GoDaddy’s Abbey Jacobson Talks Sustainability Strategy, Inclusive Innovation, and the Future of Responsible Business
“One thing that comes to mind — and I’m not sure how funny it is, but you can definitely look back and chuckle — is how, when I was starting out, I was very idealistic. I still am, but early on I almost treated sustainability, ESG, and purpose as a parallel track to business, instead of integrating them together… That was such an important learning for me: you really have to make that connection to get leadership on board, to engage customers and communities, and to make the business case real.”
I had the pleasure of talking with Abbey Foster Jacobson. Abbey serves as the ESG Lead at GoDaddy, where she oversees the company’s environmental, social, and governance strategy. Her role is grounded in advancing sustainable business practices and aligning corporate responsibility efforts with GoDaddy’s broader mission to empower entrepreneurs around the world. With a background that spans consulting and in-house leadership roles at major technology companies, Jacobson brings a measured and pragmatic approach to ESG, blending environmental stewardship with stakeholder-driven business development.
Born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, Jacobson’s early exposure to sustainability came from personal experience. Her parent’s work in hydroelectric development introduced her to the complex trade-offs inherent in energy infrastructure — where the promise of clean power often intersects with local environmental and community impacts. This early awareness shaped both her academic path and her professional ambitions. She pursued undergraduate and master’s degrees focused on sustainability, with an eye toward integrating responsible growth strategies into the corporate world.
Jacobson began her career in consulting, gaining experience across sectors and deepening her understanding of how ESG principles could be operationalized in diverse business contexts. Her transition into the tech industry marked a pivotal shift. At Equinix, a global digital infrastructure provider, she helped steer sustainability initiatives within an energy-intensive sector. There, she contributed to the company’s issuance of green bonds — financial instruments used to fund environmentally responsible projects — highlighting how ESG considerations can intersect with financial strategy. The experience underscored her belief in the business value of sustainability, not just as a regulatory requirement but as a driver of trust and operational efficiency.
Her next move brought her to Robinhood, where she encountered a different model: a mission-driven fintech company aimed at democratizing finance. At Robinhood, she saw firsthand how ESG could support a brand built on accessibility and equity. The alignment of social impact with business goals reinforced her view that ESG is most effective when integrated into a company’s core mission.
Jacobson joined GoDaddy with the aim of advancing that integration. In her current role, she leads the company’s ESG program and plays a central role in its social impact efforts. One of the flagship initiatives adjacent to her role is Empower by GoDaddy, a program designed to support aspiring entrepreneurs — particularly those from historically underserved communities — by providing digital tools, training, and resources to help them launch and scale their businesses. The program, delivered in partnership with local nonprofit organizations, reflects GoDaddy’s emphasis on inclusivity and grassroots engagement.
Environmental goals remain a central focus for Jacobson. Under her leadership, GoDaddy has set an ambitious target to reduce its scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2030, using 2019 as a baseline. By the end of 2024, the company had already achieved an 88% reduction, underscoring its commitment to decoupling business growth from environmental impact. Jacobson attributes this progress to cross-functional collaboration and a strategy centered on energy efficiency, renewable energy sourcing, and long-term sustainability planning.
She maintains that inclusive and environmentally responsible practices are not only ethically necessary but also economically sound. In a global, competitive marketplace, she argues, diverse teams and sustainable operations provide a strategic advantage — enabling better decision-making and more responsive innovation. A guiding principle in her work is the idea of “shared value,” which seeks to align shareholder interests with broader social and environmental benefits. Rather than viewing ESG as a peripheral or compliance-driven function, Jacobson positions it as a strategic lens for more effective decision-making. GoDaddy’s sustainability reporting exemplifies this approach, aiming to increase transparency while reinforcing the company’s values to customers, investors, and employees.
Jacobson’s approach to purpose-driven leadership is grounded in five core principles: authentic purpose, leadership commitment, stakeholder-centered design, integrated metrics, and adaptability. These elements, she argues, are essential for any company aiming to build long-term trust and resilience. At GoDaddy, these values are reflected in both policy and practice — from the development of AI-powered small business tools to the metrics used in annual impact reporting.
Through her leadership, Jacobson has positioned GoDaddy as a case study in how ESG can function as a strategic enabler rather than a reactive compliance measure. She continues to share updates and insights through GoDaddy’s sustainability platform and public reporting, inviting broader dialogue on the evolving role of business in shaping inclusive and sustainable futures.
Yitzi: Abbey, it’s a delight and an honor to meet you. Before we dive in deep, our readers would love to learn about Abbey Foster Jacobson’s personal origin story. Can you share with us the story of your childhood, how you grew up?
