The University of Iowa

Ordinary Person, Extraordinary Change

Adam Braun is a New York Times bestselling author and two-time education entrepreneur. He is the previous Founder & CEO of Pencils of Promise, the award-winning organization that has built more than 500 schools around the world.

He has been featured as a speaker at The White House, the United Nations and the Clinton Global Initiative. He has also been named to Business Insider’s 40 Under 40, Wired Magazine‘s 50 People Who Are Changing the World, and was selected as one of the World Economic Forum’s original ten Global Shapers.

Braun began working summers at hedge funds when he was sixteen years old, sprinting down the path to a successful Wall Street career. But while traveling abroad as a college student he met a young boy begging on the streets of India, who when asked what he wanted most in the world, simply answered, “a pencil.”

This small request became the inspiration for Pencils of Promise, the organization Braun would leave Bain & Company several years later to start with just $25. Using his unique “for-purpose” approach, the organization has now raised more than $60M to address global education. Through his work at MissionU and WeGrow, Braun has combined his passion for mission-driven impact to support children and adults in the pursuit of unlocking their greatest potential.

Date 
Tuesday, March 3, 2020 - 7:30pm
Location 
The Englert Theater
Iowa City, IA 52242
Name 
Nicole Nucaro
Sponsoring Organization 
University Lecture Committee and Tippie College of Business
Event Contact Information 
Nicole Nucaro, nicole-nucaro@uiowa.edu