Bert Van Der Vaart

Bert van der Vaart recently experienced a thrilling drive through Bulgaria.

Firsthe saw a billboard touting a meat-processing company. Then he ate icecream made at a famous monastery. He later topped that treat off with acroissant at a gas station.

Exciting stuff for the man whose nonprofit made all those business ventures possible.

Vander Vaart co-founded and is now chairman of SEAF, whichencourages entrepreneurship in emerging economies — places such asCroatia, Bolivia and Poland. In its 20 years, SEAF has made hundreds of investments in 24 different countries. More importantly to van derVaart, SEAF has created stable jobs and trained workers in fledglingnations.

It’s feel-good work that van der Vaart firstexperienced as a Morehead. During a Morehead internship, van der Vaarttraveled to Indonesia, where he processed Vietnamese boat people whomauthorities had detained in special camps. He was struck by the direcircumstances they faced to escape oppression.

“In a way,helping entrepreneurs in transition countries to flourish and theiremployees to grow, increase their salaries and better provide for theirchildren really came from what I saw (as a Morehead),” he said.

Today, SEAF is van der Vaart’s thank you.

“Iwas extremely blessed to receive The Morehead, as well as . . . theRhodes (Scholarship),” van der Vaart said. “I believe that I was notgiven these chances simply to take advantage of this excellenteducation, but to do something positive as a partial return.”