Jacqueline Novogratz

Jacqueline Novogratz is the founder and CEO of Acumen, a nonprofit global venture capital fund turned global organization dedicated to fighting poverty and building dignity through patient investment in companies and leaders. Under her leadership, Acumen has impacted over 650 million individuals worldwide and trained over 1,800 social enterprise builders through Acumen Academy. This initiative has given her a deep understanding of the power of social entrepreneurship, which is highlighted in her books, "The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World" and "Manifesto for a Moral Revolution: Practices to Build a Better World".

Novogratz has been involved in significant initiatives like a $250 million solar plan for Africa’s poorest nations in partnership with the world’s biggest climate fund. Acumen has committed $300 million to climate adaptation for smallholder farmers in developing countries. Her insight has been shared through various memberships in prestigious councils and boards, including the Harvard Business School Social Enterprise Initiative, UNICEF, the Aspen Institute, and the Council on Foreign Relations. Additionally, she has also appeared in interviews and articles in prominent publications such as Fortune Magazine, The New York Times, and Financial Times. She discusses topics like moral imagination in entrepreneurship, the role of impact investors and moral leadership, emphasizing the importance of storytelling in investing to achieve better business outcomes.

Novogratz's work has not gone unnoticed. She was recognized by Foreign Policy as one of the Top 100 Global Thinkers and by Forbes as one of the world’s 100 Greatest Living Business Minds. Forbes also honored her with the Forbes 400 Lifetime Achievement Award for Social Entrepreneurship. In 2023, she delivered the valedictory address at the University of Virginia, adding to her list of academic accomplishments which include honorary degrees from several institutions such as the University of Toronto, Bard College, Fordham University, the University of Notre Dame. She advocates for integrating social responsibility into business school curricula, as highlighted in her op-ed in the Financial Times. Her insights and activities are frequently featured in major media outlets like Bloomberg and Stanford Business.