Lisa Heydlauff

Idea generator, Social entrepreneur, World traveler

Lisa Heydlauff is the founder & director of Going to School, a creative non-profit trust based in New Delhi that makes media (movies, books, radio) for children to make education relevant to children’s lives and most importantly, lots of fun. Going to School’s journey began with the publication of the children’s book Going to School in India, a celebration of what school can be – from going to school in a tent in the middle of a mud desert, to going to school in the dark with solar lanterns. 500,000 mini books were distributed to Government schools and over 65 million children saw Going to School movies on National Geographic and POGO. Both the books and movies have won international awards. Most recently, Going to School created Girl Stars, 15 movies, books and radio episodes that create icons out of everyday women and girls who have changed their lives by completing their education. Extraordinary tales of ordinary girls, from Anita the Beekeeper to Kiran the Junkyard Dealer, Girl Stars was supported by UNICEF and has been aired on Doordarshan reaching 700 million people. Girl Stars stories have also been incorporated in textbooks that will reach 10 million children. Lisa grew up in England, Canada and the USA, and now calls India home. Going to School was inspired Oliver, age 7, who asked Lisa, his teacher, “What is it like to go to school in India?” Lisa promised that if she ever got the chance, she would find out. Going to School is currently hard at work on their next project, Be! an Entrepreneur – a multimedia project to inspire millions of young people from low income groups to choose to become entrepreneurs and to create businesses that solve the social, economic and environmental problems they face in their lives.

I believe inspiring stories can change the way children see their lives. The power of story is incredible; it makes children begin to believe in possibilities that they had never considered before.

‘Be! an Entrepreneur’ is the most innovative and compelling project I have ever been a part of, it’s about potential, it’s about what has not yet been achieved yet, but with the power of story, could be. Be! is a multimedia movement of stories, 13 epic movies, 50 books and a radio series to inspire millions of young people from low-income groups in India to choose to become entrepreneurs and to create businesses that solve the social, economic and environmental problems they face in their lives. From water to waste, energy to housing, Be! believes young people have enterprise solutions that can solve the crisis level problems that India will have to deal with in the next five years. Be! will reach an estimated 100 million young people through national TV and radio networks and in schools.

Education Marketing and Communications, Entrepreneur educator, Venture Capital / Seed Financing

Believing, resiliently, in possibility