The purpose behind everything we do
elea exists to fight absolute poverty with entrepreneurial means by leveraging the opportunities of globalization.
Our vision
We aspire to be a role model organization with global charisma in the field of philanthropic impact investing. As a Swiss foundation, we operate as a professional active investment manager. Our goal is to create measurable, lasting impact for people affected by absolute poverty.
We strive to be the partner of choice for impact entrepreneurs and philanthropic investors, as well as the employer of choice for ambitious, talented people who are seeking a career in impact investing.
By 2030, we aim to triple our impact relative to 2023 and reach more than 100 million people by collaborating with 100 visionary impact entrepreneurs. In doing so, we endeavor to become a globally leading organization in philanthropic impact investing.
elea sets out towards achieving its vision 2030
Media release
We are elea
Our team shares the conviction that ethical entrepreneurship can overcome poverty. Meet the people working for elea in Zurich, Johannesburg, and Mexico City.
Our values
Our work is grounded in six principles that shape every decision we make:
People
We work to improve livelihoods and protect the dignity of individuals and are inspired by a high level of empathy.
Environment
We support environmental progress and invest in ventures that do not harm the environment but rather advance global sustainability goals whenever possible.
Partnership
We collaborate openly and transparently, both within elea and with our partners, based on mutual respect, trust, and diverse perspectives.
Entrepreneurship
We believe in entrepreneurship as a lever for impact. Hence, we back founders who have a purpose and a bias for action while embodying that same spirit ourselves.
Professionalism
We continuously develop our skills and systematically apply relevant tools and methods, so our partners can rely on elea to deliver on its promises.
Ethics
We consciously act with high standards of ethics and a humble attitude while being grounded in the shared virtues of honesty, fairness, and integrity.
Voices from our team
Two questions drew me to elea: How do we eradicate poverty, and what role can capital play in real development outcomes? Given my East African heritage and smallholder farmer grandparents, the work we do feels both professional and personal.
What fascinates me is where capital, entrepreneurship, and purpose meet: working alongside founders who are building solutions for underserved communities and channeling capital into businesses that create opportunity, dignity, and lasting impact.
What keeps surprising me is how much of the job is listening. You work across countries and cultures where context is completely different from your own. Learning to truly understand it before forming a view is one of the most rewarding parts of the work.
Our founding story
Founded in 2006, elea began with a question that Susanne and Peter Wuffli could not leave unanswered: If globalization creates so much wealth, why does it leave so many people behind?
Susanne and Peter turned that question into the elea Foundation for Ethics in Globalization by contributing 20 million Swiss francs in founding capital to establish the foundation in Zurich. From the outset, Harold Grüninger, an attorney and recognized expert in foundation law, gave the new foundation its legal and governance grounding as a member of the Board of Trustees. What began in Zurich has now grown into a global network that drives impact across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
The benefits of globalization are very asymmetrically distributed. Having been born, raised, and educated in Switzerland and having benefited from attractive professional opportunities, I feel enormously grateful. I wanted to express this gratitude by sharing some of our gains with those that do not have that access.
The meaning of our name
Our name goes back to an ancient port city. Elea was founded by Greek seafarers in southern Italy around 540 BC and grew into a flourishing trading city, home to a famous school of pre-Socratic philosophers, the “Eleatics.” The town was abandoned around the 9th century AD. Today Elea is called Velia. This locality lies in the heart of the Cilento National Park, some 140 kilometers south of Naples, Italy.
For us, elea is more than a beautiful name. Its school of philosophy reflects that we take philosophical thinking seriously. Its story as a trading city points to important facets of globalization: crossing frontiers, the encounter between different cultures, and dealing with change.
Careers
We offer meaningful careers at the intersection of business and social impact, including a structured talent program for the next generation of impact investing professionals.
Discover elea as an employer
Contact
elea Foundation for Ethics in Globalization
Wiesenstrasse 7, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland
IBAN CH93 0023 0230 4091 61M2 B