Unreasonable Goals is a first of its kind initiative with the singular focus of accelerating the ability to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by operating at the nexus of government policy, finance, multinationals, and the world’s most promising impact entrepreneurs. This matters because every year, more than $120 billion is spent in international development assistance, yet this system has yet to produce the game-changing results we all know are needed. Unreasonable Goals is designed to bring new problem solvers to the table: profitable entrepreneurs with cutting edge technologies that can, in partnership with governments and select multinationals worldwide, measurably, and with financially sustainable models, achieve the SDGs.
During its first year, this initiative cohort of 16 world-changing ventures hailed from all over the globe with operations spanning a variety of sectors, disciplines, and markets – from managing direct trade cacao sourcing and distribution in Guatemala, to producing off-grid wave powered clean energy in Australia, to operating the first Fair Trade Apparel company on the continent of Africa. Collectively the cohort positively impacts the lives of over 8.1 million individuals directly and in a measurably way and has operations and sales reaching 68 countries. Furthermore, the 16 ventures represent the job-creators of tomorrow around sustainable industries and actively support more than 2,000 jobs. The cohort has raised $170.9 million in collective funding since the program’s launch in July 2017. These 16 entrepreneurs were uniquely positioned to each solve one of the first 16 SDGs.
This initiative runs annually through 2030 and each year hosts the program in partnership with a new international government. The ultimate aim is to create a program where innovative entrepreneurs, governments, and multinational corporations can all collaborate towards the goal of ending global poverty, in all its forms. The project’s vision is that each SDG is intertwined in such a way that none can be solved individually or in silos.