Making an impact: How Hannah Whitesides bridges work with philanthropy
Driven Brands' Senior Vice President of Paint, Collision & Glass Marketing, Hannah Whitesides, bridges her work with her passion for community support.
For Hannah Whitesides, her dedication to her job and her community have always been intertwined.
In fact, Hannah, the senior vice president of paint, collision, and glass marketing, Driven Brands, credits her job with inspiring her to become active in a variety of causes, beginning with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and continuing in her work with a variety of other organizations with both local and national reach.
“Philanthropy has always been important to me, but seeing the work Driven Brands companies were doing out in the communities they served made me personally want to get more involved,” Hannah says.
Last year, when Hannah was recognized by the Charlotte Business Journal as one of its 40 Under 40 honorees for 2022, her philanthropic commitments were a standout on her application. Her contributions of time, energy, and resources have led to substantial progress for organizations that matter to Hannah, the businesses she has served and the communities in which those organizations operate.
Grassroots support for cystic fibrosis
Earlier in her automotive career, Hannah worked on the marketing team for CARSTAR Canada, where cystic fibrosis has long been the business unit’s charity of choice, for good reason. The granddaughter of a CARSTAR franchisee was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, and the community of franchisees rallied around her, launching fundraising campaigns to support her care.
When Hannah heard the story behind the CARSTAR commitment to cystic fibrosis, she wanted to do more. So, she helped make the connection to the Charlotte chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to build and expand the relationship between the organization and Driven Brands. In the process, she helped the brand raise over $500,000 to support the cause.
She was also chosen as a Charlotte STANDOUT in 2018, which recognizes Charlotte’s most active and engaged young professionals and philanthropists who have contributed positively to the work of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. She followed that up a year later by helping CARSTAR earn the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Rising Star Award and recognition as one of the largest new contributors to the cause.
“Once you get involved, hopefully you’re involved forever,” she says.
Community impact on overdrive
From there, Hannah began to consider other ways she could make a difference in the communities that Driven Brands serves. That led her to the American Cancer Society, where she was named to the board of directors and asked to help plan the Charlotte chapter’s annual gala.
Her next step was to create a new relationship between the American Cancer Society and Driven Brands. She encouraged Driven Brands to sponsor the gala and is already encouraging more young professionals within Driven Brands to become ambassadors for the American Cancer Society.
One organization particularly close to her heart is Women’s Industry Network (WIN), which has a mission to support and enhance the role of women in the collision repair industry. The relationship with the organization began when a colleague recommended she attend a WIN conference, where Hannah heard from authors and speakers about how to find her place in the still highly male-dominated automotive industry. It changed how she approached her career, and she found herself returning to the conference, year after year.
In 2022, she was asked to be a keynote speaker at that conference, and she spoke about how Driven Brands navigated the pandemic. Following that, she was asked to serve on the WIN board of directors, a group comprised of women from vendors and insurance partners and other entities that serve the auto industry.
“It’s really cool to have Driven Brands at that table,” Hannah says. “When I first started at Driven Brands, I thought, ‘I’m not a car person, but I think I can be.’ Now, hopefully I can help drive women to be interested in our industry and keep them here, advancing their careers. It’s not just about showing them the path; it’s about introducing them to opportunities they never knew existed.”
In addition to those three core organizations, Hannah has also done substantial work in support of the military, veterans, and their families, and for Meals on Wheels, an organization that seeks to address senior hunger and isolation. And she imagines there will be many more causes she’ll support in the years to come, especially when she has the full support of Driven Brands to make an impact beyond the company itself.
“Part of what's really helped me grow professionally is working for a company where the things that matter to me really matter to them and vice versa,” Hannah says. “It’s a way to be impactful outside of KPIs and data-driven work, a way to feel like you're doing great things for the place you live. It means a lot to me, and I imagine it means a lot to most people.”