A popular restaurant in Philadelphia's University of Pennsylvania area, the White Dog Café is well-known for its commitment to social responsibility as well as its food. Since opening in 1983, the White Dog has become a Philadelphia institution, known and valued for the social and environmental activism of Judy Wicks, its founder and owner.

The business is dedicated to environmental responsibility (it was the first business in Pennsylvania to purchase 100 percent of its electricity from wind power sources), pays a living wage to employees, and sources food from local farms where meat and poultry are raised humanely.

The café hosts educational events on social issues and organizes public service work, including a trip to New Orleans with 35 customers and staff, who provided assistance after Hurricane Katrina.

In addition to the restaurant itself, Wicks started the White Dog Café Foundation, whose mission is to help build a local living economy in the Greater Philadelphia region. The Foundation is funded by 20 percent of White Dog Café profits, grants from other foundations, and customers who like contributing to local community causes.

"I joke that I'm not really a restaurant business, but use good food to lure innocent customers into social activism," says Wicks. "By taking a stand and leading with our values, we've cultivated passionate, loyal customers and great word of mouth by people who feel emotionally connected to our business," she adds.

"I've built a very successful business, and garnered great community exposure, because I run my business for the benefit of the common good as opposed to pure profit," says Wicks. "You can, in fact, use the market as a vehicle for serving humanity."