Breakthrough Builders
A venture philanthropy initiative dedicated to advancing human freedom and human flourishing by supporting bold founders and breakthrough social ventures.
The Problem We Solve
Despite extraordinary scientific and technological progress over the past several decades, human flourishing has not kept pace.
A major reason: most social ventures still rely on the dominant model of “strategic philanthropy”—multi-year plans, theories of change, KPIs, and the illusion of certainty. This approach invests heavily in programs, not founders; in plans, not outcomes; in prediction, not discovery. The result? Billions spent with far too little to show for it.
What Is Breakthrough Builders?
Principled Business, a 501(c)(3) organization, is building a national community of social venture founders, funders, and guides—the “breakthrough builders” committed to accelerating human flourishing through bottom-up, entrepreneurial solutions.
Through a syndicate of philanthropists and a cadre of advisors, Breakthrough Builders identifies promising founders working on breakthrough projects that strengthen the condition for human flourishing—freedom, cooperation, and purpose.
Our Approach
Founders
We are particularly interested in entrepreneurs, institutional builders, and innovators who are tackling complex societal challenges by creating new models rather than attempting to reform failing systems.
Funders
Members of the Breakthrough Builders funding syndicate contribute to a shared philanthropic pool that supports promising social ventures and breakthrough founders; they invest in people.
Advisor
Advisors play a vital role in helping Breakthrough Builders identify promising founders, evaluate opportunities, and provide mentorship to emerging ventures.
Leadership
Dr. Pano Kanelos
Founding and former president of the University of Austin (UATX), former president of St. John’s College, founding partner of the Athos Group
Chad Thevenot
Former executive director of the Institute for Humane Studies and senior vice president for advancement at UATX, founding partner of the Athos Group
Alexander McCobin
Founder and president of Liberty Ventures, Principled Business, Conscious Capitalism, and Students for Liberty
Featured Projects
Powering a bottom-up K–12 revolution that has equipped 4,500+ micro-school founders to deliver real choice and innovation in every state.
VELA Education Fund
Scaling the Apprenticeship Degree to help millions of working adults earn accredited B.A.s through their jobs, creating mass economic mobility.
Reach University
Building a museum complex that celebrates America’s entrepreneurial spirit and the extraordinary prosperity that it enables.