Nuru International is the vision of Jake Harriman (CEO) and his friend John Hancox (Board Chairman), and was shaped by the innovation engine of Stanford University. Inspired by Jake’s vision, teams of Stanford GSB students joined together with top academics, social sector experts and humanitarian practitioners to conduct exhaustive studies of dozens of top humanitarian non-governmental organizations (NGOs). They identified best practices, key learnings, and cutting edge theories in a range of areas. When this research was analyzed they concluded that certain best practices work much better than others, and that by flexibly applying those practices in partnership with an empowered community, the poor can actually lift themselves out of extreme poverty.