I am happy to support the folks over at whydev in their new initiative. whydev has been a wonderful site and resource for me: I love their honest, compassionate take on aid and development, which takes a more uplifting outlook than many websites on aid work out there (while still remaining critical – no easy…
I recently finished reading “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness” by Michelle Alexander. Although I quoted a few facts regarding the racialized nature of our criminal justice system for a recent blog post, I wanted to expand on another topic this book discussed very, very well. Alexander examines the failure…
Today, I have a fun interview with Ryan Schuette and Tara Smith, co-founders of Peace Tree Africa, an NGO that focuses on sustainable development in Cameroon. Ryan and Tara are a delightful couple who are partners not only in their development work, but in love—they recently got engaged on Valentine’s Day on live TV! I first…
This honest and damning post by Ilaria Allegrozzi about her reflections on the aid industry is an absolute must read. I admire her ability to speak out about something that many are afraid to address. I agree with her outrage and her sentiments about how NGOs are essentially mushrooming in conflict zones and the developing…
I recently ran across a brilliant idea for a prospective new organization – Giifa, which crowdfunds charity workers’ wages. Giifa is still in its initial stages and doesn’t have a website yet, but the idea is quite compelling: Giifa is a website that will serve as a platform for crowd-funding jobs in non-profits. Member organizations…
I’m incredibly excited that one of my favorite organizations – International Bridges to Justice – has launched a TED talk by Founder & CEO, Karen Tse. IBJ is also featured as #3 on Huffington Post’s “Best of TED 2011 Countdown.” Take a few minutes to watch Karen’s talk below — and to join us in…
In the past few days, I blazed my way through “Work on Purpose” by Lara Galinsky and Echoing Green, devouring the stories and winding pathways of the five social entrepreneurs profiled within. This book is a reflection of our generation – slightly confused, constantly searching, never settling, seeking meaning. For Generation Y, work has been…
I have a lot of interests and passions. I am driven to find ideas in justice & social change that make sense, are about the people, and fill real needs. So what excites me? Carlos recently asked me, “So how do you keep yourself motivated when it doesn’t seem like things are changing in this…
I’ve talked about this before, but there is a gaping gap in access to justice in our country. While those accused of a crime are guaranteed a lawyer, people in civil cases are not. Oftentimes, this leads to grossly unfair, unjust and inequitable outcomes for the poor. How is it that those struggling with landlord-tenant…
As an undergraduate studying abroad at LSE, I had my first introduction to microfinance and became enamored with social enterprise. I co-founded a student development think tank that focused on providing student consulting services to microfinance institutions (MFIs) including research, development, and marketing. We pitched it as a social enterprise in a business plan competition…
