I met the CEO of Acumen, Jacqueline Novogratz, at the Skoll World Forum and was inspired, as many are, by her work with Acumen, which she founded in 2001 after leaving a career in international banking. Acumen raises charitable donations to invest in companies, leaders, and ideas that are changing the way the world tackles poverty, and I am delighted to serve on its board.
I encourage you to read Jacqueline's book, The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World, and to watch one of her powerful TED Talks at TED.com. Here is a talk she gave at TEDWomen, a conference that I co-curate with TED, about living a life of purpose: