Nuru International is a young start-up non profit fighting extreme poverty in the developing world one community at a time through training and empowerment with the goal to equip the poor to become the answers to their own problems.
Suite101 spoke with Founder and CEO Jake Harriman about his organization and the success of a young non profit start-up.
The Connection Between Terrorism and Extreme Poverty
As a special operations Marine, Harriman spent several very personal experiences in combat that for him revealed the disturbing connections between terrorism and extreme poverty. “I saw over and over again that desperate people in desperate situations do desperate things,” he says “And I wanted to do something to take away that desperation.”
Harriman’s personal experiences fighting the war on terror around the world was the inspiration to found Nuru International. After leaving the Marine Corps, he enrolled at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business and with the support of his classmates, professors and investors founded Nuru International in 2008.
Nuru focuses on empowering service-minded leaders in remote rural areas with the solutions to lift communities out of extreme poverty permanently. Nuru provides the knowledge and tools to tap into existing potential to solve dire challenges poor communities face on a daily basis.
Tips for Start-up Success from a Non Profit Leader
Harriman shared his lessons learned and tips for non profit success. One important lesson he learned was to check his ego at the door and learn from others. “There's no room in this business for egos.” Harriman asserts. “Learn from everyone you work with - especially the poor you serve. True humility is the beginning endless possibility.”
Harriman and Nuru dream to do the impossible and vouch to never give up. “Those who settle for the status quo perpetuate the status quo. Those who tackle the impossible change the world.” For Harriman, taking great risks comes with great gain. “Ideas are great, but at some point, you have to get off the bench and do something with no safety net on an uncharted path. It is scary and full of risk, but it is the only way to turn a bunch of nice ideas on paper into action and impact.”
Harriman explains the importance of running a non-profit “with all the rigor and accountability of a Silicon Valley start-up.” This includes “a tight financial model, an effective marketing/branding strategy, and a streamlined, flexible delivery model.” He continues to say that “the poor deserve the very best and your investors deserve to see the greatest possible impact for their funding. Hire the best people, hold them and yourself accountable, and maintain a high level of transparency with all stakeholders.”
Harriman’s early success is based on solid business model and simple human strategies that recognizes the power and potential people and partnerships. “The poor are not helpless, blind children who need to be led around by saviors from the West. The poor are incredibly capable, intelligent, and resourceful individuals capable of mind-blowing innovation...we need to treat them as such. Unlocking that potential is the key to lasting gains in the fight against extreme poverty.”
Britta Stromeyer Esmail - Britta is a bilingual business management professional and executive coach with extensive domestic and international experience in the ...
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