WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO), the world’s leading peer-to-peer network of successful business leaders, has announced its pledge to support the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that include 17 goals and 169 targets to wipe out poverty, fight inequality and tackle climate change by 2030. The Washington DC’s Chapter President Marsha Ralls was in attendance at the UN announcement and signed the partnership on behalf of her company Closed Monday Productions, LLC and the EO DC Chapter.
This pledge was announced at a commemorative event held Monday, September 18, 2017 at the UN General Assembly’s main plaza during the 72nd session of the General Assembly, with a confluence of dignitaries and over 50 EO members from Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, India, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Jordan and the USA in attendance.
EO’s founder and EO DC’s 30th Anniversary Patron Verne Harnish, through the investment arm of Gazelles, has targeted funding to firms and their founders who are solving major issues in affordable housing (Barcelona Housing Systems), food production (Holganix), and early childhood education (Stories Alive). Last year his firm, working with the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard, hosted a major conference involving leadership from the UN, McKinsey, etc. addressing the affordable housing crisis around the globe and offering practical and scalable solutions.
“Today is the first step of many positive things to come and is the result of immense hard work put in by EO leadership,” said Ralls. “EO celebrates 30 years this year, and we believe supporting the UN’s SDGs will bring us closer together as a global organization committed toward changing the world for the better.”
The EO DC board has chosen SDG #4, “Quality Education,” as a commitment to another one of EO's values, “Thirst For Learning.” The EO DC chapter will collaborate with the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), in an Adopt a Class kickoff at Ballou High School on Oct 17, 2017.
The EO DC board is challenging every member within the organization to make a pledge to support at least one of the SDGs in 2017 and beyond. EO DC President Marsha Ralls, CEO of Closed Monday Productions, has chosen SDG #5 supporting Gender Equality. Her initiative will be to support female artists around the world with an exciting new Lifestyle Art App. Women artists are underrepresented in the global community and Closed Monday Productions, LLC plans to include over 250 at-risk women artists on the platform with special terms to support the sales of their art at the Lifestyle Art App launch.
"Cross-sector collaboration and inclusion is essential for the SDGs to be realized," said William Kennedy, Officer-in-Charge, United Nations Office for Partnerships. "The 17 SDGs not only represent an inspired vision and consensus of its UN Member States, they also provide a framework and roadmap to guide entrepreneurs everywhere, as they seek to define the values and higher purpose of their companies in contributing to sustainability and societal well-being. The commitment of EO and its global network of entrepreneurs to support the SDGs represents a tremendous example of business leadership in action and is very much welcomed."
EO’s pledge to support the SDGs further bolsters its commitment to social entrepreneurship and provides opportunities to impact the world among its global community of entrepreneurs. The UN and EO have common goals to solve the world’s problems and believe that entrepreneurs can play a huge part in solutions through businesses that truly make a mark on the world.
About the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO)
The Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) is a global, peer-to-peer network of more than 12,000+ influential business owners with 169 chapters in 52 countries. Founded in 1987, EO is the catalyst that enables leading entrepreneurs to learn and grow, leading to greater success in business and beyond. To learn more about EO, please visit: www.eonetwork.org.
About EO DC
The DC chapter of EO was founded in 1991 and is one of the largest chapters in the US. Through its core values: Boldly Go, Thirst for Learning, Make a Mark, Trust and Respect and 'Cool!' EO strives to build the world's most influential community of entrepreneurs.
