Billy Williams

Grassroots Movement Director - Nuru International

Billy Williams

As passionate about ending extreme poverty (the greatest crisis of our generation) as he is about his home state of West Virginia, Billy has spearheaded Nuru International’s Grassroots Movement since the organization’s inception. As Nuru’s lead advocate and storyteller, Billy has been invited to share Nuru’s story at many conferences and events around the country. He is a consummate networker and has been instrumental in building relationships with organizations and movements like the ONE Campaign, One Days Wages, Catalyst Conference and !dea Camp. In spring 2010 he organized a nationwide tour to raise awareness of Nuru’s fight to end extreme poverty that inspired young activists to participate in a national mobilization event called “Be Hope To Her” that has since taken a life of its own. Aside from these roles, Billy has led the charge in Nuru’s social media efforts on Facebook and Twitter and is an avid blogger.

Under Billy’s leadership, Nuru’s Grassroots Movement has grown from a handful of volunteers to literally thousands of fans and supporters who are passionate about seeing the end of extreme poverty, and if you are seated next to him on a plane, at an adjacent table at Starbucks, or trapped with him in an elevator, he’ll be sure to invite you to join the fight against extreme poverty too.



Presentations

Keynote: 10,000 & Counting

When four Americans arrived in Kuria, Kenya in September 2008, they didn’t come giving away food, water or medicine, although thousands were suffering – and even dying – from chronic hunger, malaria, and diarrhea. Two years later in Kuria, farmers who before couldn’t harvest enough food to feed their own families are selling their surplus crops and saving the earnings; parents who were penniless are now able to pay the fees to send their kids to school; mothers who were giving contaminated water to their children are now serving clean water. How did this transformation happen? Can and will it persist?

Hear as Billy Williams, Grassroots Director of Nuru International, shares stories of how 10,000 Kurians have already been empowered out of extreme poverty - and how the impact is continuing to spread.