Venture Meets Mission
Aligning People, Purpose, and Profit to Innovate and Transform Society
Arun Gupta, Gerard George, Thomas J. Fewer
Imprint: Stanford Business Books
January 2024
280 Pages
Hardcover ISBN: 9781503636286
Ebook ISBN: 9781503637276
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The world is facing dramatic geopolitical, environmental, and technological shifts. Venture Meets Mission argues that if Business, Government, and Society come together, rebuild trust, and collaborate, we have a generational opportunity to address societal challenges—climate change, cybersecurity, disease outbreaks, food insecurity, and education. The book explains, with hope and passion, how our existing entrepreneurial ecosystem, with the ideals of democracy, can be the foundation for a new mission-driven capitalism.
The good news is the components of this problem-solving ecosystem already exist. The authors explain what is required to join people, purpose, and profit together for world-changing impact—starting with rebuilding trust among Business, Government, and Society. The authors draw on their leadership experience with Silicon Valley innovation, venture capital, and work at the highest levels of the federal government. The book tells engaging stories of successful entrepreneurs, with diverse perspectives and intersectional experiences, who combine mission and venture to solve critical societal problems. This book seeks to inspire a generation of students, young professionals, and entrepreneurial executives to pursue mission-driven ventures that can make the world a better place. Venture Meets Mission also explains why and how forward-thinking government officials and policymakers can harness private sector entrepreneurship and innovation to solve society's problems.
"The authors make a compelling case that the biggest challenges we face (climate change, national security, shared prosperity, etc.) will only be solved with a renewed partnership between government and entrepreneurs. Venture Meets Mission is filled with uplifting examples (e.g. NASA and SpaceX joining forces to regain U.S. leadership in space). The book inspires us to make these success stories the norm rather than the exception."
—Eric Schmidt, Former CEO, Google
"Brilliantly explains why we need to write new recipes to solve the problems of an increasingly complex world—and guides us on a search to find the key ingredients of empathy, innovation, public service, and entrepreneurship."
—José Andrés, Chef, Humanitarian, and Founder of World Central Kitchen
"Venture Meets Mission provides an aspirational roadmap for young professionals who want to make a meaningful difference in the world by building careers that balance purpose and profit"
—Indra Nooyi, Former CEO, PepsiCo
"As a former tech entrepreneur, and Governor, I've always believed in the power of venture-driven innovation, (coupled with the scale of government), to drive positive change. Venture Meets Mission is a compelling bipartisan call to action to address the biggest challenges of our time."
—Mark Warner, United States Senator and Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee
"The book's pragmatic strategies for entrepreneurial collaboration between sectors will drive positive impact and inspire changemakers in low wealth communities."
—Della Clark, President of The Enterprise Center, Partner at Innovate Capital Growth Fund
"Offers an important, timely road map and engaging examples to empower a generation of creative, mission-driven changemakers."
—Adam Grant, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author and Professor at Wharton Business School
"As a member of a generation reared on multiple financial crises, political instability, and a pandemic, I notice in myself and my peers a strong desire to reform the status quo. The message in Venture Meets Mission inspired me to pursue a mission-oriented career in the growing ecosystem of government-facing private ventures."
—Samsara Durvasula, Software Engineer, Computer Science Major, '20
"Gupta, George and Fewer have written a bold, exciting, and surprisingly optimistic book. Steering clear of the usual cliches about how business can either destroy or remake society, they show clearly and realistically that firms and entrepreneurs can work effectively, profitably, and purposefully, with government. The book will rekindle for many a sense of progress, and even of hope."
—Deborah Spar,Senior Associate Dean of Harvard Business School, Business in Global Society (BiGS)
"Venture Meets Mission highlights one of the key superpowers of democracies: mission-driven entrepreneurship. The authors paint a compelling picture of the future, one in which ventures and government can work together for national security and economic prosperity. This book is a must-read for anyone looking to merge their patriotism and purpose with profit."
—Michael McFaul, former US Ambassador to Russia; Director, Freeman Spogli Institute, Stanford
"The world is changing fast, and we need leaders who can adapt and innovate. Venture Meets Mission is an inspiring guide for the next generation of government officials and entrepreneurs. We worked across the aisle to bring the best ideas from Silicon Valley to Congress. This book is perfect for anyone who wants to make a difference and solve the most pressing problems of our time."
