Postcards

Power Point: The relationship trumps the issue

"The relationship trumps the issue."

--Premal Shah, President of Kiva, the microfinance website that connects citizen lenders with entrepreneurs around the world. I interviewed Shah for Fortune's list of 40 under 40 in the current issue--he's No. 31 with Kiva CEO Matt Flannery.

While Shah's passion for microfinace drives him, it can also be a stumbling block. "Like a lot of entrepreneurs, and especially social entrepreneurs, I get pretty fired up and MORE

Power Point: You can't trade money for years

"I would give up all the money I have if I could be 50. You can always make money."

--David Rubenstein, managing director of the Carlyle Group, in the New York Times. One of America's more low-key buyout kings, Rubenstein celebrated his 60th birthday last month, prompting him to reflect that "I could be like the pharaohs and say, 'Bury me with my money.' Or I could start giving it away." MORE

Guest Post: Tory Burch on helping small businesses

by Tory Burch, co-founder and creative director, Tory Burch LLC

After working in public relations for Ralph Lauren (RL) and Vera Wang, Tory Burch started her own company in 2004 as a lifestyle concept with multiple product categories including ready-to-wear, handbags, shoes and jewelry. Her products are now sold in 19 freestanding Tory Burch boutiques across the U.S., www.toryburch.com, two outlets, and 450 department and specialty stores worldwide. In July, Mexico-based MORE

Guest Post: The value of volunteerism

Train your People and Do Good
by Barry Salzburg, CEO, Deloitte
Recently, I was sitting with several dozen inner-city teens, talking with them about college and careers. It was a free-wheeling conversation. I was peppered with questions—including, "How can I get your job?"
I left absolutely convinced that as a result of that session, at least one kid who otherwise would have missed going to college will, in fact, be going. Let me MORE

Power Point: Find someone to be successful for

"Find someone to be successful for."

-- Barack Obama in his speech to Arizona State University grads on Wednesday in Tempe, Arizona. He borrowed the phrase from an ASU engineering student who said that watching video of the people who would benefit from the medical devices she was designing, "made us want to be successful for them."

The President acknowledged that while many graduates might not know what they are going to MORE

Amex CEO Ken Chenault: Define reality and give hope

by Jessica Shambora

It's a given that when corporations suffer, so do the charitable groups that rely on them for support.

Amidst the financial crisis, many strapped non-profits face funding losses as the need for their services rises. And unlike their counterparts at for-profit corporations, not-for-profit execs haven't had the proper leadership training do what's needed -- restructuring, staff cuts, even mergers with other organizations. A recent study by Bridgespan Group shows MORE

Bits of inspiration to end the week

This is a short post on a Friday to close an inspiring week. I told you about going to the Time 100 gala on Tuesday evening. What a high. The biggest names there were influential women, starting with Oprah, who wrote the piece about Michelle Obama in the Time 100 issue. At the dinner, the First Lady talked about social entrepreneurship and the best-of-breed innovators, like Donors Choose, whom we MORE

Global mentoring program kicks off in DC

I'm on the run in Washington, following meetings at the White House yesterday and a spectacular "Most Powerful Women Evening With..." dinner that Fortune hosted on Monday night in the Benjamin Franklin Room at the State Department. We had eight U.S. Senators with us--including our speakers, Senators Barbara Boxer of California and Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas--and scores of women leaders, a touch of royalty (HM Queen Noor, who is MORE

Guest Post: Andrew Carnegie, version 2.0

By John Wood, Founder & Executive Chairman of Room to Read

Here's a quick history quiz. If someone mentions Andrew Carnegie, what image immediately comes to mind? Greedy capitalist union-busting robber baron? Benefactor of thousands of community libraries? Or both? No matter what people think of old Andy's business ethics, historians agree that Carnegie's focus on creating community libraries is one of MORE

Power Point: Give it up for a good cause

"We have all felt pain, but we can all do more. And doing something in a time like this is much more important."

--Sandy Weill in Tuesday's New York Times, on his decision to move forward on a $170 milion gift to Weill Cornell Medical College. The former Citigroup (C) CEO, who had already given $200 million to the school, had planned to give those extra millions posthumously. But as Cornell MORE