Suggestions
Sean Davis
Philanthropic private equity investor and author of “Solving the Giving Pledge Bottleneck” (Palgrave Macmillan). Investing philanthropy with private companies for solutions. Tedx Speaker and Adjunct Professor.
Sean Davis is a philanthropic private equity expert and speaker at TEDxBocaRaton. Here are the key details about him:
Professional Background
Sean Davis is the Founder and Managing Partner of Merton Capital Partners, a pioneering firm in philanthropic private equity.13 His career includes:
- Starting at J.P. Morgan in New York
- Working with Advent International in Brazil
- Joining Saratoga Partners in New York, focusing on leveraged buyouts and restructurings
- Serving as Development Director for The Salvation Army of Palm Beach County
Expertise and Contributions
Davis is known for:
- Advising wealthy individuals on investing their philanthropy alongside large companies to address significant social and environmental issues3
- Authoring "Solving the Giving Pledge Bottleneck," recognized as one of Forbes' Top 12 Must-Have Books for Leaders in 20233
- Advocating for new models that combine wealth creation with social impact1
Education and Teaching
- Graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy and Georgetown University's Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service
- Holds an MBA from London Business School
- Currently serves as an Adjunct Professor in the Masters in International Development program at Palm Beach Atlantic University3
TEDxBocaRaton Involvement
Davis was a speaker at TEDxBocaRaton on May 11, 2024, where he delivered a talk titled "How to help philanthropy help more people".24 In his presentation, he discussed:
- The potential of philanthropic private equity to deploy billions in philanthropy that have been "sitting on the sidelines"
- Solutions for major challenges such as the housing crisis, homelessness, and climate change
- Ways to leverage large private companies to quickly deploy philanthropic funds2
Davis's talk at TEDxBocaRaton aimed to inspire new approaches to philanthropy and encourage more effective deployment of charitable resources to address pressing social issues.5
Highlights
Please see this article on From Source to Sea, Columbia University's ground-breaking report on using #philanthropy to increase urgently needed #wastewater capacity. Alexander Loucopoulos Upmanu Lall Nancy Degnan Greg Porter Charlotte Giff, MPA Xavier Chang Elle Perry. Thank you all in making this possible.
Thank you to our interns Elle Perry and Xavier Chang from Phillips Exeter Academy for your help this summer including your videos advocating to grow the field of #ocean health solutions, using #philanthropy to make additional investments in #wastewater.
