I started and have grown my career in male-heavy environments over the past decade – studying Computer Engineering in college, working as a technology consultant for large financial institutions, and most recently, completing my BUS - Columbia Business School. So I was very excited to bring together my corporate experience and my learnings as a newly-minted BUS - Columbia Business School in order to work towards closing the gender gap in technology, as an intern at Girls Who Code.

Girls Who Code is a nonprofit organization focused on closing the gender gap in technology and engineering, by providing opportunities for girls to gain hands-on experience with coding, and exposure to top female developers and entrepreneurs. The organization launched in 2012 with only one summer program, and has achieved amazing success over the past few years. This summer in 2015, the organization ran 57 Summer Immersion Programs and is launching 500+ after-school Clubs nationwide. Girls Who Code has aggressive goals next year to significantly extend its reach to inspire even more girls to study computer science.

To increase its impact, the organization needs to leverage technology to scale the volume of its programs and to measure success. Ultimately, Girls Who Code needs to enable its staff by providing enterprise technology that is integrated with day-to-day operations. As an intern in the Operations team, I created a recommendation for an IT strategy and roadmap. My proposal was reviewed and accepted by the COO, and the Girls Who Code team is moving forward with my recommendation.

When I first set out to do this, I quickly found that I had little experience with organizations like Girls Who Code. At three years young with unstructured processes, Girls Who Code is like a startup. But for an organization with millions in revenue, the COO is determined to establish best-in-class technology and processes that are more often found in large yet efficient enterprises. The CEO likens their operations to a political campaign, short-term and fast-paced with the sole purpose of accomplishing their mission and putting themselves out of work. Girls Who Code is a non-profit, but has the drive to be efficient and metrics-driven, a desire more often associated with corporate industry.

Fortunately, my technology consulting experience gave me in-depth practical knowledge in executing IT initiatives, while the BUS - Columbia Business School gave me the broad knowledge that I needed to create a holistic IT strategy that would make sense for the entire organization. I was able to use the frameworks and analytical perspective I learned through the BUS - Columbia Business School in order to assess Girls Who Code as an organization. From the elective ‘Managing the Growing Company’, I had a framework to think about the evolution of growing firms in order to critically evaluate Girls Who Code’s growth stage. Classes such as core Strategy and ‘High Performing Non-Profits’ gave me an understanding of how non-profit org models can be compared to for-profit business models. ‘Organizational Change’ gave me exposure to best practices which helped me make tactical suggestions on turning strategy into a reality. On a more tactical level, basic Accounting helped me better understand financial systems’ requirements. Combining BUS - Columbia Business School theory with practical consulting experience, I was able to propose a realistic recommendation that helped Girls Who Code meet their needs.

Despite having internships and consulting projects in numerous companies, I always find the first week or two at a new organization the hardest – figuring out and adapting to people dynamics, expectations, and culture. At the start of this summer, I found myself struggling with the dichotomies of being an experienced employee vs. being an intern, being a direct report vs. teammate, and juggling everyday demands of existing in-the-weeds work vs. needing to develop a high-level strategic plan. I always have to remind myself to take advantage of being new to ask questions, challenge the status quo, and forge my own path. In the end, I always find that everything usually falls into place as I get to know my colleagues, learn about the inner workings, and create my own place on the team.  As I reflect on the summer, I find that these words would also be applicable to career paths and industry changes.

As a result of this summer internship, I better understand the value I bring to an organization and what drives me personally. Trained as a consultant, I know I still love wading into the gritty data of Excel sheets and emerging to create a beautiful story in Powerpoint. I thrive in fast-paced, inclusive environments surrounded by passionate and motivated people. But I don’t need structure and hierarchy to operate. I enjoy managing myself and figuring out what needs to be done. I can handle ambiguity, especially if I am empowered to create order. Most importantly, mission matters to me and I am motivated by seeing meaningful impact as a result of my work.

Having followed a very traditional career path, I had always been hesitant to transition into the non-profit world. I am very grateful for opportunities Columbia Business School provided for me to reframe my understanding of social enterprises both through coursework and practical experience. In a few weeks when I return to a prior commitment in corporate America, and further in the future as I make my next career moves, I plan to search for ways to more directly connect my work to a sense of purpose and broader social impact. My experiences at Columbia Business School, particularly as a Social Enterprise Summer Fellow, has given me the confidence to steer my career path into new directions.