Providing Education and Career Pathways for Innovative Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurial spirit and philanthropic responsibility run deep in my family. My great-great-grandfather founded a pharmaceutical company which over many generations created medicines that greatly improved people’s health and quality of life. He was also a passionate humanitarian, devoted to enhancing community prosperity within our state and encouraging equality of opportunity for all individuals to earn success.
I founded Denali Venture Philanthropy (Denali) along with my wife Meredith in 2013, with a similar philanthropic vision after developing professional expertise in investment management. We took on the core mission of funding entrepreneurs who are committed to social change. Denali identifies sustainable for-profit companies and presents investment opportunities to clients with well-established portfolios who are also interested in driving positive social impact and improving communities around the world.
Along my travels and mountaineering excursions, I have been fortunately able to devote time to raising funds to help some of the world’s most underdeveloped countries and their citizens. I have come to know some pretty incredible people throughout this experience, many of whom are risking their livelihoods in pursuit of their visions to help people in their communities thrive.
In recent articles, I’ve profiled Denali portfolio companies such as Tugende and Nisolo, both of which Denali has helped launch through private investment funds. The founders of both companies had no idea that this would become their passion until they experienced life outside of their comfort zone.
Many innovative individuals have these kinds of transformative experiences every day, and because of the challenges they have faced or have seen impact their communities, they are passionate about becoming agents of change. Thankfully, Denali has had the privilege of partnering with an incredible organization that is helping these young visionaries achieve their dreams.
The Watson Institute was first developed in Boulder, Colorado, where I currently reside. The Institute is on a mission to help next-generation entrepreneurial leaders find their community, discover their calling, and accelerate their careers by providing the tools, network, mindset, and courage necessary to solve the toughest social, environmental, and economic challenges facing the world.
In just under seven years, the Watson Institute has expanded to offering training, mentorship, and bachelor’s degree programs to individuals around the world, with locations in Boulder, Boca Raton, and Guatemala City, Guatemala. The Institute hosts scholars and has produced alumni from over 60 countries, these individuals having raised over $100 million and having created over 800 part-time or full-time jobs positively impacting more than 150,000 people worldwide.
The students that attend this school are exceptionally high achievers, some having made the Forbes’ 30 Under 30 List, Echoing Green Fellowship, and others have furthered their education at renowned schools like Harvard, Princeton, and New York University.
Just looking at the Institute’s list of current students and alumni will improve your outlook on the younger generations’ dedication to improving our planet. A notable example is the launch of an incredible program to provide women and girls equal education opportunities in poor communities across China, while another involves the focused development of business plans to build youth empowerment centers in Malawi. Some students are using their voices to elevate the awareness and rights of individuals living with disabilities, while others engage in dedicated activism to combat the potentially catastrophic effects of climate change.
The Watson Institute values building relationships through partnerships focused on addressing the root causes of critical issues impacting humanity and developing educational experiences to influence positive systemic change. What is really exciting is that this opens doors to so many incredible investment opportunities, giving Denali a chance to help make the dreams of these impact entrepreneurs a reality. It is through the vision and determination of these young leaders, combined with the intentional educational blueprint set forth by the Watson Institute that I am encouraged about the trajectory of our global society not only for my own children but for all of the world’s children.