Imagine Being a Billionaire
It's not the zeros in the bank account, it's how you choose to make an impact
Imagine being a billionaire able to build a global university of the world’s most deserving & inspiring scholars.
(Question: have any done that??)
While my bank account lacks the many zeroes that would allow this dream, I can still be like a billionaire.
That’s my headline from this weekend in Da Nang, Vietnam at the annual U-GO Global Summit.
We were the scholars, partners, and braintrust that essentially IS a global university.
In just three years of existence, U-GO (www.ugouniversity.org) has funded the university education of more than 4300 inspiring young women across 9 countries (Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Tanzania, and Vietnam).
My favorite part (always) is spending time with the scholars. Each has a story of why family and societal pressures would NOT have them continuing school.
They share their stories eloquently and willingly—not for sympathy, but as backdrop to why they are so optimistic about the future.
It makes ME optimistic.
U-GO has 15 in-country partners responsible for identifying and supporting the scholars.
The due diligence by U-GO with partners—and the partners’ diligence on scholar selection—is on par with the rigorous investment and university processes you might be familiar with.
Finally, there’s my fellow global connectors and doers. I’m inspired by your brains, tenacity and heart.
We share a belief:
Talent is universal.
Opportunity is not.
I leave the weekend with a powerful realization.
Coming together—as scholars, partners and a global U-GO team—we hold the power of billionaires.
This is why I chose U-GO to receive paid subscriptions to Let’s Venture—an easy way for us all to join the (caring & impactful) billionaires club!
This post gave me chills, Jodi. Not just because of the scale of U-GO’s impact—but because of the reframe. Being like a billionaire isn’t about dollars, it’s about leverage, belief, and how we choose to show up.
The line that hit me most: “Talent is universal. Opportunity is not.” That single sentence says everything. And the fact that U-GO’s partner diligence is on par with elite investment standards makes this not just emotional—it’s strategic philanthropy at its finest.
Thank you for showing us that meaningful impact doesn’t require a billion in the bank. It requires a billion watts of heart, brain, and alignment. Count me in for this kind of “wealth.”
—Anton