Internship Description

Kristen Saldarini, ’23SIPA, supported the Tamer Center for Social Enterprise by reviewing and assisting with the Tamer Fund for Social Venture (TFSV) pipeline development process, raising the profile of five recently selected TFSV portfolio ventures, and benchmarking for the annual fund impact report. Kristen also produced editorial content consistent with the comprehensive social media strategy she developed previously for the center.

After a 2021 Social Enterprise Summer Fellowship and freelance work focused on marketing and communications, I returned to the center in May 2022 to assess its performance on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. My assessment was based on key performance indicators (KPIs) that I set with the director of communications as part of the comprehensive social media strategy I developed in 2021 to raise brand visibility among MBA students, alumni, donors, social entrepreneurs, responsible business leaders, and nonprofit leaders. In addition to completing this assessment, I developed social media content for the 2022–2023 academic year; helped identify opportunities to leverage the center’s alumni network on behalf of the Tamer Fund for Social Ventures portfolio; and revised website copy for center events between 2003 and 2017. My efforts this summer supported the center’s mission to educate current and future leaders at the intersection of business and society in three ways: I continued to engage faculty, alumni, and current students at the Business School and across campus to promote unique programming, coursework, and events. I brainstormed new ways to facilitate networking opportunities between alumni, current Business School students, and Tamer Fund for Social Ventures investment recipients. I also helped expand the center’s influence by promoting top tier media coverage featuring alumni and revising center event descriptions to hone in on key social enterprise issues. In December, I will complete my MPA in social policy and management at SIPA. Before beginning my graduate studies at SIPA, I spent more than six years working in strategic communications. Primarily, I supported clients in the financial, health, and legal services sectors by designing and executing business-to-business (B2B) communications campaigns. I am also a certified digital marketing professional, after completing an intensive program through the Digital Marketing Institute. My communications background informed how I assessed social media performance and sourced stories from students and alumni who have benefited from the Columbia Business School experience for future posts. My coursework conferred critical knowledge of social enterprise, public-private partnerships, and the nonprofit sector, allowing me to seamlessly source expert insights from faculty and alumni. These stories and insights strengthened the center’s presence on social media. My understanding of social enterprise, public-private partnerships, and the nonprofit sector also directed counsel related to the Tamer Fund for Social Ventures and edits to website copy. Originally, I was largely scoped to review the pipeline development process, spotlight the 2022 portfolio companies, and enhance the annual reporting process for the Tamer Fund for Social Ventures. However, staffing and needs at the center evolved before my fellowship work started. I was fortunate to have a strong working relationship with my managers, built over the course of my first fellowship. We worked together to identify new priorities, realign key responsibilities, and outline projects that would provide lift at the center and leverage my core skills. At the same time, I was exposed to the Tamer Fund for Social Ventures and, working through our marketing and communications projects, developed content to showcase the latest cohort of founders on Instagram and LinkedIn. My second experience as a graduate fellow at the Tamer Center for Social Enterprise offered many lessons. Again, I’ll reflect here on just a few: At work, we are often only as effective as our ability to pivot. Teamwork is fluid. It is important to identify where your skills can fill immediate needs.