Jacqueline Novogratz is the Founder and CEO of Acumen, a nonprofit venture capital organization for the poor .
Prior to starting Acumen Fund, Ms. Novogratz worked at the Rockefeller Foundation, where she created The Philanthropy Workshop and The Next Generation Leadership program. She was also a Warren Weaver Fellow. Ms. Novogratz helped found a micro-finance institution for women in Rwanda and began her career in international banking with Chase Manhattan Bank.
In 2009, Ms. Novogratz published her first book, The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World. In her book, Ms. Novogratz shares her personal stories of social entrepreneurship in the social sector around the world.
Ms. Novogratz holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Virginia and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Stanford.
Acumen is a global nonprofit venture fund serving the four billion people living on less than $4 a day. The aim is to create a blueprint for building financially sustainable and scalable organizations that deliver affordable, critical goods and services that elevate the lives of the poor. They adhere to a disciplined process in selecting and managing their philanthropic investments as well as in measuring the end results. Acumen Fund supports both for-profit and nonprofit organizations that use business approaches to delivering health, housing, employment and water to the poor. The organization operates primarily in South Asia and Africa.