Founded in 2005, Grameen World facilitated the introduction of Whole Foods Market’s Whole Planet Foundation to Grameen and the launch of Grameen Trust
staffed projects in Costa Rica and Guatemala with more to come. Grameen World America will develop and execute a Grameen Trust
staffed replication providing loans and savings programs and other services to the poor in the United States. Grameen World
is working to launch additional Grameen Trust staffed replications in other countries. Grameen World will expand its activities
within the United States and throughout the world to enable and empower the poorest of the poor to become free and responsible
individuals, moving themselves beyond survival and basic human dignity to flourish at all levels of human potential.
Dr. Yunus is a founding
member of the Whole Planet Foundation. In October 2006, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, together with the Bank he founded,
Grameen Bank for "their efforts to create economic and social development from below." The Grameen Bank and Grameen
Trust provides the poorest of Bangladesh and in other countries with microloans. Dr. Yunus began Grameen Bank with an objective
of helping poor women break out of the cycle of poverty and his solution to world poverty is founded on the belief that credit
is a fundamental human right and that with access to capital and financial principles, the poor will help themselves. Grameen
Bank has provided over 6 billion dollars to 7 million people in rural Bangladesh. Today more than 250 institutions in over
100 countries operate microcredit programs based on the Grameen methodology, placing Grameen at the forefront of a world movement
to eradicate poverty through microlending.
Muhammad Yunus was born in Bangladesh. He was educated at Dhaka University
and was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to study economics at Vanderbilt. In 1972, he became head of the economics department
at Chittagong University. He is the founder and managing director of Grameen Bank and Grameen Trust, among other businesses.
VidarJorgensen
Vidar Jorgensen is the Chairman of the World Health
Care Congress and majority owner of seven health care industry focused research and conference companies, which in turn own
and manage over 300 conferences and several membership-based research groups focused on biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, health
care, insurance, financial services, and infrastructure development. The World Health Care Congress is co-sponsored by The
Wall Street Journal and can be seen at www.worldcongress.com. He is a supporter of microfinance in general and various Grameen
related projects in particular. He resides in Concord, Massachusetts with his wife Kathy. They have three adult children:
Loren, Nicholas and Kristen.
ProfessorH.I.Latifee
Professor Latifee
is the Managing Director of Grameen Trust, Dhaka, which has provided financial and technical support in 37 countries. Before
joining Grameen Trust in 1994, he was working in the University of Chittagong as a Professor of Economics.
As a
result of his experience with Grameen Bank, Grameen Trust and Grameen partners worldwide, Professor Latifee is considered
an expert in the area of Microfinance. He is a winner of Business Week's Stars of Asia Award, 2001 for his leadership
in the field of microcredit and poverty alleviation.
Professor Latifee serves as on the Boards of Grameen Samogri,
Grameen Shakti, Grameen Communication, Grameen Bebsha Bikash, Bangladesh and Nirdhan Utahan Bank, Ltd.
Board
of Directors
As an independent, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, the Whole Planet Foundation has
its own Board of Directors which includes the following individuals:
JohnMackey
Chairman and CEO of
Whole Foods Market and Chairman of the Board for Whole Planet Foundation
Whole Foods is one of the top
12 supermarket companies in America and the world's largest natural foods retail chain - it has been named one of "Fortune
100 Best Companies To Work For" every year since 1998 and with $5.7 billion sales is a Fortune 500 company. In addition,
Mackey created the Whole Planet Foundation, in order to create economic partnerships with the poor in those developing-world
communities that supply Whole Foods Market stores with product. Through innovative assistance for entrepreneurship - primarily
direct microcredit loans - the Foundation seeks unleash the energy and creativity of every human being in order to create
wealth and prosperity in emerging economies.
In 1978, at the age of 25, Mackey was bitten by the entrepreneurial
bug. Borrowing $10,000 from his father and raising the first few thousand of what would eventually become hundreds of millions
of dollars in equity investments, he co-founded Safer Way Natural Foods with his girlfriend Renee Lawson. Two years later,
in 1980, he and Renee teamed up with two other young entrepreneurs to create Whole Foods Market, a 10,000 square foot store
on Lamar Boulevard in Austin. This store, one of the very first supermarket-style natural foods stores in the country, thrived.
With his fierce sense of competition, staunch support for a decentralized and team-based structure, keen understanding
of consumer trends and endless supply of innovative ideas, Mackey gradually built Whole Foods Market into a powerhouse. By
the end of 2003, the natural foods industry was more than $25 billion in size, a development Mackey sees as good for all concerned,
especially Planet Earth. Whole Foods Market now has 187 stores in the US, Canada, and the UK. The goal is to be a $10 billion
company by 2010.
