By: Aiko Hayashi, Bookkeeping Assistant

As 2016 draws to a close, we are reminded once again of how lucky we are to work with so many smart, innovative, compassionate, and inspiring partners in our community.

One shining example is SheEO, our stellar new partner as of August.

Founded by serial entrepreneur Vicki Saunders in 2014, SheEO has created a new model to support female entrepreneurs. It is a model of “women supporting women to change the world.” Under the program, up to 1,000 women (called “activators”) each contribute $1,100. The money is pooled into a fund and loaned out, interest-free, to local, women-led ventures with a social good mission.  Funds are then paid back over five years, and reinvested over and over again.

SheEO’s pilot program in Canada saw 500 women raise $500,000 and support five women-led ventures. This year, SheEO is in round two in Canada and has added three U.S. cities: Los Angeles, Colorado, and San Francisco. In 2017, SheEO is looking to add New York City and India to the mix. The goal is to reach 1 million women in 1,000 communities by 2020.

“Every woman I know, myself included, is nowhere near her potential. We are so much more than we think we can be,” Saunders says.

“And we won’t become our potential until we come together and lift one another up. We are social beings. We need each other in order to thrive. Imagine how you would dream differently if you were surrounded by radically generous women committed to supporting you.”

Philanthropic Ventures Foundation supports SheEO by helping to administer its program in the United States.

Images from SheEO’s “Radical Generosity Fact Sheet.” Go to SheEO.world for more information.