for your community at the same time. nestled in the woods at doorsteps of california s majestic yosemite national park is a little mountain hideaway called the evergreen lodge. when brian anderlou and his partners discovered the historic lodge was for sale, they knew they had found the perfect place to test their vision for a new kind of company. we want to run a profitable business, but we also want to prove we can do good as part of it. the social mission was part of this from the start. reporter: their goal is to run a top-notch business that not only provides healthy returns to their investors but also helps a segment of the population often ignored. we wanted to start a business that provided job opportunities for at-risk young people from the bay area of san francisco, and we got together and crafted
after year after year and when they re not exciting anymore, they re not the hottest non-profit, a lot of them end up shutting their doors. we thought being a for-profit and having a mission ingrained made this sustainable in that you raise money once and it provides a social return forever. reporter: for most guests of the evergreen, the social venture is invisible. the lodge is simply an off the beaten path mountain retreat recommended by local travel guides. the owners have tried to keep it that way. we even heard some feedback early on saying i heard you had some hoodlums working here or something like that. so, just for us, we wanted to make sure that the business was successful and the internship runs successful. reporter: terrell fontenot is one of 11 new youth program employees starting their summer internship at the evergreen lodge. it lets me know that there is more stuff out here than just the ghetto. so, just keep my mind straight and keep me out of trouble. how d
the lodge is simply an off the beaten path mountain retreat recommended by local travel guides. the owners have tried to keep it that way. we even heard some feedback early on saying i heard you had some hoodlums working here or something like that. so, just for us, we wanted to make sure that the business was successful and the internship runs successful. reporter: terrell fontenot is one of 11 new youth program employees starting their summer internship at the evergreen lodge. it lets me know that there is more stuff out here than just the ghetto. so, just keep my mind straight and keep me out of trouble. how do you think this experience will change you? brings my hopes up to know i m doing something positive, that i can change. we change people s perceptions of how the world is. so when they succeed here, they know they can be loved and appreciated for who they are, not what they wear, not how many people they can beat up, not how much they can sell on the streets then i
and stuff like that. it s just really amazing up here. reporter: just six years ago, the evergreen lodge was a sleepy little mom-and-pop roadside motel with a couple of cabins and an 85-year history. with money provided by investors interested in the owners unique double mission of both a financial and a social return, they upgraded and expanded the lodge into a 70-room mountain resort. why did you do this? why not just run a beautiful lodge in a beautiful national park and do some good on the side when you get home at night? we ve seen that they have hard times raising money year after year after year and when they re not exciting anymore, they re not the hottest non-profit, a lot of them end up shutting their doors. we thought being a for-profit and having a mission ingrained made this sustainable in that you raise money once and it provides a social return forever. reporter: for most guests of the evergreen, the social venture is invisible.