Who We Are
Vision
A generation of students with an entrepreneurial mindset for doing good.
Mission
Engage students in micro-entrepreneurship for positive social impact.
Our Story
Gumball Capital was started by Stanford students in February 2007 to compete in the Stanford Entrepreneurship Week Challenge. We found that a lot of students weren't familiar with microfinance, but got excited about the cause once they knew. Many were happy to contribute, and we raised over $4000 in three days to donate to microfinance. Gumball Capital went on to win the grand prize (out of 50 teams) in the E-Week Challenge.
After its success at E-Week, Gumball Capital is ramping up its efforts and is taking its entrepreneurial microfinance model national. We are hosting the Gumball Challenge this November to raise funds and awareness for microfinance on college campuses across the country.
Gumball Capital is now officially incorporated and is well on its way to becoming a registered 501(c)(3) entity. With 20 people on staff, and over 25,000 gumballs, we're joining the global effort to tackle poverty!
Why Gumballs?
It's a metaphor for change. By placing a small amount of money in a gumball machine you allow a gumball to roll out. That one released gumball shifts all the remaining gumballs, moving them one step closer to the exit tunnel.
In a similar way, each developing-world entrepreneur lifted out of poverty through microfinance helps other members of his or her community by providing jobs, goods, and services. The entrepreneurs' increased income also goes to better health services and education for their families, breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty. Through the Gumball Fund and Microfinance Accelerators, we at Gumball Capital believe that even with a small amount of money, we can make a lot of change.
Every gumball counts. (And we've got 25,000 of them)
Microfinance!
Alleviating poverty
by providing
financial services
to the poor.
Read more...
Micro-donate.
pledge $20.00
to Gumball Capital.
pledge $25.00
to Gumball Capital.
pledge $20.00
to Gumball Capital.