Should Startups Work on Global Problems? Is the Pope Catholic?

Pope Francis drives an old Ford Focus. He wears cheap orthopedic shoes. He took the bulletproof glass off the famous popemobile, saying it was better to be close to the people and take his chances. He never moved into the official Papal quarters in the Vatican and instead lives in a small apartment. The pontiff, as the kids would say, is legit.

Religion and business operate in different worlds. I admit that I really never thought of combining them before.

And while the words “startup” and “Vatican” don’t often appear together in the same sentence, The Laudato Si’ Challenge is the new startup accelerator just announced at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences at the Vatican.

When I realized that this was an ambitious project in line with my own ideal of entrepreneurship I was intrigued and humbled to be asked to be the Program Director…. READ MORE