I’ve spent the best days of my life
dancing with refugee girls in Nairobi
Kenya and I have to tell you when we’re
all out there dancing under the hot
kenyan sun with cool red dirt beneath
our feet it’s very obvious that I’m the
worst dancer of the bunch but no matter
how epically bad my dance moves are
these girls have danced joyfully
alongside me and loved me
unconditionally the few times I’ve been
able to visit them in Kenya and I’ve had
the great gift of loving them back the
very great gift
I’ve been philanthropic Lee committed to
supporting populations of vulnerable
women and girls since I was 22 years old
and right there in itself is a phrase
that I never thought I’d say I’m someone
who is philanthropic Lee committed to
something I mean come on but here’s the
thing philanthropy is expanding as a
term and what I’m proud of is that in my
first few days working in the world of
philanthropy in my early 20s I worked
with incredible mentors that helped me
start to reimagine what it could mean I
took my first job in philanthropy and
truth be told I spent hours in a Google
search trying to figure out whether or
not I worked in philosophy or ecology
turns out though when you do Google the
word philanthropy there’s little for
resources to the everyday person there’s
not a whole lot of inspiration either I
saw images of Bill Gates Warren Buffett
John Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie men
who I knew little of from my humble
upbringing in Massachusetts and whose
bank accounts had more zeroes than my
mind could even fathom truth is in those
first days I really felt like a fraud
showing up in that world and that work
and it took me a while to move through
it authentically but I kept showing up
because I felt like there had to be
something there for me there had to be
something for me in the world of
generosity that said fast-forward a few
months into my first days in this world
of philosophy excuse me philanthropy I
started to recognize that I was going to
get to go to a lot of fancy fundraising
events and one took place at the
Cipriani in New York City it was there
that I first met
Jennifer Buffett and she was to receive
a reward that night for her amazing work
as both a philanthropist and an activist
giving back to end violence against
women and girls all across the globe and
if you’ve never been to the Cipriani in
New York let me paint you a picture
crystal chandeliers hanging from the
65-foot sailing the finest linen in the
entire world adorns every table and in
addition to that the most affluent and
influential people of Manhattan are
studded throughout the room you can
imagine how overwhelming that was for
this kid from rural Massachusetts I was
pretty intimidated and anxious even more
so when Jennifer walked up to me
introduced herself shook my hand and
told me that my dress looked nice I have
to be honest I wanted to run out the
door but something told me to stay and
so I walked through that star-studded
room found my place at my table and I
stayed long enough to watch Jennifer
take the stage and share a speech that
although simple cut straight through to
me on that sparkling night philanthropy
Jennifer said at its root means the love
of all humanity I want each of you to
think about what that means for you
tonight and always I stop shaking in
that moment I stopped feeling like I was
just this silly kid from Massachusetts
in a room of brilliant wealthy adults if
philanthropy meant the love of humanity
I could do that I could love in fact
loving people was something that I had
done from a very young age
something that I cherished as a girl and
that was robbed of me when I became a
teenager you see in my late teens I was
forced out of my parents home for
believing that my life should be one of
giving away unconditional love I wanted
to be best friends with the cool gay guy
in fear arts class I wanted to date the
Latino basketball player who was funny
and new to town and needed friendship
and I wanted to be a shoulder to cry on
a friend when she unveiled a recent
abortion to all of these things for one
reason or another I was told no by my
parents but I didn’t want to judge these
people
I just wanted to love them this led to
one of the worst days of my young adult
life loading my childhood belongings on
to a friend’s pickup truck and driving
away to try and figure out the world on
my own I remember driving away that day
thinking you have to go there with how
this feels right now girl
and I sat with it the entire ride
feeling unwanted and unloved and knowing
that I had to feel the depth of that and
move through it if I wanted to still
come out on the other end able to make
people feel wanted and to make people
feel loved
because that was in my true nature and I
couldn’t deny it I found the antidote to
my pain in my first job in philanthropy
in Jennifer buffets wise words that
night at the Cipriani and in a vision
that I now carry that no matter who you
are if you’re feeling powerless hopeless
unloved or unwanted you can still find
ways to give through that calling myself
a philanthropist and claiming my
philanthropy it’s made all the
difference and in a world that is
rapidly changing and often frightening
for us to all be standing in I’m glad
that I’ve learned this so young I don’t
want us to feel powerless anymore I turn
on the TV and everything that I see on
CNN and in the news it scares me and I
know that a lot of people feel like that
you might be thinking Who am I what can
I do well it turns out you can do a
whole heck of a lot you just have to be
conscious and strategic with how you get
there I want to share three simple steps
with you today if you’re ready to feel
powerful in your own philanthropy and
claim it as your own and I want to start
with inviting you to know your true
story there’s a lot of talk out there
about understanding your passion or
unlocking your purpose but you really
can’t get there if you don’t face your
truth first I worked for years in
populations of vulnerable
girls because I didn’t want people to
know that at one point I had been one I
had to mull over ways in which I could
navigate that after sitting in it for
weeks and weeks to finally come out on
the other side and authentically bring
myself to the cause that I cared about
but once I did that I was sharing more
and giving more and the ultimate gift
was that my compassion increased both
