
Peter Thum
Founder of Ethos Water, Humanitarian and Social Entrepreneur
Peter Thum is the founder of Ethos Water, a dedicated humanitarian and celebrated social entrepreneur. He had the idea for Ethos while working on a project in South Africa where he saw water issues firsthand, and his mission began to start addressing the world water crisis and help children get clean water. Thum led Ethos as its President through its acquisition by Starbucks in 2005, where the water grants have already exceed $6 million and have helped over 420,000 people around the world. Thum has since founded givingwater.org and is pursuing new ventures, as well advising for-profit and not-for-profit organizations.
Peter Thum had the idea for Ethos in 2001 while working for McKinsey & Company on a project in South Africa where he saw water issues firsthand. He initially wrote the idea on a napkin and then turned that into a business plan. His mission: Address the world water crisis and help children get clean water. He led Ethos as its President through its acquisition by Starbucks in 2005. Ethos humanitarian water grants already exceed $6 million and have helped over 420,000 people around the world.
From 2005 to 2008, Thum managed Ethos and other businesses as a Vice President of Starbucks and guides its philanthropy as a Director of the Starbucks Foundation. Ethos will grant $10 million to such programs by 2010.
Thum has since founded givingwater.org and is pursuing a new venture. He also advises for-profit and not for profit organizations. He serves on the boards of The Center for Human Rights Leadership; The Dean's Council of the NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, Impossible to Possible Ultra-Athletic Adventures, and Lulan Artisans.
Various media have profiled Thum, including: USA Today, National Public Radio, CBC News, Fortune Small Business, The New York Times, Business 2.0, Business Week, Need, Tonic, and The Yale Journal of Public Health. He has been a guest lecturer at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, among others.
Prior to founding Ethos, Thum was a consultant with McKinsey & Company in London and in Munich, and held various marketing and sales roles with Gallo Winery in the US and Europe. Before Gallo, Thum was an English teacher for Siemens in Munich, Germany and started his own English teaching business. He holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Arts in government from Claremont McKenna College.
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1. Ethos Water: Realizing My Dream to Help Millions & Address the Water Crisis
Peter's venture has raised millions of dollars, engaged tens of millions of consumers, and helped hundreds of thousands of people around the world get life-saving water. From an idea he wrote on a napkin, Peter built Ethos through to its acquisition by Starbucks in 2005. In his experience you see the importance of both an unwavering belief in your ideas and the perseverance needed to make them come to life in the in the face of great adversity.
But the path to change the world can change you too. Peter tells of his personal eight-year journey from working in elite circles and advising the Fortune 500 to driving a borrowed station wagon and eventually selling his company to Starbucks. Along the way he has traveled the world and helped save and change the lives of some of the planet's poorest people. His inspiring and motivating story shows what one person with a dream can realize.
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