WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER
"The road to impacting the world is hard, but Carrie Rich and Dean Fealk have just made it a little easier by writing this incredible guide. Impact the World is ideal for everyone who doesn’t know where to start on their journey to making any part of the world a better place."
Roshan Paul
co-founder of Amani Institute
and co-author of
The New Reason to Work
"If you're serious about committing your career to a cause, you need to read Impact the World.”
Kara Goldin
Founder of Hint, Inc. and author of the Wall St. Journal bestseller Undaunted
Download A Free Preview
Book Preview
What is a
A citizen statesperson is a superpowered individual committed to improving the community and the world through values and activism.
Three dynamics drive the need and opportunity for citizen statespeople at this moment:
- Loss of confidence in traditional institutions of power and influence
- Technology that contributes to the capabilities of the superpowered individual
- A new generation of impact-minded individuals committed to driving change in meaningful and multifaceted ways
Becoming a citizen statesperson starts at a local level, solving problems for local people. From there, citizen statespeople can make a global impact.
Abbey Wemimo & Samir Goel
Abbey Wemimo was born in Nigeria, where he lost his father when he was two years old and was then raised in the slums of Lagos by his mother and two sisters. His family was excluded from the traditional financial system but with their savings put towards schooling, he managed to qualify for an education in the US, arriving here at age 17.
\In Minnesota, with his mother, they struggled to survive—unable to borrow money without a credit score or financial history. Through much sacrifice, and a predatory loan with 400% interest, Abbey focused on a business education to find jobs in the financial sector to better understand the system that put his family at a disadvantage.
Samir Goel’s parents traveled from New Delhi, India, to the US. On their first day in the country, his father was mugged for all the money he had on him, and the place they intended to live would no longer shelter them. With no money, no credit score, and nowhere to live, they worked miracles to survive. Samir dedicated himself to education while looking for communities that had been left behind, as he gained experience in start-ups and social impact ventures, where he met Abbey Wemimo at the Clinton Global Initiative in 2014.
Karim Abouelnaga
Karim Abouelnaga was 13 years old when his father passed away, one of seven children being raised in poverty in Queens, NY. He found it hard to focus on homework while his family struggled to pay bills and keep food on the table. Consequently he struggled in school, once absent for 60 days in a row while his grades slid. But he turned it around just in time to re-engage in schoolwork and earn over $300k in scholarships to attend Cornell University.
Practice Makes Perfect is the organization he started to be able to pay forward what he learned from his own struggle in education—with a goal to keep students engaged during the summer months when they regress in their studies and start the next school year behind. The organization trains teachers to become coaches, enlists older students as paid mentors to fund their college education, and aims to get all students engaged in what and how they’re learning.
Each summer Practice Makes Perfect supports over 500 students from NYC schools, showing that students who take part are making gains of around one month’s worth in learning in math and two months’ worth of learning in reading.
Could a person with more experience in education policy have designed a program like that? Maybe.
But it’s clear that Karim’s lived experience helped him recognize what underserved students were facing, and provided insights into how a new program could meet their needs.
That’s the kind of awareness a citizen statesperson needs to recognize his or her value and create real and effective change.
Autumn Adeigbo
Autumn Adeigbo, is a first-generation Nigerian-American who put in years of study and work before she could afford to launch her fashion design line. She went from a bachelor’s degree at Spelman College to studying at Parsons School of Design in New York, and she built her collection while working jobs at W Magazine, as a hostess at several clubs, and being a stylist for prominent designers.
Known for her colorful and unique designs, Autumn lives her values by embracing sustainable practices—purchasing in limited quantities to minimize fabric waste and surplus stock and sourcing from female-owned production facilities across the country. She’s also finding new ways to give back by partnering with retailer Anthropologie to donate a portion of proceeds from her collection to a general scholarship fund at Spelman College to help other young women access educational opportunities to pursue their passions.
It’s been a long road for a woman who was voted “Best Dressed” in the fourth grade, but Autumn’s experiences have positioned her well to create impact today and in the future.
READ ALL OF THE CASE STUDIES
Fill out the form below to download more Citizen Statespeople case studies.
Book Preview
Input your purchase information to receive access to the free 3 Part Action Plan and get started today!
Book Preview
THE GLOBAL GOOD FUND IDENTIFIES
HIGH-POTENTIAL LEADERS AND PROVIDES THE COACHING + CAPITAL
TO ACCELERATE THEIR SOCIAL IMPACT.
