Adam Braun

Adam Braun is an American entrepreneur and philanthropist. He is the Founder & CEO of Pencils of Promise, a non-profit organization that builds schools and increases access to education for children in the developing world, with a focus on Ghana, Guatemala, Laos, and Nicaragua. He is also the creator of the “for-purpose” and “profitable purpose” approaches to effective philanthropy.

Early Life

Braun was born in New York City and raised in Greenwich, CT with his siblings Scott, Liza, Sam, and Cornelio. He attended Brown University, where he played varsity basketball and graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor's degree in Economics, Sociology, and Public & Private Sector Organizations. Braun studied abroad through the Semester at Sea program and traveled to over fifty countries after graduation, sparking his interest in international development. While visiting India, a young boy begging on the streets told Adam that he wanted a pencil, so Adam gave the boy his, which served as the inspiration for Braun starting his own organization, Pencils of Promise. Prior to starting his own non-profit, Braun worked at Bain & Company from 2007-2010.

For-Purpose

Braun coined “for-purpose” in reference to a more effective approach to “non-profit” organizational outlook and strategy. “Profitable purpose” refers to the intersection of non-profit and for-profit, in which each person maximizes value for themselves and others. Both terms were unveiled at the Google Zeitgeist 2011, and have since seen widespread adoption in publications including Huffington Post, Fast Company and Mashable.

Awards

2012 Forbes 30 Under 30 List
Wired Magazine’s 2012 Smart List of 50 People Changing the World.
One of the first ten World Economic Forum Global Shapers selected
Distinguished American Leadership Award at 2012 Conference on American Leadership
Featured in Everyday Heroes: 50 Americans Changing the World One Nonprofit at a Time.
Fast Company Innovation Agent 2012
British Airways Face of Opportunity Grand Prize Winner 2011