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Two leading change-maker powerhouses – CARE USA and Marcum LLP's Nonprofit and Social Sector Practice – both of which set their sights on reducing poverty and social injustice in the world – joined forces Thursday with Be Fearless author Jean Case for a workshop on how to get it done.
Author Jean Case (right) with Sherrie Beckstead
(Photo by: Neshan H. Naltchayan)
Author Jean Case (right) with Sherrie Beckstead
At the inaugural “Social Investors Day,” some 80 leaders in the field discussed how to reduce poverty and advance economic rights.
There were no cliffs to drive off of, nor flaming skyscrapers to scale, nor any dice to roll.
Instead, taking professional chances in life and doing good was a theme of the day.
Author Jean Case, the first woman chair of the National Geographic Board of Trustees, advocates for the importance of wrapping one’s arms around the idea of a bold, audacious approach to whatever one wants to do.
“I am always inspired by people who challenge themselves and those around them by asking the question: ‘What would you do if you weren’t afraid?’” She is CEO of the Case Foundation which invests in individuals, nonprofits and social enterprises aiming to connect people, increase giving and strengthen civic action.
Washington Diplomat Managing Editor Anna Gawel (left) chats with Jean Case
(Photo by: Neshan H. Naltchayan)
Washington Diplomat Managing Editor Anna Gawel (left) chats with Jean Case
Tom Raffa, a pioneer in social enterprise and a founder of Marcum’s Nonprofit and Social Sector Group, told the audience: “Social enterprise is one of the most powerful tools available to make progress on the most challenging issues we face in the U.S. and around the globe. Firm co-founder Kathy Raffa as well as team leaders Rich Tafel and Tony Raffa helped lead the event.
“CARE has one of the largest pipelines of social enterprises advancing women and girls globally, and we are very proud to support these innovative efforts,” said Tom Raffa.
The nonprofit community increasingly relies on market-based solutions, both domestically and worldwide, as a tool in solving the most intractable economic and social problems. Raffa-Marcum is a principal go-to partner helping mission-based organizations and socially directed businesses achieve success.
CARE's Beth Solomon, managing director for external affairs & development (left) with one of participants Emira Woods
(Photo by: Neshan H. Naltchayan)
CARE's Beth Solomon, managing director for external affairs & development (left) with one of participants Emira Woods
By helping nonprofits and socially directed businesses define goals, reduce risks, solve problems, and maximize outcomes on a wide array of mission-critical functions, Marcum helps the social sector innovate collaborative solutions scaled to the needs of individuals, communities, and society as a whole.
Another speaker, CARE Social Ventures CEO Mark Muckerheide, said: “We can’t make the progress we need in reducing global poverty without leveraging market mechanisms.
“Experts of the caliber brought together by Marcum – Raffa are the key to unlocking the power of these tools to build the peaceful and just world we all desire.”
CARE, led by CEO Michelle Nunn, is known as one of the most innovative leaders in the international development sphere.
Participants at the Social Investors Day voted to highlight what they felt were very effective ventures around the world. Getting special praise was The Cooperative Fund, which provides access to loans to smallholder farms in the Republic of Georgia. Without this program, these farms could have no access to the capital they need to move out of poverty.
Innovator Linda Harper asks key questions
(Photo by: Neshan H. Naltchayan)
Innovator Linda Harper asks key questions
Among the judges or "Innovation Leaders" attending Social Investors Day were Bill Novelli, founder, Georgetown University McDonough School of Business Global Social Enterprise Initiative; Lex Sant, President, Summit Foundation; Emira Woods, Trustee, Wallace Global Fund; Amb. Harry Thomas Jr., Yale Jackson Institute for Global Affairs; Khlood Al Hagar of the National Endowment for Democracy; Katherine Klein, Edward H. Bowman Professor of Management at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania; Mark Birmingham of the Bainum Family Foundation; Steve O'Connor of the Mortgage Bankers Association; Sherrie D. Beckstead, principal of Liljenquist & Beckstead Jewelers; Flicks4Change charitable activist Barbara Hawthorn; Anna Gawel, Managing Editor, The Washington Diplomat; Hussein Hirji, Economic Counsellor, Embassy of Canada; Amb. Abdulwahab Alhajjri of Alternative Tracks Consulting, and Linda Harper, Board of Directors, International Student House.
In a tangential development, Jean Case’s husband billionaire Steve Case was profiled on CBS’s 60 minutes on Sunday, where he said that not enough venture capitalist money is spent in the middle of the country. So, he is touring mid-America on a special bus in search of start-up companies and fresh ideas.
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