
Jessica Jackley
microfinance pioneer
Jessica Jackley always wanted to help take on poverty, but traditional philanthropy left her feeling overwhelmed, guilty + distant from the poor. She found a solution when she discovered microfinance. Following one of her own fav bits of advice {"run towards the things you love"}, Jessica quit her job and took a research trip to Africa to see how she could help. Soon after, she co-founded the 1st worldwide, peer-to-peer microlending marketplace. $880 million in lifesaving small-scale loans later, Kiva is still goes strong. So is Jessica ~ a sought-after speaker who continues to advocate for economies based on sharing + participating in each others' stories. She is always on the lookout for the next big project that will empower entrepreneurs everywhere as they seek a better life.
p2p microfinance | pioneering web platforms for crowdfunding and small-scale, individual-to-individual lending to get good ideas off the ground around the world
the sharing economy | investment and entrepreneurship with an eye on financial inclusion and social justice
2005 | co-founded Kiva, the very first peer-to-peer microlending website, which has set up nearly $900 million in loans among individuals around the globe living in 83 countries
2011 | received the Economist's "No Boundaries" Innovation Award was named a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader
2012 | won the University of California's Human Security Award and wrapped up her stint as a Visiting Practitioner at Stanford's Center for Philanthropy and Civil Society just in time to become GOOD's first Entrepreneur in Residence
from | to
a poetry and philosophy major looking for direction | microfinance pioneer and "happy, successful founder-CEO-mom"
born in
1977
birth place
Franklin Park, Pennsylvania
birth name
Jessica Jackley
citizen of
The United States of America
daughter in
a comfortably middle-class, devoutly Christian family
lives in
Los Angeles, CA
educated at
Bucknell University
~ Lewisburg, PA | BA | 2000 ~
Stanford Graduate School of Business
~ Palo Alto, CA | MBA ~
loved studying
philosophy
poetry
political science
global + public management
global leadership + public policy
divorced from
Matt Flannery
~ co-founder of Kiva Microfunds ~
married to
Reza Aslan
~ Iranian-American writer + religious scholar ~
mother of
twin sons | Cyrus + Jaspar
advocate for
women's global empowerment
microfinance + financial inclusion
social justice + social change
technological innovation
the arts
in her spare time
teaches yoga
surfs
tweets
@jessicajackley
image credit
collapse bio bits"Realizing how ridiculously privileged I was compared to most of the world, I felt like I wouldn't know how to be a human being on the planet if I didn't pay attention to the lives of all the other people."
Her goal: end poverty, one loan at a time | november 2008
"I love seeing people believe in each other, expect more from each other and believe in the possibility for change for themselves and other people."
Her goal: end poverty, one loan at a time | november 2008
"The stories we tell about each other matter very much. The stories we tell ourselves about our own lives matter. And most of all, I think the way that we participate in each other's stories is of deep importance."
Poverty, money - and love | july 2010
"The best way for people to change their lives is for them to have control."
Poverty, money -- and love | july 2010
"Kiva borrowers . . . have taught me what entrepreneurship is. And I think, at its core, it's deciding that you want your life to be better."
Poverty, money -- and love | july 2010
"For me, the best way to be inspired to try is to stop and to listen to someone else's story."
Poverty, money - and love | july 2010
"To me, Kiva's really about stories. It's about retelling the story of the poor, and it's about giving ourselves an opportunity to engage that validates their dignity."
Poverty, money - and love | july 2010
"We created ProFounder with the intention of shaping a healthier–and more efficacious–culture that gives everyone on our team the opportunity to be a full person, not just a cog in a machine."
The Pregnant Entrepreneur and The VC Who Wouldn't Fund Her | april 2011
"The idea that mothers are the de facto 'foundation parents' to a new baby (or multiples) perpetuates the stereotypes and structures that make it more difficult for anyone, male or female, to balance work and family in the first place."
The Pregnant Entrepreneur and The VC Who Wouldn't Fund Her | april 2011
"There’s really no correlation between eating takeout everyday or skipping that 30-minute jog again and great entrepreneurial success."
The Pregnant Entrepreneur and The VC Who Wouldn't Fund Her | april 2011
"As all entrepreneurs know, you live and die by your ability to prioritize."
The Pregnant Entrepreneur and The VC Who Wouldn't Fund Her | april 2011
"Being dedicated to someone else or to a group of people will make you your best self."
UCLA Commencement address | june 2012
"Eventually, this virtuous cycle of 'give-get' begins . . . The 'give' has to come first."
UCLA Commencement address | june 2012
for further reading about Jessica Jackley:
curated with care by Alicia Williamson {october 2014}
Jess in Tanzania
Jessica on her initial research trip to meet the African entrepreneurs who would inspire her to found Kiva.
Jessica Jackley
kiva goes dry
Kiva was so successful right out of the gate that they could not post entrepreneur profiles fast enough to keep up with the demand of lenders!
Ryan Mickle | CC BY-SA 2.0
Jessica Jackley: The Origins of KIVA
Jessica discusses how she and her co-founder Matt Flannery were inspired to create the first global peer-to-peer microfinance platform.
Lavin Agency
Jessica Jackley - Co-Founder of Kiva - Hult's Executive Speaker Series
Jessica speaks to a packed auditorium of aspiring entrepreneurs at the Hult International Business School.
Hult Business School
Jess on TEDGlobal
Jess discusses her story, beliefs and strategies for a brighter global future with the TEDGlobal audience during her talk, "Poverty, money -- and love."
Jessica Jackley