The business book that sparked this entrepreneur’s multibillion-dollar social impact start-up

The business book that sparked this entrepreneur’s multibillion-dollar social impact start-up

Growing up in Birmingham, Alabama, all his life Josh Tetrick was certain he was going to be a linebacker in the National Football League.So when he fell short of a career as a professional football player, he needed a new place to channel his energy. As Tetrick saw it, he had two choices: Follow his friends into jobs on Wall Street or find a way to give back."I knew I wanted to do something meaningful," Tetrick told CNBC Make It. "I knew I wanted to get the same kind of feeling I got through sports."

So, shortly after graduating from college, Tetrick moved to sub-Saharan Africa. There, he spent several years working for non-government organizations on social impact initiatives, including getting kids off the streets and into schools. But, still, something wasn't adding up."I found myself sounding like I was doing these things, but in actuality, I didn't feel like the impact I was having was what it should be," said Tetrick, noting that non-profit work is often slow.That was, until, he snuck into the 2011 World Economic Forum in Cape Town, South Africa and discovered a book that he says changed his life.

The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid

The