looking to take on the big issues alongside of us. Amidst the disruption of AI we’re actively exploring new and creative ways to build job opportunities with resilience and staying power.”
For more information about Business for Good Foundation, go to bfg.org.