Charly and Lisa Kleissner took their entrepreneurial and hands-on approach into their foundation work. Their experience in Silicon Valley, coupled with their deep desire to help other innovators, led to their interest in global social entrepreneurs and enterprises. Scanning the field in 2000, they saw many gaps in the ecosystem meant to support these struggling enterprises. In collaboration with others, they have spent the last decade working on providing a variety of support services and tools to help scale impact enterprises and educate and empower impact investors.
Our Values
- We believe a grass-roots approach can be more successful and sustainable than a top-down approach.
- Cross-sector partnerships and hybrid solutions have greater potential to achieve lasting results.
- We want to leverage market forces where possible.
- We want to leverage the Foundation’s structure and programs.
- We will always consider the holistic impact of the Foundation’s work, including social, environmental, economic and community dimensions.
- In emulating the social enterprises in which we invest, we want to take an entrepreneurial approach, with measured risks and the potential for significant impact.
The KL Felicitas Foundation is not staffed, but relies on a number of consultants and advisors to conduct its work.
Will Morgan currently serves as Senior Consultant to the foundation. Will recently served as the International Director for Social-Impact, and previously was a program officer at the Skoll Foundation. He has also worked as a program officer at International Development Enterprises (IDE) in Golden, Colorado, where he managed a program to distribute irrigation devices to poor, rural farmers in Haiti.