for myself and for the girls that I was
working with so I invite you before you
think about passion or purpose to know
your true story to face your truth and
no matter how hard it is to move through
it so we can all come out on the other
side together secondly it might not
shock you that I’m going to talk about
money don’t be afraid to give away big
money I’ve had the most incredible
mentors in the world of philanthropy
remind me that this is a core thing we
need to shift philanthropy as a term
needs to become accessible to the
everyday person and the idea that needs
to be expanded but it takes all of us
together finding out how we serve and
being responsible in the way that we
give back to truly create the world that
we imagine so I’m definitely not someone
who can cut a million-dollar check but I
give away 10% of my net income every
year and let me tell you I’m
occasionally still eating avocado toast
thank you and I’m saving for retirement
so it is possible and perhaps one of the
best things that we can all do as the
world changes is get comfortable with
giving away big money we’re facing some
of the most critical social
environmental and economic issues that
the human race has ever faced and you
better believe I want to cut big checks
to the world that I see coming because I
want it to be a positive and fruitful
one lastly I want to invite you to map a
long-term vision plan if you’ve faced
your truth and if you are ready to cut a
big check and comfortable with it
chart the next decade that’s where I
think the fearlessness comes in I
recently went into an organization that
I’ve been working with for a few years
now and I said you will have all of my
time and talents you will have all of my
energy and network
and you will get $10,000 from me over
the next 10 years what can we build
together those conversations don’t
happen in our social change sector
because people are afraid to have them
and I’ve had them a lot of times and I
want to invite you to do the same so
every December 31st as an engaged board
member who fund raises I could have
check also for $1,000 does it scare me
yes does it make me feel like I’m in
control in a world that wants to me to
be out of it yes it does because I’m in
the driver’s seat and I’m sick of
feeling like I shouldn’t be the truth is
we are in control so I invite you to map
a long-term vision plan I love human
beings I’ve loved every single person
who has come into my life for both her
goodness and their flaws and I have to
say that moving through the world of
philanthropy sometimes it really makes
you question whether or not you belong
anywhere or whether or not you should
just curl up in a corner and cry and
leave it up to somebody else to figure
things out but what’s been the joint was
joyful thing for me and claiming my
philanthropy is recognizing that I
actually have the ability to make
massive shifts and massive change happen
on an everyday basis that’s a gift and I
think we often forget that we’re all
more powerful than we are powerless I
invite you in the coming days and weeks
to claim your philanthropy and I promise
that I’ll continue to do the same
alongside you thank you
[Applause]
dancing with refugee girls in Nairobi
Kenya and I have to tell you when we’re
all out there dancing under the hot
kenyan sun with cool red dirt beneath
our feet it’s very obvious that I’m the
worst dancer of the bunch but no matter
how epically bad my dance moves are
these girls have danced joyfully
alongside me and loved me
unconditionally the few times I’ve been
able to visit them in Kenya and I’ve had
the great gift of loving them back the
very great gift
I’ve been philanthropic Lee committed to
supporting populations of vulnerable
women and girls since I was 22 years old
and right there in itself is a phrase
that I never thought I’d say I’m someone
who is philanthropic Lee committed to
something I mean come on but here’s the
thing philanthropy is expanding as a
term and what I’m proud of is that in my
first few days working in the world of
philanthropy in my early 20s I worked
with incredible mentors that helped me
start to reimagine what it could mean I
took my first job in philanthropy and
truth be told I spent hours in a Google
search trying to figure out whether or
not I worked in philosophy or ecology
turns out though when you do Google the
word philanthropy there’s little for
resources to the everyday person there’s
not a whole lot of inspiration either I
saw images of Bill Gates Warren Buffett
John Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie men
who I knew little of from my humble
upbringing in Massachusetts and whose
bank accounts had more zeroes than my
mind could even fathom truth is in those
first days I really felt like a fraud
showing up in that world and that work
and it took me a while to move through
it authentically but I kept showing up
because I felt like there had to be
something there for me there had to be
something for me in the world of
generosity that said fast-forward a few
months into my first days in this world
of philosophy excuse me philanthropy I
started to recognize that I was going to
get to go to a lot of fancy fundraising
events and one took place at the
Cipriani in New York City it was there
that I first met
Jennifer Buffett and she was to receive
a reward that night for her amazing work
as both a philanthropist and an activist
giving back to end violence against
women and girls all across the globe and
if you’ve never been to the Cipriani in
New York let me paint you a picture
crystal chandeliers hanging from the
65-foot sailing the finest linen in the
entire world adorns every table and in
addition to that the most affluent and
influential people of Manhattan are
studded throughout the room you can
imagine how overwhelming that was for
this kid from rural Massachusetts I was
pretty intimidated and anxious even more
so when Jennifer walked up to me
introduced herself shook my hand and
told me that my dress looked nice I have
to be honest I wanted to run out the
door but something told me to stay and
so I walked through that star-studded
room found my place at my table and I
stayed long enough to watch Jennifer
take the stage and share a speech that
although simple cut straight through to
me on that sparkling night philanthropy
Jennifer said at its root means the love
of all humanity I want each of you to
