TEDxSaltLakeCity - Beau Seil - Solving Social Problems Profitably June 21, 2011

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Beau Seil, Managing Partner of Unitus Impact, discusses principles for solving complex social problems with for-profit solutions.

Beau is responsible for generating deal flow and evaluating investment opportunities for Unitus Impact ("UI"), a new for-profit investment firm spun-out of the non-profit Unitus, Inc. (www.unitus.com). UI works on livelihood acceleration for those at the Bottom of the Economic Pyramid in Asia (especially India) and Africa by building scalable and sustainable enterprises. It finds, funds and collaborates with entrepreneurs who are creating innovative, market-based solutions that "un-game" systems on behalf of the poor. UI's livelihood acceleration model supports enterprises that increase incomes, create jobs and deliver significant value to the working poor, at the very beginning of supply chains in agribusiness, SME finance and microfranchising. UI deploys capital in innovative ways to grow and scale businesses that expand economic opportunities for the working poor and revolutionize livelihood development throughout the world.

Prior to the launch of UI, Beau was a Principal at Capital Impact where he worked extensively on the Sorenson Housing Opportunity Fund, a private equity fund focused on developing India's affordable housing ecosystem. Over the past four years, he also spent significant time in China leading Capital Impact's outreach in the PRC and monitoring Capital Impact's investment in Micro Benefits (www.weibangfuli.com), a company that provides credit and other life-enhancing products and services to Chinese frontline factory workers. Additionally, he has been highly involved in launching a new specialty finance company in China that will provide financing to growing Chinese businesses.

Beau is co-chair of the Impact Investing Initiative at Brigham Young University's Ballard Center for Economic Self-Reliance, an advisory board member for Ashoka's Youth Venture -- San Francisco Bay Area, and an educational advisor to the E3 Fund -- a new San Francisco Bay Area venture fund providing experiential learning opportunities in private equity and venture capital to minority college students in the Bay Area. Beau holds a JD / MBA-Finance and B.S. in Psychology from Brigham Young University.

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