Page 33 - FON Spring Issue

“I never lose. I either win or learn.”
- Nelson Mandela
impact on underserved children and youth and the systems affecting their lives. We are able to effectively fund them thanks to our donors who pool their resources together via our platform.
There are currently 26 organizations in the Epic portfolio worldwide, working on essential issues like access to healthcare,
who share our values about doing well by doing good.
Those who want to learn more about Epic and discover the many ways to support our impressive charitable organizations, there’s a wealth of information on our website: www.epic.foundation.
How important is philanthropy to your family?
I grew up with a socially conscious mother who instilled in me the importance of giving back and helping others. I constantly saw her giving her time to others -- and those values have never left me.
My wife Florence and I want to pass on these same values to our own children. The true measure of success isn’t the number of zeros in your bank account, but rather how you use that financial success to realize your personal mission. That’s why I plan to spend the vast majority of my own wealth during my lifetime.
How do you spend an average day?
Like I said earlier, there’s rarely such a thing as an average day. I balance my time between running Epic and Blisce, spending time with my family and practicing sports, which is essential for me.
In addition to my usual business, I am also a member of the Board of Directors and an ambassador for the Paris 2024
Olympic and Paralympic Games. We are working together on ways to reinvent the model for these Olympic Games in light of the challenges facing our society... and asking ourselves how sports can be a part of the solution. Our goal is to make these Olympic Games responsible, sustainable, inclusive and open to the participation of all.
I am also an author and wrote the book Giving: Purpose is the New Currency. I am happy to say that my next book on entrepreneurship is already out in France and will be translated into English soon.
Future goals?
Who can say what the distant future holds. But in the near term, I can tell you that we will be doubling down on our strategies at Epic and at blisce/ to identify and support exceptional social organizations and mission-driven companies that positively contribute to our communities and planet. I’m thrilled by all of the determined social entrepreneurs I meet on a daily basis and look forward to announcing those that we’ll be backing soon.
Quotes you live by?
“I never lose. I either win or learn.” - Nelson Mandela
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” (Generally attributed to the ice hockey player Wayne Gretzky, but unconfirmed).
employment, education and physical safety. To date, we have raised $30 million. To me, what most sets Epic apart is the robustness of our methodology that promotes transparency and accountability. From the outset, Epic has had a rigorous selection process to ensure trust and confidence. We curate a portfolio of high- impact, mid-size organizations addressing the complexity of issues affecting children and youth in a select number of countries, through a thorough and cutting-edge sourcing, vetting and monitoring process. Another important factor is timing. We intervene at a stage in these organizations’ development when our support is the most transformative, allowing them to scale and have an even greater impact on children and youth.
How can our readers get involved with Blisce and Epic?
At Blisce, our LPs have predominantly been families. We’re always happy to take meetings with others that are interested in our particular approach to investing and
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