Howard Warren Buffett

{{Infobox person

| image = Howard Warren Buffett.jpg

| caption = Buffett in 2010

| birth_name = Howard Warren Buffett

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1983|10|14}}

| birth_place = Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.

| education = Northwestern University (BA)
Columbia University (MPA)

| party = Democratic

| spouse = Lili Thomas

| children = 1

| occupation = Philanthropist, political consultant, political scientist, writer

| parents = Howard Graham Buffett
Devon Goss

| relations = Warren Buffett (grandfather)
Susan Thompson Buffett (grandmother)
Susan Alice Buffett (aunt)
Peter Buffett (uncle)
Doris Buffett (paternal great-aunt)
Howard Homan Buffett (great-grandfather)
J. Schuyler Long (great-great-grandfather)

| family = Buffett family

}}

Howard Warren Buffett (born October 14, 1983) is an American philanthropist, political consultant, political scientist, and writer. A grandson of the American businessman and investor Warren Buffett, he is an adjunct professor in public policy and international affairs at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs{{cite web|url=http://new.sipa.columbia.edu/faculty/howard-buffett|title=Howard W. Buffett - Columbia SIPA|website=new.sipa.columbia.edu|access-date=May 29, 2018|archive-date=December 11, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211071125/https://new.sipa.columbia.edu/faculty/howard-buffett|url-status=dead}} and was previously the executive director of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, a private philanthropic foundation that funds initiatives aimed at improving the standard of living and quality of life for the world’s most impoverished and marginalized populations.[http://mashable.com/sgs/speakers/#hbuffett "Mashable & 92Y Social Good Summit - Speakers"] Mashable Retrieved October 17, 2011. Buffett previously led agriculture-based economic stabilization and redevelopment programs in Iraq and Afghanistan while at the United States Department of Defense,[http://mashable.com/un-week/social-good-summit/agenda/ "Mashable & 92Y Social Good Summit - Agenda."] Mashable Retrieved September 26, 2010. and as a policy advisor in the Executive Office of the President of the United States under President Barack Obama.

Prior to joining the White House, Buffett served as a special assistant at the U.S. Department of Agriculture,[http://www.philanthropy.iupui.edu/buildingtrust/speakers/buffett.aspx "Building Trust Annual Symposium"] Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis. Retrieved July 16, 2010. as a member of the Office of the President-Elect,Kang, Cecilia (November 25, 2008) [https://web.archive.org/web/20110624092841/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/posttech/2008/11/obama_names_team_to_create_inn.html "Obama Names Team To Create "Innovation Agenda""]. The Washington Post. Retrieved July 16, 2010. and as director of National Surrogate Radio for Obama for America.[http://change.gov/learn/policy_working_groups "Policy Working Groups"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090105162044/http://change.gov/learn/policy_working_groups |date=January 5, 2009 }} Office of the President-Elect. Retrieved July 16, 2010.

Biography

While he is associated with the Democratic Party, his father is a Republican.

Raised in Omaha, he attended Ponca Elementary School before moving to Decatur, Illinois, where he attended Mount Zion High School and was elected president of the local chapter of the National FFA Organization.

He completed his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Communication Studies in 2006 at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois,Thompson, Peter (November 22, 2002) [https://web.archive.org/web/20121104090015/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-70215042.html "Life NewVoices Military"] KRT Direct. Retrieved July 16, 2010. where he also served as the student body vice president.Angela Tablac, Erin Stock (April 16, 2004) [http://www.dailynorthwestern.com/2.13939/fierce-competition-in-all-races-frames-asg-elections-1.1987834 "Fierce Competition in All Races Frames ASG Elections"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717040718/http://www.dailynorthwestern.com/2.13939/fierce-competition-in-all-races-frames-asg-elections-1.1987834 |date=July 17, 2011 }}. The Daily Northwestern. Retrieved July 16, 2010. He went on to receive a Master of Public Administration in Advanced Management and Finance at the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University in 2008.[https://web.archive.org/web/20100620051818/http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/sicp/staff/buffett "Executive Office of the President Staff"] The White House. Retrieved July 16, 2010.

