Generation Impact

CHAPTER 1Introduction: The Most Significant Philanthropists Ever

Justin Rockefeller grew up in West Virginia outside the purview of the family legacy of capitalism and philanthropy. Invited to a meeting at a café near Rockefeller Center in New York City as a college freshman, he actually had to ask where Rockefeller Center was. But during college, Justin began to appreciate the doors his last name could open and the opportunities he had to effect change for good. He has since worked to help one of his family's foundations divest its charitable endowment holdings of fossil fuels—a remarkable move for America's most famous oil family. Now in his 30s, Justin devotes a significant percentage of his time beyond his tech career to helping other families align their investments with their values.

Katherine Lorenz's grandfather, the late George Mitchell, became a noted Texas billionaire by pioneering the use of hydraulic fracturing to release natural gas from shale. But Katherine started her own career far away from the family business, creating and running an agricultural and nutrition nonprofit in rural Mexico. She eventually returned to take the reins of her family's foundation, guiding the family through a planning process to ramp up their support for environmental sustainability causes in Texas.

John R. Seydel grew up in Atlanta learning about giving from his parents and grandparents, in particular from his “Grandpa Ted” Turner, the media titan and founder of CNN who donated a ...