Growing up as a young girl in Virginia, Jacqueline Novogratz had a favorite blue sweater with Mount Kilimanjaro and two zebras on it. She wore it for years until it was given to Goodwill. Eleven years later and 5000 miles away from home in Kigali, Rwanda she ran into a young boy wearing that very sweater, with her name still on the tag inside. This experience became a metaphor for Jacqueline and confirmed her belief in the world's interconnectedness. Everyone's actions — and everyone's inaction —- have an impact on others and the world in which we live.

"The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World"

in 2009 Jacqueline Novogratz, CEO and founder of the Acumen Fund, published The Blue Sweater a memoir about her experiences fighting poverty in Rwanda, India and Pakistan. The book chronicles her quest of combining her knowledge of banking and financial markets with her commitment to philanthropy. It led to the creation of the Acumen Fund. Acumen raises money from individuals, corporations and institutions. Among its investors are the charitable arm of Google, the Rockefeller and the Gates Foundation. Acumen identifies suitable enterprises, provides loans, equity and managerial assistance to promising entrepreneurs.

Fighting Poverty With Venture Capital

Founded in 2001, Acumen explores a third way between investment for profit and aid for free. It is a nonprofit using a market-based approach to nurture small businesses that are able to deliver goods and services to the world's poor on a sustainable basis. Essential services include: affordable health care, safe water, housing, and alternative energy in areas where governments are often failing. The difference to handing out charity is simple: While the recipient of a gift won't speak of its shortcomings, the paying consumer will have an opinion as to the product's quality and usefulness.

A to Z Textile Mills Makes Anti-Malaria Bed Nets

One of Acumen's most successful companies is A to Z Textile Mills in Tanzania, a company that makes inexpensive mosquito bed nets to protect from malaria. A to Z received a $325,000 loan in 2002. The investment allowed A to Z to produce improved anti-malarial bed nets. Nets are impregnated with a long-lasting insecticide that lasts for up to five years. The company also has found a cheaper way to weave the bed nets. This brought down the cost of production to $5 from $7. By increasing its production, A to Z created more than 2,000 jobs. Many nets are purchased by UNICEF and distributed for free. But Acumen also works with A to Z to distribute the nets through women sales agents, who make a commission by selling them in their villages.

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