Abbey: Great to meet you as well. Glad to be chatting with you today. I can share a little bit about my background and, if it’s helpful, how I ended up where I am today at GoDaddy. I grew up in Vancouver, Canada, and completed both my undergraduate and master’s degrees in the sustainability space.
What really informed my journey was the fact that I had a parent who worked in hydroelectric development, which is important in Canada but also comes with some real-world trade-offs. I learned from a young age that these types of clean technologies can have environmental and community impacts. But if managed appropriately, those impacts can be mitigated and even turned into opportunities.
That awareness really shaped my path — through school and into my career — where I’ve focused on helping companies grow in a responsible and resilient way. I’ve always looked for opportunities to make an impact beyond the bottom line.
I started out in consulting, which gave me great depth and breadth of experience. Since then, I’ve transitioned into in-house roles in the tech sector, working to embed ESG — environmental, social, and governance — into the DNA of the business.
Yitzi: Amazing. Can you share with us the story of how you ended up at GoDaddy?
Abbey: Sure. As I mentioned, that early framing shaped both my education and my early career. Before GoDaddy, I worked in consulting and then moved in-house. I first joined Equinix, a global data center and digital infrastructure company, where sustainability was mission critical. Data centers are a hot topic these days because of their massive energy demands. At Equinix, ESG was a top priority — not just for customers, but also for shareholders and employees. I got to see firsthand how a strong strategy could build stakeholder trust, drive shareholder confidence, and improve operational efficiency.
Then I had my first taste of a purpose-driven business model at Robinhood, which was awesome. I saw how important it was to embed sustainability in a company focused on democratizing finance. That experience reinforced the importance of aligning ESG with a company’s mission.
So, joining GoDaddy felt like a natural next step. It was exciting to see a company so committed to empowering entrepreneurs. It felt like a perfect intersection of my previous experience — combining ESG work in mission-driven organizations with a broader impact.
Now, I lead ESG at GoDaddy, where it plays a critical role in advancing the company’s mission to empower entrepreneurs and make opportunity more inclusive for all. It’s been a bit of a winding journey, but all the pieces have really come together to bring me to where I am today.
Yitzi: You probably have some amazing stories from your different experiences at these august companies. Can you share with our readers one or two stories that stand out most in your mind from your professional life?
Abbey: There are so many. I’m trying to think of the most impactful stories. What really stood out to me, particularly at Equinix — because, as I mentioned, ESG and sustainability were so critical to their business — they operate around the world, similar to GoDaddy, with a massive footprint and such diverse stakeholders. You really need to take a conscious approach to how you’re doing business and ensure that everything has that lens of ESG and purpose in each decision you’re making.
One thing that I thought was particularly unique at Equinix was the opportunity where there was a very clear connection between business growth and ESG — responsible business. While I was there, I supported their inaugural green bonds, which are a way to leverage debt markets to build or refinance projects. There’s a business driver associated with them, but there’s also that overlap in the Venn diagram where it’s not only a business driver, but also a chance to put that money toward green projects that qualify under the bond.
That experience really crystallized for me the idea that there are opportunities that are clearly good for business and good for the environment and the communities where we operate. That perspective is something I’ve taken with me to GoDaddy as well. I’ve continued to seek out opportunities where we can add business value while making sure we’re operating responsibly and creating positive environmental and social impact. That was definitely one of the coolest experiences I had in a prior role.
Yitzi: It’s been said that sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Do you have a story about a funny mistake you made when you were first starting your career, and the lesson you learned from it?
Abbey: That’s a great question. There are many. We’ve all made plenty of mistakes along the way as we’ve grown and evolved.
One thing that comes to mind — and I’m not sure how funny it is, but you can definitely look back and chuckle — is how, when I was starting out, I was very idealistic. I still am, but early on I almost treated sustainability, ESG, and purpose as a parallel track to business, instead of integrating them together.
Looking back, there are so many presentations or opportunities where I didn’t make that connection super clear. And sometimes, as a result, you don’t get the buy-in you need. That was such an important learning for me: you really have to make that connection to get leadership on board, to engage customers and communities, and to make the business case real. Without that, it’s hard to create a sustained, lasting impact.
I’m sure I have plenty of humorous stories too — many fumbles while presenting and all the usual things that happen when you’re just starting out — but that’s the one that stands out as a real turning point in how I approach this work.
Yitzi: Abbey, you have so much impressive work. Can you share with our readers the exciting initiatives you and GoDaddy are working on now?
Abbey: We have many different, wonderful initiatives that are particularly purpose-driven. One that I’d really love to highlight is the Empower by GoDaddy program, which we’ve been running for a number of years. I’ll share why I think it’s so impactful, but first, let me tell you a bit about what the program is.
Empower by GoDaddy is our signature social impact program focused on helping emerging entrepreneurs build and grow their businesses online. It’s directly connected to our purpose and to our business. The program aims to foster an inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystem and supports entrepreneurs of all ages, especially those who have historically lacked resources or faced barriers to participation.
