Joseph B. Lloyd

Graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelors in Architecture, Joe focused his studies on the integration of sustainable energy and waste systems into architecture and human settlements. Having worked on a micro-scale utility project for Papua New Guinea, a costal desalination project for Tanzania, and a Ceramic Water Filter production center in Limpopo Province, South Africa, Joe thought to assemble his experiences into a holistic development organization, which he named Venture Trust.

First introduced to social justice and development issues as a student of Social Justice Seminar at Loyola Academy, Joe decided from an early age that the last should be served first, and that he would devote his talents to creating a just and balanced world. Years after his time as a student of Justice Seminar, Joe is grateful for the opportunity to continue to pursue serving the marginalized, and is hopeful that inspiring social entrepreneurs and high impact individuals in marginalized communities will provide lasting solutions to abject poverty.

Venture Trust, a portmanteau of Venture Thermal, a scalable solar thermal desalination system designed for equatorial coastal grasslands, and Trusted Development, a holistic development framework established on the tenets of Sustainability 3.0, represents Joe’s vision for genuine, finite development projects.

Country Director - Mass Panga

Born in Tanga Region ca. 1982, Mass moved to Dar es Salaam when he was a boy in hopes of finding a life less difficult than the one he lived in the country. Instead he found himself trapped in a cycle of poverty in which his dreams of providing for his mother, brothers and sisters was swallowed up. Having attended school when he had money to pay tuition fees, Mass is still pursuing his high school certificate with the hope that papers will open a new world of opportunity for him.

Hired by Venture Trust in December to serve as a translator, Mass quickly proved he was capable of much more. Having witnessed charcoal production first hand in Tanga, and a frequent charcoal consumer in Dar es Salaam, Mass facilitated an in depth assessment of the charcoal supply chain in Tanzania. Currently he works to promote the use of solar ovens by large kitchens and community food stalls. When not working with Venture Trust, Mass works as a landscaper and has worked on projects at the Botanic Garden located in Dar es Salaam. Before working as a landscaper Mass attempted to spread his message of love and peace through music, however didn’t receive much radio play as a result of his refusal to pay bribes.

The Problem

The effects of mechanized industry on unindustrialized cultures are severe. Cheap manufactured goods and agricultural products from mechanized farms supplant the efforts of artisans and subsistence farmers. Free market economics, in its current state does not provide adequate safeguards against the exploitation of workers, and has watched as violence and terror are used to oppress vocal opposition to exploitive industries. In many cases, corporate finances find their way into the hands of local oppressors who use these finances to remain in power and institutionalize fear. Apathy towards the state of the global ecosystems has removed billions of dollars of environmental "externalities" from the global economy.

Development

Venture Trust is the product of more than four years of research dedicated to finding an alternative form of development for the world’s marginalized populations. We believe that the economic development of a community should not come at the expense of a preferential option for the poor. Furthermore we believe in empowering the poor to become economically productive members of society.

The founder, Joseph Lloyd, had an idea to provide a positive form of development to underdeveloped communities in water scarce regions. This positive form of development is based on the implementation of earth-conscious technologies, improved communications, and social entrepreneurship. Through this holistic approach environmental externalities are preserved and augmented, agricultural goods find their way to proper markets, and companies are formed with a focus on the triple bottom line (social, ecological, economic). Working from the bottom up Venture Trust seeks to empower the individual (social), preserve the environment (ecological), and spur entrepreneurship (economic).

Belief in Economy

We believe in empowering the individual farming household to produce agricultural surpluses, which allow families to lift themselves from poverty. The market economy is one of the most effective tools for actualizing this goal. Our focus on the economic bottom-line is centered on preparing individuals to engage in economic activity, which alleviates the hardships of living in resource scarce regions, and liberates them from dependency on fossil fuels, volatile groundwater reserves, and long-term foreign handouts.

We believe that when individuals thrive, communities flourish. At the community level, Venture Trust seeks to provide families and budding entrepreneurs with technical approaches to improving their communities by improving food quality and expanding production capacity of earth-conscious technology.