Etymologically having its origin in the Persian kārvān, meaning caravan or group of travelers, and sara, a palace or enclosed building, to which was added the Turkish suffix –yi, the caravanserai played the role of a meeting place along trade routes from China to India, Iran, Turkey, North Africa, Russia and even Eastern Europe. It provided the merchants with a place to rest and exchange and trade goods, but also with information about the routes and the situation in the regions they were about to cross. Equally important, the caravanserai had a crucial part in the cross-fertilization and exchanges of cultures by exposing these travelers to new ideas, beliefs and languages.

Inspired by this role the caravanserai played throughout history, Caravanserai Project positions itself as a crucible where ideas and experiences are brought together, exchanged and developed in order to promote social innovation and encourage progress.

Today, small groups of people are creating change and innovation. The small idea created on a granular scale will provide solutions to some of our greatest social challenges.  Large funders and institutions struggle to be there at the beginning of these dreams. Caravanserai Project strives to provide structure, accountability, supply specialized skills and bring together networks of people to help ideas grow and flourish on their own.

As a 501(c)(3), Caravanserai Project is a nonpartisan, non-profit initiative managed and operated by a group of experienced professionals. Its main goal is to promote social and economic global progress by connecting relevant constituencies, and bridging gaps between different cultures and environments through the development of unique, down-to-earth and fully accountable projects.