Career

=Public service=

In 2009, Buffett was appointed to the United States Department of Agriculture, where he served as a special assistant in the Office of the Secretary. There, he managed the national expansion strategy for the Department’s $480 million Cooperative Extension Service program. Additionally, he was charged with identifying strategic external partnerships aimed at advancing the core mission areas of research, education, and economics. He also served on the five-year Strategic Planning Initiative, and represented the department in the White House Innovation and Information Policy Working Group.Buffett, Howard (May 10, 2010) [https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2010/05/10/promoting-partnerships-innovation-energy "Promoting Partnerships for Innovation in Energy"]. The White House. Retrieved July 16, 2010.

Upon completion of his service at the Department of Agriculture, Buffett served as a policy advisor in the Executive Office of the President of the United States at the White House, where he was responsible for the Cross-Sector Partnerships portfolio. In this role, he directed strategy development for cross-sector partnerships and innovation strategies aimed at enhancing collaboration between the White House, federal departments, agencies, corporations, nonprofits and foundations.

After leaving the White House, Buffett became the director of agriculture development at the Task Force for Business Stability Operations under the U.S. Department of Defense, where he was tasked with designing and implementing a strategy for agricultural development in Afghanistan and Iraq under the leadership of Paul Brinkley.[http://mashable.com/un-week/social-good-summit/speakers/ "Mashable & 92Y Social Good Summit - Speakers"] Mashable. Retrieved September 26, 2010.

=White House Energy Innovation Conference=

In May 2010, Buffett spearheaded a White House Energy Innovation Conference focused on promoting partnerships. Represented at the event were four federal departments, three federal agencies, entrepreneurs, state government officials, academia, private sector leaders, nonprofits and innovators.

At the conference, the United States Department of Energy and the Small Business Administration jointly announced that both the Small Business Investment Company program and the Small Business Technology Transfer program would begin using their existing funding networks to promote small green energy firms through a new $60 million Business Clean Energy Innovation Fund. The event also served as the launch vehicle for the Regional Energy Innovation Conferences.

The first Regional Energy Innovation Conference was hosted in Omaha, Nebraska on June 17, 2010. The event focused on connecting entrepreneurs and small enterprise with representatives from organizations across sectors and was itself a partnership between the City of Omaha, The Gallup Organization, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Energy. Over one hundred local, regional, and national organizations were represented at Gallup University’s Omaha Campus to discuss issues ranging from regional gap funding and human capital needs to collaboration and the early adoption of energy innovation.Buffett, Howard (June 17, 2010)[https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2010/06/17/partnerships-regional-energy-innovation-omaha-nebraska "Partnerships for Regional Energy Innovation in Omaha, Nebraska"] The White House. Retrieved July 16, 2010.

=Social value investing=

At the 2011 Social Good Summit in New York, Buffett introduced an approach premised on addressing social problems by systematically lining up nonprofits to each need.Ferenstein, Gregory (September 6, 2011) [http://www.fastcompany.com/1772527/howard-buffett-foundation-whos-next-nonprofit-charity "How Howard Buffett Will Use His Grandfather's Recipe For Riches To Disrupt Philanthropy"] Fast Company. Retrieved October 17, 2011.

