Jessica Jackley

So I do remember in the early days talking to VCs about Kiva and saying, you know, it was a non-profit is a non-profit. but helping them understand by virtue of starting where they were. You meet people where they are. So this is like the investments you make, but blah, blah, blah, blah. Or speaking to nonprofit leaders.

So I do remember in the early days talking to VCs about Kiva and saying, you know, it was a non-profit is a non-profit. but helping them understand by virtue of starting where they were. You meet people where they are. So this is like the investments you make, but blah, blah, blah, blah. Or speaking to nonprofit leaders.

I remember speaking to somebody who ran like a child sponsorship program and saying, yeah, yeah, it's like that, but it's different in these ways. I find it really a fun challenge to build relationships deep empathy with someone and try to understand who they are, what makes them tick, what their journey is, and then connect. So there's always something you can connect on.

I remember speaking to somebody who ran like a child sponsorship program and saying, yeah, yeah, it's like that, but it's different in these ways. I find it really a fun challenge to build relationships deep empathy with someone and try to understand who they are, what makes them tick, what their journey is, and then connect. So there's always something you can connect on.

That's part of what I just personally love. And so individual to individual, that's a joy for me. In terms of the message and the broader story that Kiva tells and told in the brand, I felt like it was such an unlock for me to go from two decades growing up hearing stories of

That's part of what I just personally love. And so individual to individual, that's a joy for me. In terms of the message and the broader story that Kiva tells and told in the brand, I felt like it was such an unlock for me to go from two decades growing up hearing stories of

Sadness and suffering and desperation and hopelessness and all the things that make you panic and that have a sense of urgency built into them. By the way, rightfully so, there's some incredibly difficult issues in the world that many, many people are burdened by. And so, of course, there is urgency.

Sadness and suffering and desperation and hopelessness and all the things that make you panic and that have a sense of urgency built into them. By the way, rightfully so, there's some incredibly difficult issues in the world that many, many people are burdened by. And so, of course, there is urgency.

But so much of the strategy of most nonprofits and NGOs and other well-intentioned organizations up until Kiva for me was,

But so much of the strategy of most nonprofits and NGOs and other well-intentioned organizations up until Kiva for me was,

took the same tactic of get the attention of the person by making them really feel the pain and focus on sort of the guilt and the shame of their own relative position of advantage and get them to throw their change in the jar and then they feel a little bit better about themselves, whether they actually believe or not that's going to make a really meaningful, impactful, lasting change.

took the same tactic of get the attention of the person by making them really feel the pain and focus on sort of the guilt and the shame of their own relative position of advantage and get them to throw their change in the jar and then they feel a little bit better about themselves, whether they actually believe or not that's going to make a really meaningful, impactful, lasting change.

But you feel it as you hear those particularly painful, well-crafted, intentional stories. And then They get what they want out of you, which is a transaction. And I felt like Kiva was all the opposites of that. It was about focusing on the story of strength and entrepreneurship and creativity and all of these incredibly...

But you feel it as you hear those particularly painful, well-crafted, intentional stories. And then They get what they want out of you, which is a transaction. And I felt like Kiva was all the opposites of that. It was about focusing on the story of strength and entrepreneurship and creativity and all of these incredibly...

brilliant people that given other circumstances would be our bosses, just incredible talent all over. So focusing on that and focusing on a different ask, don't donate so that you create this, what can become a very strange donor beneficiary imbalanced relationship, but instead create a partnership built on equality. Here's my money. Use it. Do your thing. You got me back. Great. We're even.

brilliant people that given other circumstances would be our bosses, just incredible talent all over. So focusing on that and focusing on a different ask, don't donate so that you create this, what can become a very strange donor beneficiary imbalanced relationship, but instead create a partnership built on equality. Here's my money. Use it. Do your thing. You got me back. Great. We're even.

I mean, Creating that partnership connection was a really big deal. And then again, the excitement of using technology very, very early on. I think it was just the permutations that you could have so many different stories of all the borrowers and every possible lender, many of them connecting to a borrower. The human interest stories write themselves.

I mean, Creating that partnership connection was a really big deal. And then again, the excitement of using technology very, very early on. I think it was just the permutations that you could have so many different stories of all the borrowers and every possible lender, many of them connecting to a borrower. The human interest stories write themselves.

So it was this treasure trove of beautiful connections of the mom in Seattle that found the mom in Senegal and the CEO in... Houston that found the CEO of wherever. And then as the network grew, the platform grew, the unexpected pieces that are so humbling for us to be surprised by, you know, it's not just people in...

So it was this treasure trove of beautiful connections of the mom in Seattle that found the mom in Senegal and the CEO in... Houston that found the CEO of wherever. And then as the network grew, the platform grew, the unexpected pieces that are so humbling for us to be surprised by, you know, it's not just people in...