When Aid Isn't the Answer

"People believe if we raise enough money and send it abroad, then we are going to end extreme poverty," Münkel says. "Our research shows that's not possible. It's not about transferring funds, but allowing people to create prosperity themselves."

Anielka Münkel (MBA '09) learned about poverty early on during her childhood in Nicaragua, where she realized that many children didn't have the same opportunities she did. But it wasn't until she was a student at Ave Maria College of the Americas that she realized that business could be a central part of the solution.

Today, Münkel is helping to reframe discussions about poverty as co-producer and project manager for PovertyCure, a global initiative led by the Grand Rapids, Michigan-based think tank, Acton Institute.