Adam Brown, 23, a fresh graduate of Brown University, was working for a hedge fund and dreaming of a successful career on Wall Street.

But in 2005, a boy I met on the streets of India changed his life completely.

Adam asked the begging boy.

“What do you want to have the most?”

The child answered without hesitation.

“I need a year.”

Adam took a pencil out of his bag and handed it to him, and at that moment the smile and glistening eyes on the boy’s face became an unforgettable memory for the rest of his life.

It witnessed the power of hope and possibility that a simple pencil brought to a child.

Over the next five years, Adam backpacked across more than 50 countries, handing out thousands of pens and pencils.

Through conversations with parents and children in each country, he realized what real educational support is.

It was necessary not just to distribute things, but to build a community-led and sustainable education system.

In 2008, Adam quit his stable job at Bain & Company and founded Pencils of Promise for just $25.

At first, people around him did not understand his decision.

That’s because it seemed reckless to give up guaranteed success on Wall Street and jump into uncertain non-profit businesses.

But Adam was sure.

Education is the fundamental solution to poverty and that every child has the right to a quality education.

He has taken an integrated approach that goes beyond just building school buildings to cover teacher training, providing scholarships, and building water and sanitation facilities.

In the early days, he used his network and social network to gather sponsors.

Because his older brother, Scooter Braun, was the manager of famous artists such as Justin Bieber, he was able to receive support from celebrities.

Justin Bieber became the organization’s international spokesperson and gained worldwide recognition.

In 2014, he published a book about his experiences, The Pencil of Promises.

Debuting as the No. 2 New York Times bestseller, it soon became the No. 1 bestseller in the U.S. and was translated into eight languages to spread his message around the world.

Currently, the Promised Pencil has built 605 schools in three countries: Laos, Guatemala, and Ghana, with more than 110,000 students attending them.

Adam currently serves as CEO of sustainability platform company Clarasite, while also serving as chairman of Promised Pencils.

He won the Jefferson Award, the most prestigious public service award, and was also nominated for the TED Prize.

The story, which began with a boy’s simple wish, has now developed into a global movement to address educational inequality around the world.

He says.

“Make your life a story worth telling. You only have one chance in this life. And one day when you leave, what matters most is the legacy of the life you lived.”