Jeff Pedone

Awakening

In the past six months an awakening of sorts has occurred within me. Issues that merely occupied a small segment of my heart and life mission suddenly took on a renewed importance and catalyzed into a lasting commitment.

How To Get Involved

When I mentioned in an email to my last CEO that I wanted to find a way for the company to end world hunger he was all for it; It was me that failed to take it to the next step. Two years ago, while thinking of new entrepreneurial ventures with purpose I could start, I thought of matching donors with great causes on the net, other organizations have now taken this idea and happily run with it. And last year, while reading Jeffrey Sach’s The End of Povery commuting on the train to NYC, I kept ruminating on how to get involved, how to move my passion to the next level.

Emblem of a Generation

This transformation is not unique, I am joining a generation of Millennial’s and Y’s (although I precede them) who have made a commitment to helping others the emblem of their generation. It is so refreshing to see and witness their altruism and selflessness, as they put their brains and energy behind social entrepreneurial ventures.

The New Heroes

Say what you want about the efficacy and utility of Twitter, but in these past six months I have discovered some of the most remarkable people I have ever met. In their tweets and on their blogs, Flickr pages, Facebook, Linkedin etc…they are raising issues, taking on the established ways of thinking, and building true communities of believers. This says nothing of their work and the great strides they are making. They are raising money, changing attitudes and transforming people’s lives. These people are the new heroes, plain and simple.

Why Should I Care?

It is my hope, and if my words do not fail me, the contribution I hope to make at this point, to get the word out to others. I’m hoping to target those who are not in the movement, those of us who, like myself up until a few months back, thought about these issues but had many other things on their radar screens. The many millions who are hard workers and great providers for their families, those who may be involved in philanthropy or giving and consider the efforts of these groups important, but supplant it with other causes.
My hope is to reach out, as well, to those who do not know the first thing about social entrepreneurs and why they want to change the world. Those who have other goals, other motivations, and are content to proceed along without hearing about these matters.

Get to Know Some Remarkable People

Initially, I only ask that you click on the links to the three people and organizations below. It will only take you a few moments and hopefully you will discover why I am so captured, why I have bought in, why I am devoting this blog to helping them and other social entrepreneurs. Please let me know your thoughts.

Jacqueline Novogratz

Jacqueline Novogratz – The Acumen Fund: http://www.acumenfund.org
http://twitter.com/acumenfund
http://twitter.com/jnovogratz
http://www.thebluesweater.com

Melissa Richer

Melissa Richer – The Ayllu Initiative: http://www.aylluinitiative.org
http://twitter.com/ayllu
http://melissaricher.wordpress.com/
http://aylluinitiative.org/blog

Scott Harrison

Scott Harrison – Charity: Water: http://www.charitywater.org
http://twitter.com/charitywater
http://twitter.com/scottharrison
http://charitywater.tumblr.com/

This entry was posted on Monday, July 20th, 2009 at 4:34 pm and is filed under Life. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.