In addition, John Mackey was named the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2003 - an award
given to the leaders and creators who build and sustain world-class businesses that are a testament to vision, leadership,
achievement, and social responsibility. Mackey was named as the Entrepreneur of 2003 in recognition for his outstanding entrepreneurial
achievement of successfully building Whole Foods into the world's largest retailer of natural and organic foods.
Mr. Mackey is a strong believer in Libertarian and free market principles and empowerment management and his creation of
the Whole Planet Foundation is an embodiment of that belief, impacting the lives of thousands of women around the globe by
providing them with access to financial capital.
He and his wife, Deborah, both practice meditation and yoga, and
spend as much time as they can on their 720 acre ranch west of Austin. John still reads books of all kinds voraciously, and
participates in two monthly book clubs. He is always up for a lively debate about politics, economics, history or sports.
Michael Besancon, an entrepreneur and environmental advocate,
has spent most of his career in the business of providing natural and organic foods to a population craving a healthier lifestyle.
In 1970 he built, owned and operated Follow Your Heart Natural Foods in Canoga Park, CA. At that time it was the largest
natural food store on the West Coast. The line of vegan products he developed back then is still sold in natural food stores
throughout the nation. In 1990 he established a food brokerage firm, representing vendors throughout the U.S. He joined Whole
Foods Market in 1994 as Director of Purchasing in the Southern Pacific Region and was promoted to Regional Vice President
two years later. In 1998 he became President of the Company's Mid Atlantic Region. He returned to his home town in 2001
as President of the Southern Pacific Region, an area that encompasses Southern California, Arizona and Nevada.
Michael
chairs Whole Foods Market's National Green Mission Task Force and has helped the Company lead the charge for environmentally
sustainable practices which range from promoting sustainable agriculture and creating farm animal treatment standards to store
recycling and composting programs. In January 2006, Whole Foods Market announced a landmark purchase of renewable energy credits
from wind farms to offset 100% of the electricity used in all of its U.S. offices, stores and facilities. This is the largest
wind energy credit purchase in the history of North America and makes Whole Foods Market the only Fortune 500 Company to do
so.
Michael believes that by choosing natural and organic foods and creating environmental awareness, companies
and consumers alike are able to do their part to make a healthier planet.
GlendaChamberlain
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Whole Foods Market
Glenda Chamberlain began her work with Whole Foods Market in 1988. During her tenure, she has
played a major role in the growth of the company as it has grown from six stores in 1988 to the almost 200 stores with $4.7
billion in sales in fiscal year 2005. Prior to Whole Foods Market, Chamberlain held positions in public accounting, retail
and business consulting. She holds a B.B.A. in accounting from the University of Texas.
RobertaLang
Vice President and General Counsel, Whole
Foods Market
Roberta Lang serves as Vice President of Legal Affairs and General Counsel
for Whole Foods Market, Inc., a fortune 500 company and the world's largest retailer of natural and organic foods. Headquartered
in Austin, Texas, Ms. Lang is responsible for a broad scope of corporate legal functions for the entire company and its 42,000
employees. Ms. Lang works closely with the Whole Foods Market Executive and National Leadership Teams, as well as with Regional
Coordinators and Team Members. Her team provides a variety of services and counsel ranging from intellectual property to mergers
and acquisitions. She has been recognized three times as a Whole Foods Market "All*Star", the Company's highest
honor, for her overall outstanding performance as a dedicated, tireless team member who brings incredible intellect, seasoned
perspective, understanding and balance to her professional life.
Prior to joining Whole Foods Market, Roberta practiced
law in the Chicago area. She has been a legal consultant to several international corporations and has chaired both business
and tax related bar association committees as well as serving as an arbitration judge. She is a board member of the Whole
Planet Foundation as well as the Animal Compassion Foundation. She is currently listed in Who's Who of American Law and
in the Who's Who of American Business. She earned her undergraduate degree at Indiana University and her Juris Doctorate
from the Valpraiso University School of Law.
WalterRobb
Co-President and Chief Operating Officer, Whole
Foods Market
With a long history in the natural foods business as a retailer and
consultant, Walter Robb joined Whole Foods Market in December 1991. He opened and operated the Mill Valley store until his
promotion to president of the Northern Pacific region in July 1993. Under Robb, the region grew from two to 17 stores, and
four acquisitions were completed during his tenure. Robb also served a two-year term as a member of the Board of Directors
of the Organic Trade Association. Robb is currently co-president of Whole Foods Market and oversees six of the company's
11 regions. He serves on the board of directors for both The Organic Center and Pot Belly Sandwich Works. Robb was named a
member of Natural Foods Merchandiser's initial Dream Team in 1990. He graduated from Stanford University in 1976.
JeffTeter
President/General
Manager, Allegro Coffee Company
Jeff joined Allegro Coffee Company three years ago.