The Empower program partners with well-established nonprofits and community organizations to deliver materials and coursework. It’s specifically designed to provide training on everything entrepreneurs need to get their businesses online — marketing, website building, AI-driven content creation, which is especially important in today’s world.
On top of that, we offer in-kind product donations to help these entrepreneurs boost their businesses. It’s a really robust program tailored to the local communities where these entrepreneurs operate. It also promotes a sense of community and connection among entrepreneurs facing similar challenges.
But it’s more than just philanthropy. This program is deeply tied to our purpose as a business — equipping entrepreneurs with the tools they need to succeed while building a more sustainable and inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem. It’s one of the programs our employees love to participate in, and we feature it in our sustainability report and in various blog posts throughout the year.
On the environmental side, which is also a big part of my work, we’ve committed to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. Like any responsible company, we want to minimize our impact wherever possible. We’ve taken a proactive approach to reduce our scope one and two emissions — those that come directly from GoDaddy operations.
We’ve set an ambitious target to reduce our emissions by 90% by 2030 from a 2019 baseline. The goal is really to decouple emissions from growth so we can continue expanding our impact and serving more entrepreneurs globally while managing our environmental footprint. We’re prioritizing energy efficiency, renewable energy, and the responsible use of our technologies to ensure we grow in a responsible way.
This initiative is cross-functional, and it’s great to see how everyday decisions across the business tie into it. At the end of last year, we achieved an 88% reduction — so we’re almost there. The last few percentage points are always the most challenging, but we’re proud of the progress.
Yitzi: For the sake of articulating it to our readers, can you explain what ESG is and how that’s different or broader than DEI?
Abbey: The work I do each day at GoDaddy is focused on appropriately managing our environmental, social, and governance risks and opportunities. It’s specifically about ensuring we’re adding value not just for shareholders, but also creating shared value — making sure that customers, communities, and the environment are all benefiting from what we do.
We take a very business-focused approach to this work while also furthering our purpose of making opportunity more inclusive for all. At GoDaddy, we have a program called Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, which focuses on attracting, retaining, and developing top talent. We have a number of great programs that support this, like our employee resource groups. There are lots of acronyms, but these groups really foster a sense of inclusion and community among our employees.
There’s a lot of overlap between DEI and ESG, but at GoDaddy, we’re especially focused on inclusion because it supports our mission of making opportunity more inclusive for all. We highlight this every year in our annual sustainability report, showing how we’re creating opportunity not only for all the stakeholders we serve but also for our employees every day.
Yitzi: Lately there’s been some pushback against the ideas of DEI and even ESG. I think the “S” Social, in ESG is related to DEI. Can you explain why that pushback is misguided? Why are the ideas of inclusion and plurality really important for a business?
Abbey: We actually shared this in our annual sustainability report: the concept of inclusion — making sure employees feel valued and can do their best work every day — is a key business driver. It helps attract and retain top talent and ensures we have teams that represent diverse perspectives from around the world and different communities. That’s essential for building the best products and services to serve our customers.
At GoDaddy, we truly believe in inclusion and in making sure that everything we do for our employees supports them in bringing their full selves to work. When that happens, they’re better able to build products and services that meet the needs and expectations of stakeholders across the globe, who come from all kinds of backgrounds. There’s a natural alignment between fostering inclusion inside a company and striving to make opportunity more inclusive for all through the products and services we offer.
Yitzi: In a similar vein, can you explain why being mindful of environmental impact and sustainability is also essential for a company’s bottom line?
Abbey: Definitely. I think people often assume that environmental initiatives and inclusion are on a separate track from core business strategy, when in fact they’re integrated and can be major value drivers. It’s important to highlight that.
For example, when we look at our greenhouse gas emissions reduction target and our broader efforts to operate responsibly across all our global footprints, that doesn’t just help reduce our impact — which is critically important for earning stakeholder trust — but it also drives operational efficiency. It ensures we’re using resources wisely, and that can lead to cost savings.
So there’s a real business incentive to think critically about the inputs you’re using. Minimizing impact is obviously important, but so is the efficiency and cost benefit that comes with it. It’s a great example of shared value — a win-win situation.
Yitzi: Can you share an example of a tough decision where you or your team chose to prioritize purpose over profit? Do you have a scenario where you had to make a tough decision between your values or ESG goals and the demands of your stakeholders or shareholders?
Abbey: I think that’s an interesting question. The way we’ve approached our strategy is that the purpose-driven nature of our business — to empower entrepreneurs everywhere and make opportunity more inclusive for all — along with our ESG strategy that supports that, has been very intentional about prioritizing initiatives. These are identified through what we call a double materiality assessment, which helps us pinpoint the topics and priorities that matter most to and have the greatest impact on our stakeholders. That’s a best practice in the ESG space.
