Jacqueline Novogratz, Acumen: Start Before You're Ready

What are the costs of not daring to make a change?

Jacqueline Novogratz is the Founder & CEO of Acumen, an organisation that invests patient capital in enterprises working to reduce poverty around the world. In 2021, she took a $250 million risk when she set out to provide electricity to 75 million people in regions of sub-Saharan Africa that had a 45% electrification rate or below. It paid off.

Join host Jimmy Allen of Bain & Company and Jacqueline as they discuss what we can learn from creative risk taking, how to balance socioeconomic tensions without compromising the mission, and how transforming our mentality from “what if?” to “what if I don’t?” can open the door for positive change.

Jacqueline and Jimmy emphasise the value of asking ‘why’ when navigating complexity as a leader. How can we ensure that we not only remember our ‘why’, but also that it is worth remembering in the first place?

This is a conversation about embracing complexity, the power of asking ‘why’, and daring to take risks in the pursuit of positive change.

https://www.bain.com/founders-mentality/

EPISODE CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction

01:21 The billion dollar plan

02:45 Why Acumen started in the hardest location

03:58 Securing the first funding - a $10 million bet on Jacqueline

05:51 Starting and letting the work teach them