Philanthropy

Shervin is a devoted, influential philanthropist who donates money, time and leadership to numerous global and local charities.

charity: water is the foremost fundraising venture for building wells and supplying clean water to impoverished people all over the world. It is one of Shervin’s most cherished charities, and as a devoted champion of the organization, he has travelled to Africa and seen with his own eyes how devastating it is to live without clean water. On his 38th birthday, Shervin asked people not to give him gifts, but donate money to the charity to help develop more freshwater projects in Ethiopia and other countries. Through his tireless birthday campaign, he was able to raise $43,000 — more than $5000 more than he asked for.

Shervin was an advisor for the Malala Fund and has hosted fundraisers for the non-profit organization fighting for quality education for females worldwide. Malala Fund works in regions where the most girls miss out on secondary education. Its priority countries are Afghanistan, Brazil, India, Lebanon, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey.

Shervin is a champion of the organization that promotes the rights and wellbeing of children around the globe. With its partners, UNICEF works in 190 countries and territories to translate this commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.

As part of his devotion to global good, Shervin launched 1% of Nothing, an innovative project that encouraged entrepreneurs to donate 1% of their equity to charities. Flipping the idea that startups and businesses should care for themselves before they care for the needy, Shervin partnered with Matt Galligan to promote the practice, with Galligan himself donating 1% of Socialthing, his company, to the Community Foundation of Boulder. The thought process for 1% was that a small amount of equity could lead to vast, global change.

Shervin is also a strong supporter of Build. Build is dedicated to proving the power of experiential learning through entrepreneurship and igniting the potential of youth in under-resourced communities. Their aim is to enhance the education of students by leveraging their expertise in entrepreneurship and experiential learning to decrease drop-out rates and increase student engagement and learning, leading more students to finish high school prepared for future success.

Shervin launched the Cyrus Prize to celebrate and inspire Iranian culture and entrepreneurship. The $100K grant is awarded to Iranian-born innovators who embody the unique traits and talents of the region. The first Cyrus Prize was awarded to Dropbox co-founder Arash Ferdowsi.

Invisible Children is a global organization that protects children in war-torn countries. The primary goal of the charity was to end the long, devastating war in Africa, an ongoing conflict run by Joseph Kony and his infamous Lord’s Resistance army. Since its inception, the organization’s goals have broadened, and the mission is now to keep children and families safe and secure in countries throughout Africa. As part of Invisible Children’s mission, Shervin travelled to Libya, went to Egypt with Sean Penn, and served as a leading voice in Silicon Valley supporting justice for the young. He held a popular talk during The Fourth Estate, an Invisible Children conference.