—US Representative Ro Khanna, United States Representative from California's 17th District
"The authors of Venture Meets Mission provide an inspiring roadmap for how we can rebuild trust among society, business, and government. It's the only way to address the big critical problems like climate change, food insecurity, and education. As someone who has worked on national security issues for over two decades, inspiring people to work on this generational opportunity is more important to me now than ever."
—Will Hurd, Former US Representative from Texas's 23rdDistrict
"A wake-up call for early- mid- and late-career professionals to seek purpose of action. As the conflict in Ukraine showed, effective coordination between entrepreneurs and government can greatly contribute to society AND enhance our national security."
—Lisa Disbrow,Former US Secretary of the Air Force
"I've launched eight Silicon Valley tech companies, but I've never done work more personally rewarding than helping NSF, NIH, DoD, and other government agencies learn how to innovate rapidly. Venture Meets Mission shows you how you can make the biggest difference, and have the most fulfilling years of your career, by serving your country at the intersection of technology, innovation, venture capital, and government."
—Steve Blank, Entrepreneur and Author of the Lean Startup
"Meeting societal challenges requires massive inflows of capital to improve our collective future. This book details how entrepreneurial ventures funded by private capital can combine profit with purpose. Venture capitalists can collaborate with government and other actors to bring amazing solutions to market in education, climate, agriculture and other critical sectors."
—Maya Chorengel, Co-Managing Partner, The Rise Fund, TPG
"Venture Meets Mission brings to life two powerful ideas: how to infuse a business with an inspiring mission and how working with the government can businesses profitably achieve their mission. It is a great read for anyone thinking about working with the government to build their business while contributing to the public good."
—Charles Rossotti, Co-Founder, CEO American Management Systems and Former Commissioner of IRS
"This book presents a simple but powerful message for anyone in my generation looking for meaning in their work: rather than thinking about your career decisions as a series of tradeoffs between profit and purpose, look for mission opportunities where you can have the most catalytic impact. As someone now inspired to build an agricultural venture in East Africa between the government and the private sector, this book is a valuable resource."
—Shiro Wachira, Student in the Freeman Spogli Institute, Stanford, '23; Innovation Fellow at Unlock Aid
"Venture Meets Mission: Aligning People, Purpose, and Profit to Innovate and Transform Society is a welcome and timely addition to personal, professional, community, corporate, and college/university library Contemporary Business Development & Entrepreneurship collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists."
—Midwest Book Review
"If you care about your nation and want to understand why entrepreneurs and government bureaucrats lock heads (or just ignore each other)—this is a must-read."
—John Pearson, Pails in Comparison
—Eric Schmidt, Former CEO, Google
"Brilliantly explains why we need to write new recipes to solve the problems of an increasingly complex world—and guides us on a search to find the key ingredients of empathy, innovation, public service, and entrepreneurship."
—José Andrés, Chef, Humanitarian, and Founder of World Central Kitchen
"Venture Meets Mission provides an aspirational roadmap for young professionals who want to make a meaningful difference in the world by building careers that balance purpose and profit"
—Indra Nooyi, Former CEO, PepsiCo
"As a former tech entrepreneur, and Governor, I've always believed in the power of venture-driven innovation, (coupled with the scale of government), to drive positive change. Venture Meets Mission is a compelling bipartisan call to action to address the biggest challenges of our time."
—Mark Warner, United States Senator and Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee
"The book's pragmatic strategies for entrepreneurial collaboration between sectors will drive positive impact and inspire changemakers in low wealth communities."
—Della Clark, President of The Enterprise Center, Partner at Innovate Capital Growth Fund
"Offers an important, timely road map and engaging examples to empower a generation of creative, mission-driven changemakers."
—Adam Grant, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author and Professor at Wharton Business School
"As a member of a generation reared on multiple financial crises, political instability, and a pandemic, I notice in myself and my peers a strong desire to reform the status quo. The message in Venture Meets Mission inspired me to pursue a mission-oriented career in the growing ecosystem of government-facing private ventures."
