Andy Posner believes that access to capital has the potential to transform individual lives, communities and the environment.  In 2009, as a masters student, he co-founded the Capital Good Fund (CGF). CGF is a nonprofit micro-lender with a mission to create a poverty-free, inclusive green economy in the United States. While pursuing graduate studies, Andy further learned that millions of Americans are completely shut out of the financial system because of language, cultural, and/or legal barriers as well as a lack of or poor credit history. CGF loans help low-income individuals access the financial system through equitable loans and financial coaching. At the same time, CGF works with clients to green their homes and businesses and take other action and leadership on environmental issues.

Moving Forward Education (MFE) is a multi-generational mentoring program aimed at fostering academic and emotional success for underserved students of color in California. Lacy Asbill and Elana Metz co-founded the program; they were inspired by a vision of an organization run by young people, for young people, focusing on students’ emotional well-being as a critical strategy for improving their academic achievement.  

While working with indigenous communities in Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil, Runa co-founders Tyler Gage and Dan MacCombie saw firsthand the tradeoff they face: while they want to preserve their cultural heritage, they must earn money and feed their families in an increasingly globalized economy. After discovering the commercial potential of guayusa – a naturally caffeinated leaf from the Amazon tree of the same name – as an export product, Tyler and co-founder Dan MacCombie created Runa, a Fair Trade business, to share guayusa with the world. They aimed to pioneer a proactive and culturally valuable way for the Kichwa people of Ecuador to achieve sustainable incomes, with Ecuadorian immigrants as their sales force in the United States.

While an economics student at Stanford University, Garrett Neiman decided to use his research and work experience in education to help close the college opportunity gap and increase college options for low-income students. With co-founder Jessica Perez, he created SEE College Prep, an organization that provides the only SAT preparation curriculum tailored to the needs of low-income students. These students often remain locked out of the test preparation industry, resulting in a nearly 300-point disparity between low-income students and their wealthiest peers. SEE provides an in-depth SAT preparation and college-counseling program, which provides the necessary inspiration, mentorship, and know-how for low-income students to succeed on the SAT and in the college admissions and financial aid process.

Young Picasso Painting (YPP) is an eco-friendly professional painting company created with the goal of strengthening the underserved communities in which it operates. Blaine Mickens founded YPP to break the cycle of poverty by employing low-wealth individuals, including the formerly incarcerated, and working in low-income communities to enhance the look of blighted buildings. In addition, YPP infuses environmentally sustainable practices into its operations, including using low VOC paints (Volatile organic compounds) and no VOC spackles, thereby minimizing the release of harmful chemicals; using biodegradable paint trays and either recycled or repurposed roller covers; and using non-toxic and biodegradable cleaning solutions.