Isaac Cohen

Isaac Cohen is a visionary leader, AI expert, and founder of ManyMangoes—a company driving innovation in sales, marketing, and talent acquisition using AI. Homeless as a teen, Isaac defied the odds, becoming SAP’s youngest executive by age 24 and securing over $100M in contract value. Since founding ManyMangoes, he’s scaled the business globally, serving Fortune 50 clients and doubling revenue annually. More than just a tech firm, ManyMangoes is a force for good—planting millions of trees, supporting clean water initiatives, and advancing digital education. Isaac now leads a 300-person team and continues to challenge what’s possible in tech and purpose-driven business.

What does it take to rise from homelessness to global impact?

In this compelling episode of Talking with the Experts, Rose Davidson sits down with Isaac Cohen, founder of ManyMangoes—a business that marries AI innovation with deep-rooted social change.

At just 16, Isaac was homeless. By 24, he had become SAP’s youngest executive, closing over $100M in contracts. Today, he leads a 300-person team delivering AI-powered solutions in marketing, sales, and recruitment for Fortune 50 companies. But Isaac isn’t just about profit—his company has become a beacon of social entrepreneurship, planting millions of trees, providing clean water, and building education tech around the world.

This episode explores how AI can transform business operations while aligning with purpose. Isaac shares his journey, his systems, and his belief that entrepreneurs can scale their businesses while making a difference.

If you’re a business owner, marketer, or mission-driven leader, this conversation is your invitation to think bigger—and more ethically.

🎧 Listen now on Talking with the Experts and visit ManyMangoes.com to explore Isaac’s work.

✅ Three Key Takeaways

1. How AI can amplify growth for entrepreneurs and small businesses
2. The role of social impact in sustainable business models
3. Real-world strategies for resilience, scaling, and innovation

Isaac Cohen’s Background

• Isaac Cohen was homeless at the age of 16 during the 2008 GFC.
• Isaac’s parents lived separately, with their dad in Japan and mom elsewhere.
• Isaac worked various jobs including roofing, bricklaying, fishmonger, and welding before finding their passion.
• Isaac became SAP’s youngest executive by 24, closing over $100 million in contract value.

Isaac Cohen’s Career and Achievements

• Isaac launched Many Mangoes in 2018, scaling it to serve Fortune 50 clients and doubling revenue year over year.
• During the pandemic, Isaac transformed Many Mangoes into a social enterprise, focusing on initiatives like planting trees, providing clean drinking water, and building education-focused technology.
• Isaac currently leads a 300-person team and continues to innovate in AI, business, and global impact.

Sales and Marketing Strategies

• Isaac started in door-to-door sales, which helped develop thick skin and a strong work ethic.
• Isaac’s first quarter at SAP achieved 1,200% of targets, and the year ended at 700% due to constant hunting and a different work ethic.
• Isaac believes that sales principles are universal, regardless of the product or market.

AI and Engagement Mapping in Business

• Isaac believes generative AI is the most powerful technology to impact the business world.
• Generative AI can redesign every best practice and tool in business, particularly in sales, marketing, and recruitment.
• AI allows for hyper-personalized conversations at scale, making traditional sales and recruitment methods obsolete.
• Isaac predicts that companies not adopting generative AI will struggle to remain competitive.

Practical Applications of AI

• Isaac discusses using AI in marketing, sales, and recruitment to create personalized engagement strategies.
• AI can analyze large amounts of data to find reasons to engage with potential clients, leading to more effective sales pitches.
• Isaac mentions the use of AI in gaming to create items based on player requests, highlighting its versatility across industries.

Agents and Automation in Business

• Isaac talks about configuring agents to perform tasks autonomously, creating a swarm of agents that can operate like a department.
• These agents can be designed to handle various business functions, leading to increased efficiency and productivity.
• Isaac mentions an upcoming project in Japan to digitize fax-based operations using generative AI.

Lessons from Scaling Many Mangoes

• Isaac emphasizes the importance of failing fast to iterate quickly and stay competitive.
• Finding reliable and experienced team members, whom Isaac calls ‘diamonds,’ is crucial for scaling a business.
• Isaac advises against micromanaging and encourages trusting team members to deliver high-quality results.

Social Enterprise and Global Impact

• Isaac believes in the concept of doing good business, where profit and global impact can coexist.
• Many Mangoes collects ocean plastic for every LinkedIn follower and recycles it into products, creating businesses for local communities.
• Isaac encourages businesses to make a positive impact, no matter how small, as it can lead to significant changes and personal fulfillment.

• Isaac Cohen’s journey from being homeless at 16 to becoming a global innovator and AI strategist is discussed.
• Isaac Cohen emphasizes the importance of thick skin and a strong work ethic developed through door-to-door sales.
• Isaac Cohen discusses how AI and engagement mapping are transforming sales, marketing, and recruitment.
• Isaac Cohen explains the use of generative AI in creating hyper-personalized conversations at scale in sales, marketing, and recruitment.
• Isaac Cohen predicts the adoption of AI agents in businesses, leading to significant efficiency and productivity gains.
• Isaac Cohen shares two key lessons from scaling Many Mangoes: failing fast and finding dependable team members.
• Isaac Cohen advocates for businesses to drive profit and global impact simultaneously through social enterprises.
• Isaac Cohen encourages making a positive impact through simple actions, which can lead to continuous positive contributions.

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