Adam Braun is the Founder of Pencils of Promise, an award-winning organization that has broken ground on more than 200 schools across Africa, Asia and Latin America. PoP was founded with just $25 using Braun’s unique "For-Purpose" approach to blending nonprofit idealism with for-profit business principles. In 2012, he was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 List.

Braun began his career on Wall Street, until he met a young boy begging on the street and asked him what he wanted most in the world. The answer- "A pencil." Braun eventually left a dream job at Bain & Company to launch Pencils of Promise, which has since been recognized as a leader amongst the new guard of global nonprofits.

Braun graduated magna cum laude from Brown University, was one of the first ten World Economic Forum Global Shapers and has been featured at the United Nations, Clinton Global Initiative, and Wired Magazine’s Smart List of 50 People Changing the World.

His new book, "The Promise of a Pencil: How an Ordinary Person Can Create Extraordinary Change" will be released by Simon & Schuster at SXSW 2014.