Acumen Fund's origin story told through the diverse voices in our community.Uploaded on Nov 12, 2011

Learn more about the Acumen Fund Fellows Program here. www.acumenfund.org/fellows.html

Uploaded on Sep 30, 2010

Olympic Gold Medal Winner Jill Savery talks about her career in the field of sustainability, particularly sporting events and sports.  She is the Head of Sustainability for the America's Cup Event Authority. Her professional experience includes supporting sporting organizations such as the United States Olympic Committee, the London 2012 Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, the Chicago 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games bid team, the England 2018 FIFA World CupTM bid team, and several municipalities in the United States to embed sustainability into operations.

Throughout her life she has coached and mentored athletes for over two decades. Savery earned a Master’s Degree in Environmental Management from Yale University, and a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of California at Berkeley. In 1996, Savery won an Olympic gold medal in synchronized swimming, and was later inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

Savery speaks frequently on the topic of sustainability and sport to national and international audiences. Her new book co-edited with Dr. Keith Gilbert, titled Sustainability and Sport, is a first of its kind look at this emerging field. Click image to order from Amazon or visit your local bookstore.

Jill was interviewed by Ruth Ann Barrett of EarthSayers.tv with the support of David and Mary Kay Okimoto in September, 2013 at the finals of the America's Cup races in San Francisco, California, USA.

Inspired by the idea that "when one teaches, many learn," Ryland King, a 2012 Brower Youth Award Winner, founded Environmental Education for the Next Generation, a program that recruits college students to teach elementary school kids about our environment. King wanted to "promote sustainable action throughout communities, from the youngest members of society up" and so he designed an eight-week curriculum for college students to teach first and second graders. The curriculum, which is aligned with the California State Board of Education's content standards, includes topics like "The Importance of Bees," "Composting," and "Water Conservation." In less than three years, 400 college student volunteers have taught more than 3,000 elementary school students in 200 classrooms across California. King hopes that by 2015 college students will be teaching at least 14,000 elementary school students a year.

Why is it so hard to give it back? Citizen dividends in oil rich countries. Johnny West is a social entrepreneur and writer with 20 years professional experience in and around the oil industry. He began covering energy markets as a Reuters correspondent in the Middle East in the early 1990s.  He is founder of OpenOil and a transparency activist.

This is the question that inspired SaraJoy Pond in her work as founder of the tippingbucket.org. You will find her story inspiring and motivating.
Tipping Bucket is a fresh approach to changing the world. They are a social venture that's redefining traditional deep-pocket philanthropy, busting it open for all who want to make the world a better place—not just the wealthy and powerful. We provide an adaptive, open platform that enables us to
1. Build a community of engaged donors who leverage their financial, human and social capital for social good. 2. Seek out and mentor promising social change agents and support their projects with the holistic capital they need to succeed. 3. Deliver accessible corporate social responsibility initiatives that raise awareness, engage donors, and fund impactful projects.

Jacqueline Novogratz brings us a series of insightful stories and unforgettable characters — from women dancing in a Nairobi slum, to unwed mothers starting a bakery, to courageous survivors of the Rwandan genocide, to entrepreneurs building services for the poor against impossible odds. Her book, The Blue Sweater is the inspiring story of a woman who has spent her life on a quest to understand global poverty and to find powerful new ways of tackling it.