Our Background

In 1997 Linda Rottenberg and Peter Kellner sat down and, like many entrepreneurs before and after, sketched their vision on the back of a napkin. Endeavor would be a new kind of non-profit organization, dedicated to High-Impact Entrepreneurship: Identifying and supporting the continued growth of a select group of entrepreneurs in emerging market countries, creating jobs and adding revenues that would lay the groundwork for a new attitude towards entrepreneurship in those societies.

Peter had just returned from a Harvard Business School trip to China, where he had witnessed first-hand the boom in entrepreneurship that would transform that country. For Linda, the light bulb moment for Endeavor came in the back of a taxi cab in Buenos Aires. She struck up a conversation with the driver and was shocked to learn he had a PhD in Engineering. She asked if he hadn’t considered becoming an entrepreneur instead of driving a taxi. “An empresario?” he said dismissively, using the Spanish word for a big businessman. It suddenly occurred to her that there was no Spanish word for “entrepreneur.”

People initially thought the concept of High-Impact Entrepreneurship in emerging markets was crazy. No one believed there were entrepreneurs in developing economies let alone mentors who would support them. A small but passionate team ultimately convinced business leaders in Latin America to dedicate not only their money, but also their time and networks to Endeavor and its entrepreneurs. South Africa came next, followed by Turkey and a succession of countries in the Middle East.

The “business plan” that began on the back of a napkin has become a shared vision, cultivated and expanded by board members, staff and entrepreneurs around the globe. Their passion and commitment have created a movement and transformed Endeavor into something far bigger than the founders could have imagined. Today, emprendedor is a well-known term throughout Spanish-speaking Latin America and, in Brazil, two new words – empreendedor and empreendedorismo – have been added to the Portuguese lexicon.

Guided by Global board chairman Edgar Bronfman, Jr. and recognized business leaders who chair each of our country affiliates, Endeavor is an organization of, by, and for entrepreneurs. Over 80% of our entrepreneurs give back to their local affiliates. Many have signed on to mentor the next generation. More than a dozen Endeavor Entrepreneurs now serve on our worldwide boards. Over 100,000 jobs have been created, billions of dollars contributed back into local economies and hundreds of role models now exist for young people in rapidly developing economies to pursue the path of entrepreneurship. The Endeavor Entrepreneurs continue to remind us that with the right resources, big ideas can happen and generate transformative change in economies around the world.