Jim Bildner, J.D.

Jim Bildner is the the CEO of the Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation (www.drkfoundation.org), one of the largest venture philanthropy firms in the world.  DRK has made more than 220 investments in early stage non-profit and for-profit social enterprises working to solve complex societal issues including systemic poverty, food and water insecurity, access to healthcare and economic opportunities, sanitation, homelessness, criminal justice, social justice and climate change and adaptation strategies. In the aggregate, its portfolio organizations have directly impacted more than 325 million lives. He is also an Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School and a Senior Research Fellow at the Hauser Institute for Civil Society and the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard University. At the Kennedy School, his research interests include understanding the role of private capital in solving public problems, extending the capacity of foundations to solve complex societal issues and the sustainability of public and private systems when governments disinvest in these systems. At HKS, he teaches MLD 836, a foundational course on the role of for-profit and non-profit social enterprises in creating social impact and lasting impact when tackling complex societal issues.  

Among his many board affiliations, he is a trustee of The Kresge Foundation and chair of its Investment Committee. He serves on the boards of a number of non-profit organizations including Public Citizen Foundation, Education SuperHighway, OpenBiome, JUST Capital, The GroundTruth Project, Service Year Alliance, the Healthy Americas Foundation (National Alliance for Hispanic Health Foundation) and a number of boards of arts and culture institutions including the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Dallas Symphony Association, Pérez Art Museum Miami, The Africa Center, and on the Board of Advisors of the Hopkins Center at Dartmouth College.  He is a Trustee Emeritus at Case Western Reserve University, an Overseer Emeritus of the Boston Symphony and an Emeritus Trustee of the board of the Lizard Island Research Foundation in Australia.  He is a member of Young Presidents and a member of the Chief Executives Organization.    

In his board service, Mr. Bildner serves on the Investment Committees of boards with aggregate endowments in excess of $4 B as well as a member of numerous finance, investment and/or audit committees of these boards.    

Mr. Bildner earned his A.B. from Dartmouth College, his M.P.A. from Harvard, his his J.D. from Case Western Reserve School of Law, and a M.F.A. from Lesley University. He is a member of the Bar of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In 2008, Mr. Bildner was awarded the Dartmouth Alumni Award for service to the College and to his community.