Venture Philanthropy Fund Aligns Global Staff Around Mission
Acumen Fund is a non-profit global venture fund that uses entrepreneurial approaches to solve the problems of global poverty. They seek to prove that small amounts of philanthropic capital, combined with large doses of business acumen, can build thriving enterprises that serve vast numbers of the poor. Their investments focus on delivering affordable, critical goods and services – like health, water, housing and energy – through innovative, market-oriented approaches.
The Acumen Fund has been experiencing rapid growth. They came to Ariel for training with their entire staff. They wanted to instill the culture and values of the organization among the entire global staff. They faced the particular challenge of a number of new employees, many of whom were working in remote areas of developing countries. They wanted to develop their capacity to use stories as a way to bring the team together, and help those in external facing roles attract resources to support their mission.
The Ariel Solution
The Ariel Group provided a storytelling workshop for the entire team of 50 + people. The workshop helped participants enhance their presence and become more expressive in communicating messages with impact. Participants developed skills that enabled them to convey a clear and concise message about Acumen’s work that touches the hearts and minds of others.
At the end of the workshops, the entire team reassembled and several people shared their stories with the large group over dinner.
