Sam Adiv: The Culture You Build Is the Company You Become

Building Community. Leading with Intention. Staying Human in the Age of AI. In this episode of Growing with Purpose, Jean Moncrieff speaks with Sam Adiv, Founder and CEO of OpenTent and the Community Builder Group, about creating a company rooted in relationships, meaningful rituals and genuine community. Sam shares how his original plan to become a rabbi unexpectedly led him into entrepreneurship. After teaching himself Salesforce to support a community-building nonprofit, he began helping other organizations improve their systems. What started as a side project grew into OpenTent, where Sam found a new way to combine technology, leadership and community building. He also shares the intentional rhythms that keep his remote team connected, why rest is built into the company calendar and how OpenTent turned a major client mistake into an opportunity to strengthen trust. Jean and Sam explore hiring for context rather than simply seeking “A players,” choosing the right company size and building a business that can operate without its founder. They also discuss navigating AI with creativity rather than fear and why relationships, trust, imagination and leadership will remain powerful differentiators as technology changes how we work. Key themes include: Building culture through rhythms and rituals Creating connection within remote teams Turning mistakes into stronger client relationships Hiring for organizational fit Choosing quality over growth for growth’s sake Building a company that can operate without its founder Staying human and creative in the age of AI