There is a growing movement in the world that seeks to combine the rigor of the private sector with the conscience of the social sector – to create businesses that are more ethical and not-for-profits that are more accountable and sustainable. Six years ago, we created the Acumen Fund Global Fellows Program to train individuals to be leaders of this movement, and to serve as architects for this new sector.

This week, the sixth class of Global Fellows began their training in New York, and over the next 2 months they will participate in an intense array of multidisciplinary seminars covering a range of topics from investing, to design thinking, to storytelling, to negotiations. At the completion of this training period, they will spend the next 9 months providing on-the-ground management support to one of Acumen Fund’s investees in East Africa or South Asia.  Due to unfortunate circumstances we are unable to send Fellows to Pakistan this year. We plan to continue with placements in Pakistan for the years to come and are currently working to build our second regional Fellows Program in Pakistan in 2012 to invest in the next generation of leaders for the country. Our commitment to Pakistan remains strong and we are proud to have a large base of Fellows who are from there and have worked there over the years.  See a recent blog post from Bryan Farris, 2011 Fellow, on his experience last year in Pakistan.

After the fellowship year, our Fellows have gone on to act as CEOs of not-for-profits, social investors, entrepreneurs, and intrapreneurs driving social change initiatives within for-profit companies. They are filling the talent gap in the social sector, and are living proof that the world needs a new type of leader who can walk between worlds and imagine the world not for what it is but what it could be.

We are excited to announce the newest class of Global Fellows, who have been selected from a highly competitive pool of 550 applicants in 65 countries. The nine members of this year’s class hail from various backgrounds, religions, and are from 7 countries around the world including Zimbabwe, India, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Iran, the United Kingdom and the United States.  The group is professionally diverse with experience across sectors, is fluent in more than fifteen languages, and has collectively lived in and traveled to over fifty countries.

• Yousef Alguwaifli will work in Hyderabad, India with WaterHealth International, which incorporates technology and social marketing to increase access to safe, affordable water. Yousef is from Saudi Arabia, and worked as a Program Officer at the King Khalid Foundation.
• Rutendo Change will work in Nairobi, Kenya with Juhudi Kilimo, which provides microfinance loan products that allow Kenyan smallholder farmers to access high-quality agricultural assets that enhance the productivity of their farms. Rutendo is from Zimbabwe, and worked as a portfolio manager at a financial services firm.
• Tamsin Chislett will work in Gulu, Uganda with Gulu Agricultural Development Company, a for-profit cotton ginnery in Northern Uganda that is providing former refugees with critical support to regain their livelihoods. Tamsin is from the United Kingdom and worked at Bain & Company as a management consultant, and she has previously worked with TechnoServe in Zimbabwe as a volunteer consultant.
• Andrea Griffin will work in Bangalore, India with Orb Energy, which is India’s largest direct provider of off-grid solar systems. Andrea is from the United States, and has worked as an analyst at Bear Stearns and subsequently J.P. Morgan. She has also worked with the UNDP in Senegal and as a Summer Associate with Acumen Fund in Pakistan.
• Naomi Inoue will work in Nairobi, Kenya with D.light Design, a company that makes low-cost solar lights that provide cleaner, safer, and cheaper lighting to families living at the bottom of the pyramid. Naomi has a background in business development in internet business as well as e-commerce and advertisement, and has worked with Recruit Co. Ltd. and NTT Communications Corporation.
• Ghoncheh Jafarpisheh will work in Nairobi, Kenya with Sproxil, which is combating the global counterfeit drug market through a mobile product authentication technology. Ghoncheh is from Iran, and is a former project manager/engineer at a global consumer products company.
• Cherian Joseph will work in Mumbai, India with Dial 1298 for Ambulance, which focuses on providing affordable emergency medical response services. Cherian is from India and has a business consulting background in healthcare and retail. He has also developed innovative low cost solutions for emerging markets with the Tata Group in India.
• Neha Kale will work in Bihar, India with Husk Power Systems, which uses innovative biomass technology to convert abundant rice husks into energy that provides power to Indian villages. Neha is from India and previously worked in international marketing for General Motors.
• Sunru Yong will work in Nairobi, Kenya with Global Easy Water Products, which provides affordable drip irrigation for small-scale farmers. Sunru is from the United States, and was a manager at Bain & Company where he has served clients across multiple industries, including consumer products, financial services, healthcare, telecom, and private equity.  He previously worked in international business development at TRG Group.

Please join me in welcoming the Acumen Fund Global Fellows Class of 2012!

If you are interested in applying to join the next class of Global Fellows, the application process for the Class of 2013 opens on October 3, 2011. Qualifications for the Global Fellows Program include: a proven track record of leadership and management responsibilities; experience working in emerging markets; unrelenting perseverance, personal integrity and critical thinking skills; a strong passion and commitment to social change; an advanced degree (preferred); and three to seven years of work experience.

Blair Miller is Fellows Manager for Acumen Fund and runs the Acumen Fellows Program.

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