Profile | Kelly Evans

Great work!

Good to meet you Sage. Yes, it's great if we can transform bad fortune in to good fortune, by using our experiences as a template. My "self" is an example of a self, and my experiences may give me insight in to your experiences, or someone half way around the world. If I solve a problem for myself, is there a way I can make that solution available to others? Then can we extend that principle, making a platform allowing everyone to work together for mutual benefit, by solving their own problems, and improving their own life? This has been called "enlightened self interest."

We're on the same page. The problem you outlined is in large part the foundational thinking behind the business model of Selfport. Our idea is that, through a business structure, we can put in place tools that help people in every social strata to leverage rapid technological innovations (starting with social networks) to improve their lives and opportunities. As a small start up, we can move with agility, where large institutional forces can be slow to maneuver and change. At the same time, there is the possibility, starting from nothing, to grow at the rate Google did, if the product brings enough value to enough people. (BTW, a recent statistic: 3.2 billion people subscribe to cell phone service...the cell phone is the biggest selling thing ever.) The world is amazingly and increasingly connected. Soon we will be able to reach pretty much everyone and anyone, like a Facebook with the whole world on it. But what do we do with that connectivity? As you say, microfinance has proven very effective at getting resources for business development in to peoples' hands. But they must still come up with the business. What we're doing is creating the business making tool set, that is intended to allow anyone to succeed, with a wide variety of flexible business templates, as part of a social network.