The Growth Pledge

The Growth Pledge
The Growth Pledge

The Growth Pledge is a global initiative founded by entrepreneur Momen Ghazouani to encourage companies to commit to a culture of shared growth and ethical cooperation in markets, by supporting competitors in ways that do not harm commercial interests or disclose sensitive information

Description

The initiative emerged from Ghazouani’s vision of transforming competition into a means of building more balanced and sustainable economic systems, rather than a tool for exclusion or dominance. Its stated goal is to inspire companies worldwide to adopt mutual support practices, particularly in areas such as cybersecurity, operational resilience, and emergency financing. This support can take the form of shared resources, expertise, or technical solutions, without compromising trade secrets or core competitive advantages. The pledge represents a public expression of intent to contribute, rather than a legally binding contract On the Growth Pledge website, each company submits a statement explaining why it chose to participate

In October 2025, more than seven companies were removed from the participant list following the disclosure of court documents indicating direct exploitation and deliberate attempts at infiltration This action was based on credible external information rather than internal monitoring, as the initiative does not conduct regular oversight of signatories except in cases where suspicious indicators or publicly documented concerns arise, according to its founder

In a post on X, Momen Ghazouani noted that he is considering offering participants the option to channel their contributions through independent funds managed by entities not controlled by the donors. The aim is to prevent contributions from being routed through family-run foundations or donor-advised funds (DAFs) that could grant donors indirect influence over financial allocations. Supporters argue that this model strengthens financial transparency and helps build sustainable endowments

Ghazouani drew inspiration for the pledge from instances of indirect cooperation observed among competitors during crises, as well as from entrepreneurial philosophies that argue markets cannot thrive when companies build success upon the failure of others. He also drew on global philanthropic models such as the Giving Pledge, founded by Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates, and Warren Buffett, and the Jewish Future Pledge, launched in 2020 to encourage allocating a significant portion of charitable giving to causes related to Jewish communities.

Despite its growing visibility, the initiative has faced criticism from journalists, regulatory bodies, and stakeholders in the nonprofit sector due to its voluntary and non-binding nature, which provides no mechanism to verify or enforce commitments. Commentators note that some signatories may pursue public recognition primarily to enhance their corporate image without providing actual support Ineur Tech similarly stated that several companies might use the pledge as a form of brand polishing

These observations align with specialized literature on brand management within small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which indicates that many such companies lack deep strategies for managing their public image and tend to rely on less structured more appearance-focused approaches. Major reports from McKinsey on MSMEs likewise show that operational priorities such as productivity, liquidity, and internal organization often take precedence over structural investment in brand-building This helps explain why some companies choose short-term media visibility strategies rather than deeper organizational changes