Jessica Jackley - The Power of Entrepreneurs


Entrepreneur, author and co-founder of the non-profit organization Kiva Jessica Jackley recently visited the Poly Upper School to discuss her work.

Much of Jackley's lecture was focused on her educational and career path, which was far from simple. While attending college (Bucknell University), she often questioned the intent of those who worked in finance, a field she likened to a "moral slope". After studying business administration at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, however, she soon gained an interest in microfinancing, seeing how it fell in line with her overarching mission of working to help others. Inspired, she went on to find Kiva, an online microfinancing platform through which borrowers and lenders can interact.

Ultimately, Jackley's story of the long and complicated process of finding a fulfilling career demonstrates the importance of adaptability and resilience. While her education and resulting career were long centered around her fundamental mission of helping others, it was her open-mindedness and her willingness to take on new ideas that surely contributed greatly to her success. As Jackley mentioned during her presentation, "entrepreneurship is the pursuit of opportunity without regard to resources currently controlled." Although Jackley meant for the quote to describe the many motivated entrepreneurs that use the Kiva platform, the underlying message is a universal one - the ability to make the most of one's situation exists independently of one's current situation and is, therefore, a philosophy that we all ought to adopt.

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