He brought with him more than 20 years of consumer packaged goods and beverage experience, most recently as Division Vice
President at Constellation Brands. At CB, he revitalized several mature brands and introduced a series of new products significantly
improved bottom line performance for the company. Before that, he was President of Snapple Beverages of NYC, a subsidiary
of Quaker Oats Company. From 1984 to 1995, Jeff was employed by Pepsi Cola Company, where he assumed marketing, sales and
operational roles of increasing responsibility in different markets across the U.S.
Jeff joined Allegro to find
a company closely connected to their roots, with the highest quality standards and a dedicated team member group that thoroughly
enjoys and supports the spirit of the company.
LeeValkenaar
Executive Vice President of Global Support,
Whole Foods Market
Lee Valkenaar served as president of the Mid-Atlantic Region from
March 2001 through September 2004. Valkenaar has held various positions with the Company since 1987, including store team
leader, vice president and president of the Southwest Region. In 2004, Whole Foods Market bolstered its executive management
team to focus on purchasing, marketing, and team member services by adding the newly created position of executive vice president
of global support to which Valkenaar was named.
MargaretWittenberg
Vice President of Communications &
Quality Standards, Whole Foods Market
Margaret Wittenberg Vice President of
Quality Standard & Public Relations, Whole Foods Market A nationally recognized expert on sustainable agriculture
with more than 25 years of experience in the natural and organic foods industry, Margaret Wittenberg joined Whole Foods Market
in 1981. She provides guidance to the company in quality assurance, food safety, livestock animal welfare, governmental issues,
food and nutrition education, and corporate communication. In addition to her participation on numerous government environmental
advisory boards, Wittenberg played an integral role in the creation of the 2002 National Organic Standards during her 5-year
term on the USDA National Organic Standards Board, and currently serves on Marine Stewardship Council Board of Trustees and
the Animal Compassion Foundation. Her fourth book on the topic of food and nutrition, New Good Food: Essential Ingredients
for Cooking and Eating Well, was released in fall 2007. Prior to her tenure at Whole Foods Market, Wittenberg owned and
operated a natural foods market in Wisconsin.
Grameen Trust countries: Bangladesh 65 , Afghanistan, Bolivia, Bosnia, China, Cameroon, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic 5, East Timor 5, El Salvador, Ecuador 5, Guatemala, India 65 , Indonesia, Korea, Kosovo 65, Krygyzatan, Mauratania, Mynamar, Mexico, Malaysia, Nepal 4 , Nigeria, Pakistan 4, Philippines, Samoa, Senegal, Tanzania, Turkey 6 4, Uganda 5 legislative, Vietnam 5, Zambia 55bis
please tell me if this bookmark doesnt work - you will be intercepted by a microsoft club that promises
well for creative capitalism
We call it bookclub2 as back in november, our world entrepreneur friends met in a collaboration cafe in St James London; our community of practice decision being to urgently form a 1000 person bookclub network around yunus
as he asked the world to use the maps that microcredit used for 30 years to become the most trusted service in the global
market of credit banking to any other global market that could do with a human sustaining leader
I spent
my christmas travelling and my first week of 2008 in Dhaka asking him whether he wished his new social ABC network to be even
bigger than microcreditsummit and the 100 million families that has taken out of poverty - he smiled and said why not in the
way that only YUnUS 12 can
The challenge is yunus can only spare 5 of his top
people from the 30000 of Grameen's Grassroots organisation to offer open source support and if my dad's analysis
of 24 years ago is correct after being the most prolific writer of leaders at The Economist - we dont have another 30 years to change global economics and sustain our race; they seemed to agree on that when
Dr Yunus was kind enough to be guest of honor at a 30 person party last month in London's St James for dad in his 85 th year so in effect yunus offers the system transformation maps that Einstein bet odds against humanity networking around in time
...calling all YUnUS virtual whizzes
who can help weave world citizen networks entrepreneurially around YUnUS. Calling all twin nation confidence and love to cross-culturally bridge real and virtual modes whilst
working out brilliant but simple social business models -those designed to spin how employee relationship flows the most
purposeful way round goodwill's that only hi-trust organisational systems can sustain. Picture a whole truth 10-win game may often happen to be the exact opposite direction than making as much speculative money. In this 21st Century
we urgemntly need to grup much smarter and safer than the conflicts that bubbled up into crashing subprime http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r VPabnBpEis or dotcoms or carbon energy if its mismanagement in rich worlds washes away the poorest, or what food chains have
been lost where fish that were once the most nutrient-rich food on the planet http://wholeplanet.tv
If you
do order a book, do tell us so we know which microsoft bookclub you are in - yunus is only one of a handful of visionary choices
on microsoft's table though as you have probably heard by now its the only book Bill Gates has been keeping top of his lap
When transformation calls for 7 changes in sustainability crises in one - heroic collaboration is called for -will you join us?
