What was the inspiration for starting GlobalGiving?
GlobalGiving founders Mari Kuraishi and Dennis Whittle began working together while at the World Bank, initially collaborating on the Bank’s Russia program. In 1998, they were asked to lead the World Bank’s Corporate Strategy Group. While in that post, they created the first-ever Innovation Marketplace for Bank staff in 1998 and the worldwide Development MarketPlace in 2000. The Innovation Marketplace was an internal competition where Bank employees were asked to pitch their own ideas for fighting poverty worldwide. The “winners” were given grants to go make their ideas happen. The competition resulted in some of the most innovative ideas and most effective programs the bank has done. The Development Marketplace took the competition to the outside world and enabled any social entrepreneur in the world to compete for Bank funds. After the awards were announced at the World Bank’s 2000 Development Marketplace a South African woman who was not awarded a grant approached Dennis and asked w
