Jacqueline’s journey began not with a grand strategy, but with a moment of clarity while working in Rwanda in the late 1980s, where she helped launch one of the country’s first microfinance institutions.

There, she witnessed how markets could be harnessed to empower individuals—especially women—but also saw how fragmented and fragile traditional aid systems were.

"Access isn't enough; capability is key."

This insight became a core pillar of her mission: empowering entrepreneurs, not just giving handouts.

That idea would eventually become Acumen.

The Founding of Acumen: Bridging Markets and Philanthropy

Founded in 2001, Acumen was created to tackle what Jacqueline calls "the blue flame" space—the gap between pure philanthropy and market-driven capitalism. Acumen uses “patient capital” to invest in entrepreneurs solving problems in energy, agriculture, healthcare, education, and workforce development.

"We need to reframe what risk means in investing."

Acumen has since invested over $150 million into companies that have impacted millions of people in low-income communities across Africa, South Asia, Latin America, and the U.S. But the goal isn’t just scale—it’s systemic change.

What It Takes to Build Markets That Work for the Poor

Jacqueline explains that creating sustainable impact requires far more than capital—it demands a deep understanding of local contexts, cultural norms, and the lived experiences of the communities being served.

"The status quo exists for a reason; change is hard."

She emphasizes that real progress in utilizing social entrepreneurship depends on:

  • Entrepreneurial courage
  • Long-term thinking
  • Collaboration with governments and civil society

Acumen works to build "markets with moral imagination", where value creation doesn’t come at the cost of human dignity or environmental degradation.

Education, Circular Impact, and the Future of Utilizing Social Entrepreneurship

Another major focus of Acumen is education. Through the Acumen Academy, they’ve trained over 1,800 social enterprise leaders, equipping them with tools in moral leadership, storytelling, and systems thinking.

Jacqueline envisions a circular economy of impact investing, where capital flows to and from communities, creating sustainable, inclusive systems over time.

Read the full article about social entrepreneurship to alleviate poverty by Grant Trahant at Causeartist.