Jacqueline Novogratz On Cultivating Moral Imagination, Practicing Courage & Pursuing Work With No End

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Jan 24, 2022

Jacqueline Novogratz, Founder and CEO of Acumen, shares her remarkable journey from Wall Street to pioneering impact investing aimed at alleviating poverty. She emphasizes the power of moral imagination and patient capital in fostering lasting change. The discussion highlights the importance of investing in entrepreneurs, the need for accountability in philanthropy, and how humility can drive impactful leadership. Novogratz advocates for solutions that empower rather than create dependency, calling for a collaborative approach to tackling global challenges.

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ANECDOTE

COP26 Experience

Jacqueline Novogratz attended COP26 and found it grueling but also exhilarating and frustrating.
She aimed to include the poor in climate conversations and secure funding for Acumen's work on electrifying Africa.

INSIGHT

Shifting Investment Focus

While more people recognize that unbridled capitalism is flawed, changing systems with appropriate capital remains challenging.
It's now easier to demonstrate the need for problem-focused investments rather than traditional models.

INSIGHT

Transcending Binary Thinking

Jacqueline Novogratz emphasizes transcending binary thinking (e.g., capitalism vs. socialism) to solve global issues.
A systems approach, involving on-the-ground immersion, is crucial for understanding and addressing complex problems.

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We all want to positively change the world. But where do you start?

Today’s guest—a woman who has made an extraordinary impact on improving the lives of millions of people across the developing world—has dedicated the better part of her life to answering this question with actionable, sustainable solutions.

Meet Jacqueline Novogratz.

A former investment banker, Jacqueline walked away from Wall Street back in 1986 to co-found Rwanda’s first microfinance institution. Today she is the founder and CEO of Acumen,a novel, non-profit financial organization she conceived in 2001 that blends philanthropy with venture capital to invest in people, companies, and ideas solving the toughest issues of poverty. As a pioneer of impact investing, Acumen and its investments have brought critical services like healthcare, education, and clean energy to literally hundreds of millions of low-income people throughout the world.

In addition to having four TED Talks under her belt, Jacqueline is also the New York Times bestselling author of The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World and her most recent book, Manifesto for a Moral Revolution, which delves into our pressing need to reimagine and rebuild new systems, and where to begin.

Today she shares her powerful story.

This is a deeply thoughtful conversation about what is actually required to change the world.

It’s about the importance of cultivating moral imagination. Something called patient capital. And the humility and hard-edged hope necessary to tackle gigantic problems.

It’s also a conversation about listening, immersion, asking questions, and the importance of transcending dualistic, non-binary thinking—skills critical to eradicating poverty, solving our planet’s biggest problems, and empowering those most in need.

To read more, click here. You can also watch it all go down on YouTube. And as always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

As you will soon discover, Jacqueline is wise and deeply soulful. I aspire to this new friend’s level of service—an example for us all.

Peace + Plants,

Rich