Social Entrepreneur Profile
Ben Powell
Managing
Partner
Agora Partnerships
Shadowed
by:
Stonington Cox, Serena Braggiotti
and Beth Fascitelli
Entrepreneur
Contact Data:
1800 M. St. NW
Suite 1066
Washington, DC 20036
Email: bpowell@agorapartnerships.org
Phone: 202-719-1305
Website: www.agorapartnerships.org
Basics:
Founding Date: 2005
Corporate Form: 501(c) 3 - public
charity
Geographic Focus: U.S. and Central America
Full-time employees: 4
Industry: Consulting and
Investing
Social Mission Area:
Community and International Development
Mission:
Create opportunity for
talented developing-world entrepreneurs to launch and grow successful,
socially responsible businesses by giving them the necessary tools,
networks, financing and support.
Q
and A with Students:
Q:
Can you give us some background on Ben Powell?
A: Ben Powell: Agora Partnerships Managing Partner, has
extensive experience as a small business private equity investor and
entrepreneur in Mexico, where he founded a successful family
entertainment park. A former Presidential Management Fellow, Ben was
the examiner for the U.S. Foreign Service at the Office of Management
and Budget in Washington DC and has worked at the Ashoka Foundation on
its Full Economic Citizenship initiative. Ben holds an MBA from
Columbia Business School, an MS in Foreign Service from Georgetown
University, and a BA from Haverford College.
Q:
What led you to choose to shadow him?
A: The members of our group are interested in
international affairs, community development, and finance. We also felt
that we would have a high degree of access, and we had each
independently met with people that had been personally involved in the
effort thus leading us to seek further information.
Q:
What issues did your social entrepreneur face during the project?
A: Fundraising, Legal (creating two nonprofits, one in
Nicaragua, and a for profit fund), Executing the model.
Q:
What was interesting, surprising or inspiring about shadowing this SE?
A: We were consistently impressed with Ben's ability to
communicate his enthusiasm, inspire and motivate a diverse set of
people to follow him and his vision.
Q:
What did you learn about being a social entrepreneur from this project?
A: That the logistics are the
most difficult part. Also that, trying to get things done without
enough money (something faced by most SEs) can be extremely
frustrating. Nonetheless, we were inspired by someone working on a
project that he cared about and pouring his heart and soul, as well as
his time, into it.
Back to Social
Entrepreneurs
|