On May 28, 2018, Buffett announced the release of his book titled Social Value Investing: A Management Framework for Effective Partnerships.{{cite web|last1=Bloomberg News|title=How Social Value Investing Can Solve Some Of The World's Challenges|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2018-05-29/how-social-value-investing-can-solve-some-of-the-world-s-challenges-video|website=Bloomberg News|date=May 29, 2018 |access-date=May 29, 2018}} Published by Columbia University Press, the book details specific case studies and examples on topics including clean energy, water scarcity and sustainable agriculture.{{cite web|last1=School of International and Public Affairs|first1=Columbia University|title=Social Value Investing Case Study Collection|url=https://sipa.columbia.edu/svi-case-collection|website=Columbia University|access-date=May 29, 2018}}

=Advisory positions=

In 2010, Buffett joined the advisory board for Toyota Motor North America.[http://corporatenews.pressroom.toyota.com/releases/toyota+diversity+advisory+board+nov10.htm "Toyota Names Jyoti Chopra and Howard W. Buffett to Its North American Diversity Advisory Board"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180530035658/http://corporatenews.pressroom.toyota.com/releases/toyota+diversity+advisory+board+nov10.htm |date=May 30, 2018 }}. Toyota Motor North America. Retrieved May 29, 2018. He chairs the advisory board for the Harvard University International Negotiation Program.{{when|date=May 2018}}[https://inp.harvard.edu/people/howard-w-buffett "Harvard International Negotiation Program, Who we Are"]. Harvard University. Retrieved May 29, 2018.

In 2023, he joined the Advisory Committee for the Jameel Index for Food Trade and Vulnerability Index which is a comprehensive index assessing countries’ food security vulnerability, designed to better understand and analyze food security, measure countries’ dependence on global food trade and imports, and assess how regional-scale threats might affect the ability to trade food goods across diverse geographic regions.{{Cite web |title=Projects - Jameel Index |url=https://www.communityjameel.org/projects/jameel-index}}{{Cite web |title=J-WAFS: Securing humankind's vital resources |url=https://jwafs.mit.edu/alliance/jameelindex/advisorycommittee}}

He previously served on the Board of Visitors for the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University,{{when|date=December 2016}} and on the boards of New York Needs You and the Clark and Hinman Foundation.{{when|date=December 2016}} Additionally, he has served as an advisor to both the United Nations Office for Partnerships and the FEED Foundation.{{when|date=December 2016}}[https://www.un.org/partnerships/YStaffHowardWBuffett.htm "United Nations Office for Partnerships Staff"] the United Nations Office for Partnerships. Retrieved July 16, 2010.

He served as a judge for the Collaboration Prize,{{when|date=December 2016}}[http://www.thecollaborationprize.org/Media/News/Lodestar-Foundation-Announces-Final-Selection-Pane.aspx "Lodestar Foundation Announces Final Selection Pane"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728093433/http://www.thecollaborationprize.org/Media/News/Lodestar-Foundation-Announces-Final-Selection-Pane.aspx |date=July 28, 2011 }} The Collaboration Prize. Retrieved July 16, 2010. the American Express 2009 NGen Fellows Program, and the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship’s business plan competitions.

He is an active member of the Nebraska Society and a lifetime alumni member of the Future Farmers of America (FFA).[http://www.nebraskasociety.org/membership.html "Members of the Nebraska Society of Washington D.C."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100724054133/http://www.nebraskasociety.org/membership.html |date=July 24, 2010 }}. The Nebraska Society of Washington D.C. Retrieved July 16, 2010.

=Philanthropy=

Buffett currently{{when|date=December 2016}} serves as the executive director of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, a private family foundation focused on improving the standard of living and quality of life for the world’s most impoverished and marginalized populations. He has engaged in the humanitarian and agriculture development efforts of the Foundation worldwide.Walton, Don (June 12, 2010) [http://journalstar.com/news/local/article_f2d78422-75a1-11df-835a-001cc4c03286.html "A Young Buffett Eyes Public Service in Nebraska"] The Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved July 16, 2010.

Buffett also sits on the board of Doris Buffett's Learning By Giving Foundation. He has referred to Learning by Giving as the first step in the implementation of the Social Value Investment model, "By simply empowering students to become problem solvers in their own communities, we maximize the impact of our efforts, encourage innovation, and inspire life-long engagements with philanthropy."Learning by Giving Foundation [http://www.learningbygivingfoundation.org/front-page "Learning by Giving Foundation - Howard W. Buffett Speech to the 2011 Social Good Summit"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111026082231/http://www.learningbygivingfoundation.org/front-page |date=October 26, 2011 }}. Retrieved October 17, 2011.

