# Adam Braun

> Adam Braun is the CEO and co-founder of Clarasight, a New York-based AI platform for carbon planning and intelligence that helps large enterprises forecast and reduce emissions. A three-time entrepreneur, he founded the nonprofit Pencils of Promise with $25 on his 25th birthday, growing it to 600+ schools worldwide, then co-founded the debt-free education startup MissionU (acquired by WeWork) and ran WeGrow. He is the New York Times bestselling author of The Promise of a Pencil and a globally rated keynote speaker.

- **Role:** CEO & Co-Founder at Clarasight
- **Organizations:** Clarasight, Pencils of Promise, MissionU, WeWork (WeGrow), Bain & Company
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** B.A., triple major including Economics (magna cum laude), Brown University
- **Known for:** Built Pencils of Promise into an organization that has built 600+ schools and served 250,000+ students across Laos, Guatemala, Ghana and beyond, Authored The Promise of a Pencil, debuting at #2 and reaching #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list, Raised $100M+ in total across his ventures

## Career timeline

- **2005** — As a Semester at Sea student, meets a boy begging in India who, asked what he wants most, answers: 'A pencil.'
- **Pre-2008** — Begins career at Bain & Company after starting work at hedge funds at age 16.
- **2008** — Founds the nonprofit Pencils of Promise with $25 on his 25th birthday.
- **2014** — Publishes The Promise of a Pencil, which becomes a #1 New York Times bestseller.
- **2016** — Co-founds and leads MissionU, a debt-free, one-year college alternative.
- **2018** — MissionU is acquired by WeWork; Braun becomes COO of WeGrow.
- **2021** — Co-founds Climate Club (later Clarasight) with Philip Charm.
- **2026** — Clarasight raises $11.5M Series A led by AlleyCorp.

## Achievements

- Built Pencils of Promise into an organization that has built 600+ schools and served 250,000+ students across Laos, Guatemala, Ghana and beyond
- Authored The Promise of a Pencil, debuting at #2 and reaching #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list
- Raised $100M+ in total across his ventures
- Named to Business Insider's 40 Under 40
- Featured in Wired Magazine's '50 People Who Are Changing the World'
- Selected by the World Economic Forum as one of its original ten Global Shapers
- Recipient of the Jefferson Award for public service
- Spoken at The White House, the United Nations, and the Clinton Global Initiative

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — Clarasight raised an $11.5M Series A led by AlleyCorp to expand its AI carbon planning and intelligence platform.

## Links

- Website: https://www.adambraun.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/arbraun
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/AdamBraun
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AdamBraun
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/itsadambraun
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arbraun/

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/adam-braun
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-20