think about what that means for you
tonight and always I stop shaking in
that moment I stopped feeling like I was
just this silly kid from Massachusetts
in a room of brilliant wealthy adults if
philanthropy meant the love of humanity
I could do that I could love in fact
loving people was something that I had
done from a very young age
something that I cherished as a girl and
that was robbed of me when I became a
teenager you see in my late teens I was
forced out of my parents home for
believing that my life should be one of
giving away unconditional love I wanted
to be best friends with the cool gay guy
in fear arts class I wanted to date the
Latino basketball player who was funny
and new to town and needed friendship
and I wanted to be a shoulder to cry on
a friend when she unveiled a recent
abortion to all of these things for one
reason or another I was told no by my
parents but I didn’t want to judge these
people
I just wanted to love them this led to
one of the worst days of my young adult
life loading my childhood belongings on
to a friend’s pickup truck and driving
away to try and figure out the world on
my own I remember driving away that day
thinking you have to go there with how
this feels right now girl
and I sat with it the entire ride
feeling unwanted and unloved and knowing
that I had to feel the depth of that and
move through it if I wanted to still
come out on the other end able to make
people feel wanted and to make people
feel loved
because that was in my true nature and I
couldn’t deny it I found the antidote to
my pain in my first job in philanthropy
in Jennifer buffets wise words that
night at the Cipriani and in a vision
that I now carry that no matter who you
are if you’re feeling powerless hopeless
unloved or unwanted you can still find
ways to give through that calling myself
a philanthropist and claiming my
philanthropy it’s made all the
difference and in a world that is
rapidly changing and often frightening
for us to all be standing in I’m glad
that I’ve learned this so young I don’t
want us to feel powerless anymore I turn
on the TV and everything that I see on
CNN and in the news it scares me and I
know that a lot of people feel like that
you might be thinking Who am I what can
I do well it turns out you can do a
whole heck of a lot you just have to be
conscious and strategic with how you get
there I want to share three simple steps
with you today if you’re ready to feel
powerful in your own philanthropy and
claim it as your own and I want to start
with inviting you to know your true
story there’s a lot of talk out there
about understanding your passion or
unlocking your purpose but you really
can’t get there if you don’t face your
truth first I worked for years in
populations of vulnerable
girls because I didn’t want people to
know that at one point I had been one I
had to mull over ways in which I could
navigate that after sitting in it for
weeks and weeks to finally come out on
the other side and authentically bring
myself to the cause that I cared about
but once I did that I was sharing more
and giving more and the ultimate gift
was that my compassion increased both
for myself and for the girls that I was
working with so I invite you before you
think about passion or purpose to know
your true story to face your truth and
no matter how hard it is to move through
it so we can all come out on the other
side together secondly it might not
shock you that I’m going to talk about
money don’t be afraid to give away big
money I’ve had the most incredible
mentors in the world of philanthropy
remind me that this is a core thing we
need to shift philanthropy as a term
needs to become accessible to the
everyday person and the idea that needs
to be expanded but it takes all of us
together finding out how we serve and
being responsible in the way that we
give back to truly create the world that
we imagine so I’m definitely not someone
who can cut a million-dollar check but I
give away 10% of my net income every
year and let me tell you I’m
occasionally still eating avocado toast
thank you and I’m saving for retirement
so it is possible and perhaps one of the
best things that we can all do as the
world changes is get comfortable with
giving away big money we’re facing some
of the most critical social
environmental and economic issues that
the human race has ever faced and you
better believe I want to cut big checks
to the world that I see coming because I
want it to be a positive and fruitful
one lastly I want to invite you to map a
long-term vision plan if you’ve faced
your truth and if you are ready to cut a
big check and comfortable with it
chart the next decade that’s where I
think the fearlessness comes in I
recently went into an organization that
I’ve been working with for a few years
now and I said you will have all of my
time and talents you will have all of my
energy and network
and you will get $10,000 from me over
the next 10 years what can we build
together those conversations don’t
happen in our social change sector
because people are afraid to have them
and I’ve had them a lot of times and I
want to invite you to do the same so
every December 31st as an engaged board
member who fund raises I could have
check also for $1,000 does it scare me
yes does it make me feel like I’m in
control in a world that wants to me to
be out of it yes it does because I’m in
the driver’s seat and I’m sick of
feeling like I shouldn’t be the truth is
we are in control so I invite you to map
a long-term vision plan I love human
beings I’ve loved every single person
who has come into my life for both her
goodness and their flaws and I have to
say that moving through the world of
philanthropy sometimes it really makes
you question whether or not you belong
anywhere or whether or not you should
just curl up in a corner and cry and
leave it up to somebody else to figure
things out but what’s been the joint was
joyful thing for me and claiming my
philanthropy is recognizing that I
actually have the ability to make
massive shifts and massive change happen
on an everyday basis that’s a gift and I
think we often forget that we’re all
more powerful than we are powerless I
invite you in the coming days and weeks
to claim your philanthropy and I promise
that I’ll continue to do the same
alongside you thank you
[Applause]
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