Imagination Capital: Eric Dawson on Microfinancing, Mentorship, and Youth Power Ep. 80

In this episode of the Wealthing Podcast, host Alicia Castillo Holley sits down with Eric Dawson, founder of RIVET, to discuss his journey to becoming a lifelong advocate for young people — as a youth organizer at 14, the founder of Peace First (which reached young people in 166 countries over 30 years), and now the builder of the world's first microfinancing platform for young changemakers.    The conversation explores the massive gap RIVET was built to close: of the 2 billion young people worldwide, roughly 85% live in "capital deserts," with only 0.002% of the world's $700 billion in philanthropic capital reaching young people with innovative ideas. Eric explains how RIVET provides up to $1,000 in no-strings-attached grants, paired with mentorship from local and global partners across 190 countries and 50 states — building what he calls a "capital ladder" toward RIVET's goal of giving a million young people their first financial support over the next decade and a half.   Throughout the interview, the dialogue moves between Eric's philosophy that young people are powerful and brilliant in the present, not just the future, and Alicia's own reflections on mentorship, social capital, and what she calls the transformative power of feeling valued. Eric introduces the concept of "imagination capital" — the belief in possibilities — illustrated through the story of a young man in Lagos who pivoted from an after-school program to solar engineering after RIVET's initial support. Together, they touch on themes of presence, "holy listening," and what it means to invest not just in ideas, but in people.   About Eric: Eric Dawson is the founder of RIVET, the world's first microfinancing platform for young changemakers, providing capital and mentorship to help promising projects scale from a first grant to larger investment. He is also the founder of Peace First and the author of Putting Peace 1st. Eric's work centers on unlocking the potential of the world's 2 billion young people — believing they are powerful agents of change today, not just leaders of tomorrow.   Connect with Eric:   LinkedIn: Eric Dawson Website: https://rivet.org/