Giving back, and doing it in her hometown

WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Carol Thompson Cole, president and chief executive officer of the District-based philanthropic investment organization Venture Philanthropy Partners, considers herself fortunate.

Her work allows her to meet her career objectives — giving back, and doing it in her hometown.

“I really loved growing up in the D.C. region, and I was able to dream big and achieve my dreams,” she said in a recent e-mail exchange with The Examiner.

“I want children here to have that same opportunity. That’s what drives me, and in [Venture Philanthropy Partners], I can make that happen,” she said.

Last month, Cole took the reins of the organization, founded in 2000 by Mario Morino, former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner and Raul Fernandez. The trio started the group to improve nonprofit programs for children and youth from low-income families.

The organization works with businesses to help them invest their philanthropic dollars in programs that assist this demographic, including the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington, Child and Family Network Centers and the Latin American Youth Center, among other groups.

Among those who have invested funds through the partnership are Atlantic Media Company Chairman David Bradley and AOL International founder Jack Davies.

“One of the biggest strengths of VPP is how it brings together parts of the National Capital region that don’t always connect — the tech community, traditional business, community leaders across Maryland, Virginia and D.C., and those on both sides of the political fence,” Cole said. “We sometimes feel like we act as a translator, helping different groups, particularly the non-profits and entrepreneurs, understand each other. All my life I’ve worked to build bridges for the benefit of those in need in this city and my new role at VPP is really the culmination of that effort.”

BUSINESS

Current job: President and CEO, Venture Philanthropy Partners

Last job: Management and diversity consulting for nonprofits and corporations

Number of e-mails a day: Too many! Over 100.

Number of voice mails a day: Barely any — two to three a day. Everyone e-mails me!

Essential Web site: Airlines and Amtrak looking for travel between D.C. and my home in Norfolk.

Best perk: Working with such a talented group of people.

Gadgets: My BlackBerry is my lifeline here.

Education/credentials: Bachelor of Arts, Smith College, Master’s in Public Administration with a concentration in urban public policy studies from the Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service, New York University

Last conference: The Independent Sector in D.C. in 2005. I’m about to present at the Council on Foundations annual conference in Seattle at the end of April.

First job: Summer intern at D.C. Redevelopment Land Agency in Columbia Heights

Original aspiration: Elected official

Career objective: To come back to my hometown and make a contribution to improving the quality of life for all the people in my region.

PERSONAL

Year of Birth: 1951

Hometown: Washington

Sports/hobbies: The sport I know and like the most is basketball because my husband lives and breathes it. I love the theater, cooking and decorating my home.

Favorite restaurant: Nora’s

Computer: HP Compaq NX9010 laptop

Favorite clothier: Talbots

Vacation spot: Somewhere on a beach

Role model: My parents

Quote: Miss Kates, my sixth-grade teacher wrote “A quitter never wins and a winner never quits” in my yearbook and I’ve never forgotten it.

Reading: Barack Obama’s “Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance” and “The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream.” My next book will be Malcolm Gladwell’s “Blink.”

Worst fear: Friday’s traffic on [Interstate] 95 South!

Transportation: Infiniti M35x

dfrancis@dcexaminer.com