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Interviewing For Impact Co-Founder: How to Raise $2 Billion

Daniel Epstein March 17, 2010

This may have been my favorite interview yet.
Last July, I had the pleasure of traveling to Columbus, Ohio to attend the For Impact Funding Bootcamp, a rigorous 2-day training program on how to raise the funds you need to make your vision a reality. My teammate Nikhil and I left utterly and completely inspired. That’s what Tom Suddes, the Co-Founder and Chief Evangelist of For Impact, and his team do best: inspire. If you combine that with the fact that Tom has made 6,000 asks in the past 35 years and started 19 companies of his own, you might be able to see why For Impact has helped organizations they work with raise over $2 billion in funds.
Now you know why we invited Tom and the For Impact team to be mentors at The Unreasonable Institute.
I hopped on Skype with Tom to drill him about how on earth you raise $2 billion and start 19 companies. Here’s what he had to say!

Video Interview Table of  Contents:

  1. What’s your background and what is For Impact? (0:01-0:39)
  2. You’ve raised $2 billion in funds. How did you do that? (0:40-1:57)
  3. How many asks have you made? What have you learned from those asks? (1:58-3:52)
  4. What are 3 big reasons people don’t ask? (3:53-5:55)
  5. So then, what are the 3 keys to making an ask? (5:56-8:39)
  6. What advice do you have for aspiring social entrepreneurs? (8:40-10:51)

Thanks so much Tom! Learn more about For Impact at www.forimpact.org.

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