Alex Counts Executive Director of India Philanthropy Alliance, on Leadership, Mentorship & Driving Change
- He was inspired by the film Gandhi and by students fighting global injustices.
- Found his mentor in Muhammad Yunus.
Podcast
Overview
On this episode of The Brand Called You, host Ashutosh Garg sits down with Alex Counts, Executive Director of the India Philanthropy Alliance (IPA). From his early inspirations to advice for nonprofit leaders, Alex covers decades of social entrepreneurship. Here’s a condensed summary with key questions and takeaways from each segment:
00:01:12- What motivated Alex to pursue social entrepreneurship?
- He was inspired by the film Gandhi and by students fighting global injustices.
- Found his mentor in Muhammad Yunus.
- Focused lifelong work on poverty alleviation.
00:02:24- How did Muhammad Yunus shape his leadership?
- Learned the significance of mentoring young talent.
- Balanced visionary goals with satisfaction in small, steady progress.
- Embraced challenges as opportunities for real leadership.
00:05:52- Why was the India Philanthropy Alliance created?
- Addressed fragmentation and lack of collaboration within Indian American philanthropy.
- Founded IPA to foster communication, joint initiatives, and support.
- Grew the network to 22 organizations.
00:07:39- How does IPA encourage collaboration?
- Breaks cultural and organizational isolation.
- Supports both large and small groups in building a community.
- Tackles shared issues, like engaging younger donors, collectively.
00:09:45- What’s IPA’s role for donors?
- Educates Indian Americans about the rewarding impact of philanthropy.
- Highlights high-impact, transparent Indian charities.
- Builds donor trust with verified giving.
00:13:37- How does IPA handle long-term vs. urgent needs?
- Focuses mainly on long-term development like education and health.
- Leaves rapid disaster response to other organizations.
- Leverages donors’ strong ties to education reform.
RESOURCES:
Learn more about Alex Counts: LinkedIn
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Want a culture of learning? Model it yourself. Alex publicly listed his 10 biggest leadership mistakes at a team retreat (!)—and transformed his org’s culture from “fear of failure” to “growth through candor.” Fail out loud, learn fast, grow together. Share your thoughts in the comments and spread these insights with friends!
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Profile
- He was inspired by the film Gandhi and by students fighting global injustices.
- Found his mentor in Muhammad Yunus.
- Focused lifelong work on poverty alleviation.
