Five years and four million Kiva microloans make for a gorgeous and inspiring time-lapse video—one of the most persuasive information graphics ever. But not only is the video a stunner, so, too, is the story of Jessica Jackley, the co-founder of Kiva. The video, played out against a map of the world, begins with a hesitant volley of tiny projectiles moving from lenders to borrowers: each small dot represents one loan. The beginning of the video, which is sparsely dotted, coincides with Jackley’s initial venture into the unknown, in 2005, when she co-founded Kiva, the world's first peer to peer microlending website. Things started slowly, but grew steadily. 

Kiva, if you haven’t tried it, lets you easily lend as little as $25 to entrepreneurs in the developing world, providing affordable capital for them to start or expand their small businesses and lift themselves out of poverty. Today, it has topped $240 million in loans. As the video moves through the years, the tiny dots that represent each loan begin to multiply until the whole world is literally lit up—swarmed by an illuminated sea of microloans travelling from lenders to borrowers and back to lenders. It’s truly a sight to behold.

Jackley is a recipient of USA Networks' Character Approved award for 2010. Discussing a wide range of timely issues, from economic development to women's empowerment to Web 2.0, she reminds us that, at the heart of social entrepreneurship, the relationships we form with each other and the extent to which we believe in each others’ potential are the most powerful forces for positive change. Currently, Jackley is Founder and CEO of ProFounder, a new platform providing innovative ways for start-ups and small business entrepreneurs in the U.S. to access start-up capital through crowdfunding and community involvement.