Mark Golden grew up with paints all around him. His father started a paint supply business in the 1930’s in NYC frequented by William de Kooning and Jackson Pollock. Following in his footsteps, Golden started Golden Artist Colors. As CEO, he re-imagined a new company based on delighting customers and sustainability, from its waste management practices to being an employee-owned company (ESOP). With an artist-in-residence program and philanthropic commitment, Golden has created a winning formula.

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In this podcast, calling in from a farm in upstate New York, a small town called New Berlin, population 2700, which also happens to be their corporate HQ, he talks about the opportunities and challenges in running a small business and what it takes to steer the ship. For Golden, his business is more than materials for artists, “colors are a catalyst, bridging creative communities and inspiring positive global change through the arts, recognizing that we do have a voice.” Mark Golden received the 1996 Small Business Person of the Year from the US Small Business Administration. Golden Artist Colors was featured on the NBC Nightly News as a successful small business.