—Samsara Durvasula, Software Engineer, Computer Science Major, '20
"Gupta, George and Fewer have written a bold, exciting, and surprisingly optimistic book. Steering clear of the usual cliches about how business can either destroy or remake society, they show clearly and realistically that firms and entrepreneurs can work effectively, profitably, and purposefully, with government. The book will rekindle for many a sense of progress, and even of hope."
—Deborah Spar,Senior Associate Dean of Harvard Business School, Business in Global Society (BiGS)
"Venture Meets Mission highlights one of the key superpowers of democracies: mission-driven entrepreneurship. The authors paint a compelling picture of the future, one in which ventures and government can work together for national security and economic prosperity. This book is a must-read for anyone looking to merge their patriotism and purpose with profit."
—Michael McFaul, former US Ambassador to Russia; Director, Freeman Spogli Institute, Stanford
"The world is changing fast, and we need leaders who can adapt and innovate. Venture Meets Mission is an inspiring guide for the next generation of government officials and entrepreneurs. We worked across the aisle to bring the best ideas from Silicon Valley to Congress. This book is perfect for anyone who wants to make a difference and solve the most pressing problems of our time."
—US Representative Ro Khanna, United States Representative from California's 17th District
"The authors of Venture Meets Mission provide an inspiring roadmap for how we can rebuild trust among society, business, and government. It's the only way to address the big critical problems like climate change, food insecurity, and education. As someone who has worked on national security issues for over two decades, inspiring people to work on this generational opportunity is more important to me now than ever."
—Will Hurd, Former US Representative from Texas's 23rdDistrict
"A wake-up call for early- mid- and late-career professionals to seek purpose of action. As the conflict in Ukraine showed, effective coordination between entrepreneurs and government can greatly contribute to society AND enhance our national security."
—Lisa Disbrow,Former US Secretary of the Air Force
"I've launched eight Silicon Valley tech companies, but I've never done work more personally rewarding than helping NSF, NIH, DoD, and other government agencies learn how to innovate rapidly. Venture Meets Mission shows you how you can make the biggest difference, and have the most fulfilling years of your career, by serving your country at the intersection of technology, innovation, venture capital, and government."
—Steve Blank, Entrepreneur and Author of the Lean Startup
"Meeting societal challenges requires massive inflows of capital to improve our collective future. This book details how entrepreneurial ventures funded by private capital can combine profit with purpose. Venture capitalists can collaborate with government and other actors to bring amazing solutions to market in education, climate, agriculture and other critical sectors."
—Maya Chorengel, Co-Managing Partner, The Rise Fund, TPG
"Venture Meets Mission brings to life two powerful ideas: how to infuse a business with an inspiring mission and how working with the government can businesses profitably achieve their mission. It is a great read for anyone thinking about working with the government to build their business while contributing to the public good."
—Charles Rossotti, Co-Founder, CEO American Management Systems and Former Commissioner of IRS
"This book presents a simple but powerful message for anyone in my generation looking for meaning in their work: rather than thinking about your career decisions as a series of tradeoffs between profit and purpose, look for mission opportunities where you can have the most catalytic impact. As someone now inspired to build an agricultural venture in East Africa between the government and the private sector, this book is a valuable resource."
—Shiro Wachira, Student in the Freeman Spogli Institute, Stanford, '23; Innovation Fellow at Unlock Aid
"Venture Meets Mission: Aligning People, Purpose, and Profit to Innovate and Transform Society is a welcome and timely addition to personal, professional, community, corporate, and college/university library Contemporary Business Development & Entrepreneurship collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists."
—Midwest Book Review
"If you care about your nation and want to understand why entrepreneurs and government bureaucrats lock heads (or just ignore each other)—this is a must-read."
—John Pearson, Pails in Comparison
Arun Gupta is a venture capitalist, Lecturer at Stanford University, and Adjunct Entrepreneurship Professor at Georgetown University. He is CEO of NobleReach Foundation, which is focused on catalyzing and inspiring a renewed spirit of national service through innovation. Gerard (Gerry) George is the Tamsen and Michael Brown Family Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Georgetown University and Senior Advisor at TPG, a leading global alternative asset manager. Thomas J. Fewer is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Georgetown Entrepreneurship Initiative at Georgetown University and VP at NobleReach Foundation, focused on developing innovative talent programs to educate and inspire the next generation of mission-driven changemakers.
