About Us
EVOLVE is the umbrella organization with two symbiotic divisions: Evolve Ventures and Evolve Foundation. Evolve Ventures, initially funded by the Shao family with $100 million, invests in for-profit companies aligned with our mission. Evolve Foundation makes philanthropic grants and pursues direct philanthropic initiatives.
Both divisions operate globally with a particular focus on the United States and China.
The DNA of our organization is defined by the personal history, value system and professional expertise of its two co-founders.
Our Chairman/Co-founder Bo Shao is one of the most successful venture investors with an exceptional track record in identifying opportunities and entrepreneurs at early stages. He co-founded one of the largest and most successful venture capital firms in China. His unique skills give Evolve an edge in identifying successful companies with social mission at the early stage of their lifecycle and helping them grow and impact millions of people.
Our Vice-Chairman/Co-founder Oleg Gorelik has spent over 20 years supporting people in their search for inner fulfillment with the results that support the current optimism Evolve has about the full scope of human potential.
Bo’s and Oleg’s commitment to their own inner work inspires the rest of Evolve team, and is shared by the leaders of the organizations Evolve invests in or supports philanthropically.
Why Consciousness?
There is still so much suffering on this planet: not only from external circumstances such as wars, hunger, disease, inequality and environmental degradation, but also from issues internal to a human soul. Despite rising material comfort many people today feel just as lonely, purposeless, fearful or angry as ever.
A comprehensive solution to making the world a better place would have to address both external and internal dimensions of suffering.
In the process of looking for such a solution we have made two important observations:
- Internal suffering begets external suffering in a variety of ways. Wars are started by people who are fearful and angry. People with wealth and power can also feel alienated and disconnected. They suffer themselves and lack access to compassion for others, leading to a reluctance to care for those who are less fortunate and for our planet itself.
- Internal suffering can be released. All human beings have the potential to live lives full of love, joy, peace and freedom. All are capable of evolving their consciousness and thriving. All of us can make a shift from ignorance and prejudice to truth and wisdom, from fear and pain to love and joy. As our consciousness evolves we naturally feel deep compassion for the suffering of others and a desire to take action to address it.
Hence, by devoting our efforts and resources to support the evolution of consciousness, we will not only address internal causes of suffering but also unleash the compassion and creativity needed to solve a variety of external challenges that plague our planet.
Some of the people touched by our efforts will choose to support others in evolving their consciousness, with a potential for exponential growth. We envision that the resulting ripple effect will turn into a massive, diverse movement that will lead to a material positive impact on the lives of billions of people in the span of one generation.
WHY