Ross Baird
Bio
Ross developed the Village Capital concept in 2009, and has led the development of programs worldwide. Before launching Village Capital, he worked with First Light Ventures, a seed fund focused on impact investments. Prior to First Light, Ross worked on the development of four education-related start-up ventures: the Indian School Finance Company in Hyderabad, India; the National College Advising Corps in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and two ventures using technology to promote civic participation. He has a MPhil from the University of Oxford, where he was a Marshall Scholar, and a BA from the University of Virginia, where he was a Truman Scholar and a Jefferson Scholar.
To view Ross's LinkedIn profile please use this link: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/ross-baird/4/855/b56
All Ross's Posts:
Ross Baird says:
The most important article I've read in a while--telling of many of the pitfalls of the contemporary start-up scene in impact investing. The article's best point: profitability > revenue > funds raised, a simple equation that a lot of the noise in the fundraising world has drowned out.In Reference To:
37signals Earns Millions Each Year. Its CEO’s Model? His Cleaning Lady | Fast Company
Ross Baird says:
I've got a number of Google Alerts, and "social enterprise" is one of them. It's fascinating how it's about 50% CRM software, and 50% the industry we work in. An underappreciated dog-whistle tension that shows the power of language and terminology...In Reference To:
The attempt to trademark social enterprise is mystifying | Social enterprise network | Guardian Professional
Ross Baird says:
I found myself nodding vigorously at several parts of this article. I've long argued that in the social capital markets, the "build-quick-and-exit" mentality that works in consumer technology just doesn't apply, and this article outlines the DNA in founding teams that explains why.In Reference To:
Reversing the Decline in Big Ideas - Max Marmer - Harvard Business Review
Ross Baird says:
“When you try to run on just free enterprise, you’re really trying to sit on a one-legged stool,” he said. I'd like to see large, layered-capital infrastructure projects in the social capital markets discussion.In Reference To:
Andy Young pushes public-purpose capitalism | The Biz Beat
Ross Baird says:
Very thoughtful post by David Brooks: essentially, saying that micro-loans and cookstoves only go so far; you need real political progress to change the world; yet, young idealists are, ill-advisedly, shunning political institutions for social enterprise. I think he's right, in part. Folks my age don't have a lot of...In Reference To: