Mission Driven at Startup Speed: A New Playbook for Philanthropic Capital

Philanthropy is increasingly borrowing from venture and open-source models — prioritizing speed, transparency, and proximity to the people it serves. This panel brings together foundation leaders who are rethinking the fundamentals: shorter funding cycles that enable rapid learning, ROI frameworks that guide decisions rather than constrain them, and collaborative models that invite educators and learners to help co-create public goods. Drawing on lessons from open-source communities and organizations, speakers will discuss how philanthropy can act with agility even without perfect data, break out of silos, and translate good intentions into meaningful progress at scale.