We’ve been really fortunate in that we haven’t often had to make those trade-offs. Because we’ve taken such a robust approach upfront, we’ve been able to consistently move forward with initiatives and make decisions that address both our purpose and our profit goals. That was very intentional in how we designed our ESG work and our efforts around inclusion. It’s all focused on the concept of shared value.
So, we’re not constantly facing the kind of trade-offs that other businesses might, especially where ESG is more of a side initiative or an add-on. In those cases, ESG can end up misaligned with the overall business purpose or strategy, and that’s when tough decisions come into play. But for us, that alignment has been key. It’s allowed us to continue driving this work forward without having to choose one priority over the other.
Yitzi: This is the centerpiece of our interview. Based on your experience and your research, can you share five things that you need to create a successful purpose-driven business?
Abbey: I think that’s a really interesting question.
- If you ask five different people, you’d probably get five different answers. But from what I’ve seen in the organizations I’ve worked for — and especially during my time at GoDaddy — the thing that has resonated most is authentic purpose. Purpose has to be real and rooted in who you are as a company. It needs to reflect the values your employees, customers, and communities actually hold. Otherwise, it’s just purpose on the side.
- The second is leadership commitment. I think it’s absolutely critical, and we’ve seen that at GoDaddy. Purpose starts at the top. Leaders need to consistently model the values and integrate purpose into every business decision. It needs to be a lens through which you’re making decisions. That really resonates across an organization when there’s a clear North Star.
- The third is stakeholder-centered design. One thing I think some companies still need to focus on is listening deeply. GoDaddy has done a wonderful job with that. We hold events where we specifically invite customers to speak directly with leaders and executives. That gives us firsthand knowledge and helps us understand exactly what the people we’re serving are aspiring to, what they’re trying to achieve, and we integrate that into our decisions. Purpose-driven businesses always need to be audience-first.
- The fourth is integrated metrics. You have to measure things in order to manage them. If you’re not tying your purpose to performance indicators and tracking it rigorously, there’s going to be a gap. At GoDaddy, we use those metrics to build trust and sharpen our focus each year.
- The fifth — and this is so important, especially as the world continues to evolve and expectations shift — is continuous evolution. Purpose can’t be static. As the world changes, companies need to keep learning and evolving to stay relevant and responsive.
Together, I think those are five key steps. I could probably come up with more, but at GoDaddy, we’ve done a great job of hitting those five. I think it really comes through in the products and services we bring to market, especially with something like GoDaddy Airo, which is one of our newer, exciting AI-enabled products. It helps entrepreneurs get online more easily, and I think that speaks to how closely we listen to our customers’ pain points. We’ve been able to make it even easier for people to grow and start their businesses.
Yitzi: How can an entrepreneur get involved in your new initiatives? Can they sign up somewhere, or do they have to connect with the local nonprofit that you’re already partnered with?
Abbey: GoDaddy Airo is our technology that’s available for purchase to anyone, and it’s available directly through our website.
The Empower by GoDaddy program — yes, I know there’s a lot of similar-sounding terminology — is offered through nonprofit organizations in local communities. It’s a fairly large program with a lot of different offerings.
Yitzi: Amazing. This is our final aspirational question. Abbey, because of your amazing work and the platform you’ve built, you’re a person of enormous influence. If you could spread an idea, put out an idea, or inspire a movement that would bring the most good to the most people, what would that be?
Abbey: That’s a great question. If I could wave a magic wand, my ideal movement would be to build a future where sustainable entrepreneurship is accessible to everyone. Every person, regardless of background, income, or geography, would have the opportunity to start and grow a business that not only supports their livelihood and unlocks self-sufficiency, but also contributes to the well-being of their community and the planet. Bringing together economic empowerment grounded in responsibility is what I believe unlocks inclusive and lasting impact.
Yitzi: So beautiful. Abbey, this has been an amazing conversation. How can our readers continue to follow your work? How can they learn more or engage with any of your initiatives? And how can they support what you’re doing in any way?
Abbey: Certainly. We share a lot of great information publicly. First and foremost, you can learn about GoDaddy’s ESG and sustainability work at www.godaddy.com/godaddyforgood, where we publish our annual sustainability report. The report covers our impact strategy, goals, ESG work, and the Empower program. We also highlight entrepreneurs and share info on our products and services on LinkedIn and through our blog. There’s a lot of helpful content out there, and we really encourage folks to explore the resources we make available to entrepreneurs everywhere.
Yitzi: Amazing, Abbey. Thank you so much for your time and your thoughtful, wise responses. I wish you continued success and good health, and I hope we can do this again next year.
Abbey: Thank you so much. It was really great speaking with you, and likewise.
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