Acumen

WE ARE A GLOBAL COMMUNITY CHANGING THE WAY THE WORLD TACKLES POVERTY

OUR VISION

Neither the markets nor aid alone can solve the problems of poverty. More than two billion people around the world lack access to basic goods and services—from clean water and electricity to an education and the freedom to participate in the economy. We’re here to change that. Our vision is a world based on dignity, where every human being has the same opportunity. Rather than giving philanthropy away, we invest it in companies and change makers.

OUR FOUNDER
Acumen CEO and Founder, Jacqueline Novogratz’s work began in 1986 when she quit her job on Wall Street to help open Rwanda’s first microfinance institution, Duterimbere—an experience that inspired her to write the bestseller, The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap between Rich and Poor, and create Acumen. Indeed, when she founded Acumen in 2001, few had heard of the words impact investing.

WE INVEST IN BREAKTHROUGH COMPANIES

We invest in early-stage companies whose products and services enable the poor to transform their lives. We also support our companies with the tools, networks, technical assistance and strategic guidance needed to succeed and scale into long-term solutions to poverty.

WE DEVELOP LEADERS DISRUPTING POVERTY

We build leaders with the skills, determination and moral imagination to challenge the status quo. Our Fellows Program develops extraordinary individuals with the knowledge, support system and practical wisdom to unlock their full potential to drive social change.

WE CREATE PLATFORMS THAT DRIVE CHANGE

We launched +Acumen to offer world-class online courses so that anyone, anywhere can think differently, learn collaboratively and join a global community of learners and doers with a burning desire to change the world.