Eric Schmidhauser | Director of Social Investment

Eric Schmidhauser has been motivated throughout his life by a desire to serve, stemming in large part from growing up in countries across Africa, including Liberia, Sudan, South Africa, and Nigeria. Before joining A Glimmer of Hope in May of 2007, Eric completed his education at Davidson College and went on to found the St. Stephen’s Tennis Academy and co-found the Austin Tennis Academy. In his role at Glimmer, Eric cultivates partnerships with major donors, which often blossom into lasting relationships revolving around shared engagement that leads to impactful social investments. Eric spends three months in the field in Ethiopia each year, where he derives great fulfillment from sharing the joy that Glimmer’s accomplishments in the water, health, education, and microfinance sectors bring to donors, community members, and implementing partners. In addition to his work at Glimmer, Eric serves as a founding board member for Water to Thrive in Austin.

A natural leader, Eric possesses the rare ability to inspire team members and partners alike in their pursuit of creative solutions to the challenges inherent in international development work. Eric works with a contagious passion, tremendous generosity of spirit, and with the conviction of a true servant of all the world’s people.

Everyone can be great because everyone can serve.Martin Luther King, Jr.