Our generation’s defining accomplishment: ending extreme poverty

Mark Lutz grew up in South Africa, the son of missionary parents. Living for twenty years under apartheid shaped him to become an advocate for justice. Visits to fifty countries have sharpened his vision for a world free from extreme poverty.

Mark is Senior Vice President of Global Philanthropy at Opportunity Inter- national, a non-profit microfinance organization. They loan out two billion dollars per year to poor families so they can start and expand small businesses, feed their families and send their children to school.

In his book, UnPoverty: Rich Lessons from the Working Poor, the author tells the tales of remarkable people he met while visiting some 50 countries, concluding that they are poor simply because of where they were born. He contrasts their riches with his own poverty, sharing their lessons and calling us to envision a world without extreme poverty.

Mark earned a Masters degree in cross-cultural communications from Wheaton College. He and his wife, Lise, live in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, where they raised their three children.