About Andrew Youn

Poverty Alleviation Through Smallholder Farming

Andrew Youn founded One Acre Fund during his time at Kellogg School of Management to combat hunger and poverty in rural East Africa by providing farmers with seeds, fertilizer, training, and market access.[7][11][13] The organization supports over 300,000 families, boosting yields and enabling farmers to grow their way out of poverty.[3][4][5] Youn views agriculture as the key lever for ending extreme poverty, drawing parallels to the Green Revolution.[4]

Entrepreneurial Approach to Social Impact

Youn embodies social entrepreneurship, launching One Acre Fund as a scalable venture that delivers bundled services to increase farm productivity.[7][8][11] He promotes audacious, market-oriented solutions over traditional aid, as highlighted in TED contexts and Skoll Award recognition.[6][7] His work emphasizes empowering communities through sustainable practices.[12]

Career Advice in International Development

In advice for aspiring professionals, Youn stresses building lasting careers over short-term jobs in the 'murky' field of development, advocating persistence, local adaptation, and impact measurement.[10]

Organizational Equity and Internal Reforms

As CEO, Youn prioritizes equity in compensation and benefits, recruiting diverse leadership like a new CFO to address internal disparities.[9]

Policy and Scalability Challenges

Youn calls for challenges and investments to help African farmers feed communities, underscoring policy support for agricultural growth.[8] His initiatives promote sustainable practices amid broader government and policy topics.[12]