Nothing gives me greater inspiration than to uplift the spirits of someone who’s less fortunate. Living in modern America, we tend to take for granted the little things that simplify our lives. To us, having clean running water, and electricity to power our laptops is a minimum acceptable standard, even in the poorest of communities. Look around the world, however, and you’ll notice that 884 million people lack access to clean water and that every 20 seconds, a child dies from a water-related illness. Even more shocking is the fact that nearly a quarter of humanity still lacks electricity, forcing people in third world countries to prepare their food over wood fires. Few of us will ever understand the depth of those issues, and thankfully there are bold initiatives, like the Acumen Fund, who are ‘changing the way the world tackles poverty.’ After speaking with Acumen‘s Chief Innovation Officer, Sasha Dichter, I walked away understanding that ‘Poverty’ isn’t simply measured in currency, rather it’s about human dignity. At Acumen, they invest in the breakthrough ideas of social entrepreneurs who are inspired to make an impact. Here’s what you learn from them ….