Our Founder’s Story: Get to Know the Dream and the Dreamer Behind Aileron
Clay Mathile was a visionary leader and philanthropist who spent his time, treasure, and talents improving the lives of people around the world. He had four dreams in his lifetime; Aileron is the embodiment of his third. Read on to learn more about the dreamer behind Aileron.
Our Founder’s Story: Get to Know the Dream and the Dreamer Behind Aileron
Clay Mathile was a visionary leader and philanthropist who spent his time, treasure, and talents improving the lives of people around the world. He had four dreams in his lifetime; Aileron is the embodiment of his third. Read on to learn more about the dreamer behind Aileron.
“I had four dreams in my life. The first was to own my own business, the second was that the business would stand for something. The third was to use my time and money to help entrepreneurs and pay back my mentors, and the fourth was to use technology we utilized at Iams to feed people better than we feed pets.”
Clay Mathile
“I had four dreams in my life. The first was to own my own business, the second was that the business would stand for something. The third was to use my time and money to help entrepreneurs and pay back my mentors, and the fourth was to use technology we utilized at Iams to feed people better than we feed pets.”
Clay Mathile
The origins of a dream
The seed for Clay’s dream for Aileron was planted in his childhood. He grew up in a small farming town in rural Ohio in a family that believed deeply in hard work, moral integrity, and the American dream — beliefs he would carry with him into his career as he realized his first dream and bought The Iams Company.
Clay first learned about entrepreneurship from the many small businesses in his rural farming town.
Realizing the power of professional management
After he purchased Iams, Clay sought to learn the best practices for running a business. On that journey, he found professional management — an approach to running a thriving business that focuses on sustainability, scalability, and long-term planning.
Under Clay’s leadership, Iams doubled in size every four years, scaled to become a nationally recognized household name, and fostered a people-focused culture — accomplishments Clay attributed to the organization’s focus on professional management.
Realizing the power of professional management
After he purchased Iams, Clay sought to learn the best practices for running a business. On that journey, he found professional management — an approach to running a thriving business that focuses on sustainability, scalability, and long-term planning.
Under Clay’s leadership, Iams doubled in size every four years, scaled to become a nationally recognized household name, and fostered a people-focused culture — accomplishments Clay attributed to the organization’s focus on professional management.
Giving back to the next generation of business leaders
After the sale of Iams in 1999, Clay and his wife MaryAnn set out to use their resources to give back to causes and communities that would improve lives. One of the communities they sought to uplift was business owners.
Clay was a passionate champion of America’s business owners; he believed that small- to medium-sized businesses were the backbone of the American economy, and revered individuals who had the courage to put their capital at risk to build something bigger than themselves.
Supporting business owners was not just a hope, but one of his greatest dreams in life. Clay attributed much of his entrepreneurial success to the support and guidance he received from his mentors and had a vision for continuing the cycle of giving by creating a support system for America’s business owners.
Clay with one of his mentors, Léon Danco, who helped Clay lead his family toward a dynamic wherein his family and their business could thrive.
“I have tremendous respect for the business owner. I have deep love for the business owner, and I can tell you this: there’s no greater thing you can do for this country and this society than to put your capital at risk and create jobs for other people.”
Clay Mathile
“I have tremendous respect for the business owner. I have deep love for the business owner, and I can tell you this: there’s no greater thing you can do for this country and this society than to put your capital at risk and create jobs for other people.”
Clay Mathile
Aileron’s beginnings
While the vision for what would become Aileron was born from Clay’s personal dream, he didn’t intend to build the organization on his own. Clay shared his vision with a group of trusted leaders and armed them with his four intentions for the organization: to be a trusted friend of the business owner, to develop people and businesses, to build something that would last forever, and to emphasize professional management.
Professional management had impacted Clay, Iams, and its people so profoundly, he wanted to create a way to help other business owners become professionally managed themselves. In doing so, Clay believed those business owners would run better businesses, enrich the lives of employees and their families, and fortify the nation’s economy. Aileron’s founding team set to work turning Clay’s theory into a reality.
Aileron’s beginnings
While the vision for what would become Aileron was born from Clay’s personal dream, he didn’t intend to build the organization on his own. Clay shared his vision with a group of trusted leaders and armed them with his four intentions for the organization: to be a trusted friend of the business owner, to develop people and businesses, to build something that would last forever, and to emphasize professional management.
Professional management had impacted Clay, Iams, and its people so profoundly, he wanted to create a way to help other business owners become professionally managed themselves. In doing so, Clay believed those business owners would run better businesses, enrich the lives of employees and their families, and fortify the nation’s economy. Aileron’s founding team set to work turning Clay’s theory into a reality.
“I believe that by being a trusted friend to the business owner, focusing on professional management, and becoming a sustainable organization, we will help to drive growth and development of individuals and organizations and raise the quality of life for the individual, for the community, for the country, and even the world.”
Clay Mathile
“I believe that by being a trusted friend to the business owner, focusing on professional management, and becoming a sustainable organization, we will help to drive growth and development of individuals and organizations and raise the quality of life for the individual, for the community, for the country, and even the world.”
Clay Mathile
Designed to lift lives forever
Clay’s third dream was fully realized in 2008 when Aileron became the home for a community of like-minded business leaders, professional management practitioners, and business coaches who are passionate about helping small business owners thrive.
Clay’s vision for Aileron continues to influence the organization via his Founder’s Intent: a distillation of his hopes and dreams for the organization that serve today as high-level strategic guardrails.
Embedded in his Founder’s Intent is his desire for Aileron to live forever:
“My hope is that Aileron will forever meet the needs of future generations of entrepreneurs, practicing what it preaches — using professional management to guide its mission and shape a brighter future for our communities.”
His forever-intention continues to influence Aileron’s culture, financial model, and decisions to this day. Our scalable systems, intentional governance structures, diversified financial model, and practice of professional management bolster Clay’s intent for Aileron to thrive indefinitely.
“My hope for Aileron is that it will forever meet the needs of future generations of entrepreneurs, practicing what it preaches — using professional management to guide its mission and shape a brighter future for our communities. Dream no little dreams… for they have no magic to move men’s souls.”
Clay Mathile
“My hope for Aileron is that it will forever meet the needs of future generations of entrepreneurs, practicing what it preaches — using professional management to guide its mission and shape a brighter future for our communities. Dream no little dreams… for they have no magic to move men’s souls.”
Clay Mathile
Continuing Clay’s legacy: Aileron’s community is lifting lives across America through professional management
Clay always intended for Aileron to be something bigger than himself. Today, the organization — and Clay’s dream — is perpetuated by Aileron’s community of business owners, leaders, and advocates who want to contribute to our mission. By doing the meaningful work of becoming professionally managed and supporting each other in the journey, Aileron’s community proves the power of well-run businesses to lift the lives of the people, families, and communities they touch.
Continuing Clay’s legacy: Aileron’s community is lifting lives across America through professional management
Clay always intended for Aileron to be something bigger than himself. Today, the organization — and Clay’s dream — is perpetuated by Aileron’s community of business owners, leaders, and advocates who want to contribute to our mission. By doing the meaningful work of becoming professionally managed and supporting each other in the journey, Aileron’s community proves the power of well-run businesses to lift the lives of the people, families, and communities they touch.