Dennis Whittle is the founder and president of The Whittle Group, which helps people, organizations, and companies break down barriers and invent the future. He is also the Co-Founder of GlobalGiving, the world’s leading website that matches donors directly with community-based projects around the world and from 2000-2010 was the CEO. Funding has come from nearly 200,000 individual users as well from the world’s most innovative companies and foundations.
Prior to founding GlobalGiving, Dennis worked at the World Bank for 14 years. He co-led the World Bank’s Corporate Strategy and Innovation units, which created the Development Marketplace – an open access competition for funding. These Marketplaces have now been replicated in over 50 countries, providing tens of millions of dollars to innovative initiatives generating improved economic, social, and environmental conditions.
He also led a variety of initiatives in the World Bank’s Russia program, including housing reform and energy efficiency. Dennis also served as an economist in the World Bank’s Jakarta office. Prior to the World Bank, Dennis worked in the Philippines for USAID and the Asian Development Bank.
Dennis graduated with honors in religious studies from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill and did his graduate work in development studies and economics at Princeton University. Dennis also completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.