During 2017 we marked ten years of Spark Ventures – ten years of empowering communities and collaborating with incredible partners globally and locally to make a powerful impact on the lives of thousands. We have supported programming that has touched the lives of thousands of future leaders in Zambia, Nicaragua and now Mexico. And, we have traveled with over 500 individuals to see our work in action – inspiring and transforming these individuals through cultural immersion and community engagement with our local partners.
While this year has brought a lot of big-picture reflecting on a full decade of impact, 2017 also brought some of its own powerful milestones:
We launched a new partnership with an incredible organization in Mexico. EntreAmigos is a vibrant community center serving over 1000 individuals and families each month. We can’t wait for more of the Spark Ventures community to visit EntreAmigos – we know you are going to be inspired by their work.
In Zambia, thanks to our ongoing partnership with Lincoln Park Preschool and Kindergarten, we were able to launch a brand new preschool program. This initiative significantly expands the educational programming of Hope Community School and provides early childhood education to a community that had little access to this type of powerful program before.
And, thanks to the strong foundation laid with 10+ years facilitating powerful travel experiences to visit our partner organizations, Spark Ventures was excited to support the launch of our sister-company Ignite. Ignite will expand the audience for journeys to our partner communities that connect, transform and inspire.
2017 also brought a leadership transition for Spark Ventures with the addition of Kristin Schrepferman as Managing Director. She joined the team in early October and hit the ground running, with a whirlwind tour of our 3 partners in 3 months. Learn more about Kristin’s background in this interview on our blog.
We hope you enjoy learning more about these accomplishments and more in this digital annual report.
Reflecting on 10 years of dedication to empowering communities, we are proud of what we have achieved and are eager for what is to come. We are humbled to have you – the Spark Ventures community – alongside us as we advance this work together.
