Jacqueline Novogratz : Interview for the John W. Gardner Legacy Oral History Project
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- Jacqueline Novogratz, CEO of Acumen, speaks about her friendship with John W . Gardner and his role as a mentor to her. Novogratz describes her childhood, growing up in many places due to her father’s military career. She recalls meeting John W. Gardner while a student at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, and shares memories of taking classes with him. She also describes some of the ways in which Gardner advised her, including introducing her to Jing Lyman, the wife of Stanford President Dick Lyman. She reflects on her own career at Acumen and how Gardner’s philosophies and lessons still impact her work. Throughout, Novogratz shares memories of interactions with Gardner and reflects on his legacy.
Description
Type of resource | text |
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Extent | 1 text file |
Place | Stanford (Calif.) |
Publisher | Stanford Historical Society |
Date created | February 14, 2020 |
Language | English |
Digital origin | born digital |
Creators/Contributors
Interviewee | Novogratz, Jacqueline | |
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Creator | Novogratz, Jacqueline | |
Interviewer | Mancini, Nancy | |
Publisher | Stanford Historical Society |
Subjects
Subject | Gardner, John W. (John William), 1912-2002 |
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Subject | Civil Society > United States |
Subject | Stanford University. Graduate School of Business |
Genre | Interview |
Bibliographic information
Biographical Profile | In 1986, Jacqueline Novogratz quit her job on Wall Street to co-found Rwanda’s first microfinance institution, Duterimbere. The experience inspired her to write the bestseller, The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap between Rich and Poor (2009), and create Acumen. Acumen aimed to transform the world of philanthropy by looking at all human beings as members of a single, global community where everyone had the opportunity to build a life of dignity. The organization invests “Patient Capital,” capital that bridges the gap between the efficiency and scale of market-based approaches and the social impact of pure philanthropy, in entrepreneurs bringing sustainable solutions to big problems of poverty. Nineteen years later, under her leadership, Acumen has invested $128 million to build more than 128 social enterprises across Africa, Latin America, South Asia, and the United States. These companies have leveraged an additional $611 million and brought basic services like affordable education, health care, clean water, energy and sanitation to more than 260 million people. In 2015, Fast Company named Acumen one of the world’s Top 10 Most Innovative Not-for-Profits. Prior to Acumen, Novogratz founded and directed the Philanthropy Workshop and the Next Generation Leadership programs at the Rockefeller Foundation. She serves on boards of the Aspen Institute and 60 Decibels and sits on the Advisory Councils of the Harvard Business School Social Enterprise Initiative, the Oxford Said Global Leadership Council, the NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights, and UNICEF. In 2017, Forbes listed Novogratz as one of the World’s 100 Greatest Living Business Minds. Novogratz holds an MBA from Stanford and a BA in Economics and International Relations from the University of Virginia. She met John Gardner when she was a graduate student at Stanford in 1989. He became her mentor, and remained so for the rest of his life. |
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Audio |
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Finding Aid | |
Location | https://purl.stanford.edu/fv799dc0931 |
Location | SC1355 |
Repository | Stanford University. Libraries. Department of Special Collections and University Archives |
Access conditions
- Use and reproduction
- The materials are open for research use and may be used freely for non-commercial purposes with an attribution. For commercial permission requests, please contact the Stanford University Archives (universityarchives@stanford.edu).
- Copyright
- Copyright © The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. All rights reserved.
Collection
John W. Gardner Legacy Oral History Project
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