In this episode, we are lucky and thankful to have with us, Jacob Lief. Jacob or Jake, as he is known is the Founder and CEO of Ubuntu Pathways.

Jacob brings over two decades of experience to conversations on philanthropy and social entrepreneurship and has actively called for redefining impact, sustainability, & the theory of ‘going-to-scale’ in the nonprofit sector.

After visiting South Africa to observe the country’s historic elections, Jake returned to the Eastern Cape to co-found Ubuntu in 1999. He has since developed the organization from its humble beginnings in a broom closet to a world-class institution that supports 2,000 children on individualized pathways out of poverty. Currently, Ubuntu’s 70 employees work across three continents,.

Ubuntu has grown into an internationally-recognized model for community development.

In 2016, Jacob appeared in Fortune Magazine’s ‘40 Under 40’, a list of the most influential young people in business. He has served as a member of the Clinton Global Initiative Advisory Committee. He has also been named one of the world’s 101 Most Innovative Visionaries at the Decide Now Act Summit and recognized by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader. Jake is an Aspen Institute Global Fellow.

Jake is a lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and is a visiting fellow at the University’s new global policy research center, Perry World House.

His book, I Am Because You Are, chronicles his journey in South Africa and sets forth a new & bold vision for breaking the cycle of poverty.