=Professor=

In the fall of 2013, Buffett served as a co-professor teaching an Innovations of Public Management class at his alma mater at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. Buffett taught the course with program head William Eimicke, and is currently an adjunct associate professor and research scholar at the school, teaching philanthropy, social value investing, and management innovation.Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs [https://sipa.columbia.edu/faculty-research/faculty-directory/howard-w-buffett "Faculty Directory: Howard W. Buffett"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180622122741/https://sipa.columbia.edu/faculty-research/faculty-directory/howard-w-buffett |date=June 22, 2018 }}. Retrieved May 29, 2018.

Personal life

He is married to Lili Thomas Buffett, a Columbia University graduate whom he met at an agricultural conference, and the couple has a son, Thomas.{{Cite news|last=|first=|date=September 19, 2011|title=Love, etc.: Howard Buffett and Lili Thomas wed|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/reliable-source/post/love-etc-howard-buffett-and-lili-thomas-wed/2011/09/19/gIQAqGQ7fK_blog.html|access-date=July 26, 2020|newspaper=Washington Post}}{{Cite web|date=2019-02-12|title=Lili Buffett|url=https://captainplanetfoundation.org/about/people/lili-buffett/|access-date=2020-07-26|website=Captain Planet Foundation|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|title=Warren Buffett's Grandson on the Buffett Rule, and How President Obama Almost Ruined His Marriage Proposal|url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2011/09/howard_buffett_grandson_warren_buffett.html|access-date=2020-07-26|website=Intelligencer|date=September 21, 2011 |language=en-us}} They split their time between Omaha, Nebraska, and Decatur, Illinois.The Reliable Source (September 19, 2011) [https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/reliable-source/post/love-etc-howard-buffett-and-lili-thomas-wed/2011/09/19/gIQAqGQ7fK_blog.html "Love, etc.: Howard Buffett and Lili Thomas Wed"] The Washington Post. Retrieved October 17, 2011.

Buffett operates a 160-ha no-till farm near Tekamah, Nebraska.{{when|date=December 2016}}Steve Jordon (June 10, 2011) [http://www.omaha.com/article/20110610/MONEY/706109891/-1 "Buffett Grandson to Run Dad's Foundation"] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120909212105/http://www.omaha.com/article/20110610/MONEY/706109891/-1 |date=September 9, 2012 }} Omaha World Herald. Retrieved October 17, 2011.

Buffett is a published photographer. His work has appeared in National Geographic,{{when|date=December 2016}}{{NatGeo ecoregion|id=at0713_pto|name=Sahelian Acacia Savanna|accessdate=July 16, 2010}} World Wide Fund for Nature,[http://www.worldwildlife.org/who/media/press/2009/WWFPresitem14175.html "Nepal Expands Critical Tiger Habitat"] World Wide Fund for Nature. Retrieved July 16, 2010. and Encyclopedia of Earth.[http://www.eoearth.org/article/Sahelian_Acacia_savanna "Sahelian Acacia Savanna"] Encyclopedia of the Earth. Retrieved July 16, 2010.

References

External links

[https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/administration/eop/sicp/ The White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation Official Website]
[https://www.whitehouse.gov/ The White House Official Website]
[https://www.cfr.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/FY17%20Membership%20Roster.pdf Membership] at the Council on Foreign Relations

Category:1983 births

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century American farmers

Category:American political consultants

Category:American political scientists

Category:American political writers

Category:Artists from Chicago

Category:Artists from Omaha, Nebraska

Howard Warren Buffett

Category:Businesspeople from Omaha, Nebraska

Category:Columbia School of International and Public Affairs faculty

Category:Nebraska Democrats