During my fellowship at Surf With Amigas (SWA) in Nicaragua, I focused on revitalizing SWA’s online education platform, The Collective. Created during COVID-19, The Collective was designed to advance SWA’s mission of empowering women through online education, fitness, mental wellbeing, and community. Despite being launched nearly a year ago, The Collective struggled to gain traction and meet revenue targets.

My project began with a thorough analysis of the platform, identifying key UX issues. I conducted stakeholder interviews, created pitch decks, and developed structured workflow plans to streamline operations. I also executed detailed digital audits and competitor benchmarking, resulting in actionable insights for immediate improvements in UX and marketing strategy. These changes resulted in a successful site redesign that positioned The Collective for future growth.

Collaborating closely with SWA’s leadership, I ensured our strategies aligned with the organization’s mission. Additionally, my on-site experience in Nicaragua allowed me to participate in SWA initiatives, such as beach cleanups and community extracurriculars, deepening my understanding of their commitment to sustainable support. This experience not only advanced SWA’s mission but also strengthened my dedication to purpose-driven work.

During my fellowship, I effectively applied the consulting and analytical skills honed through coursework and projects at CBS. Insights from classes such as Driving Strategic Impact and Business and Climate Change were instrumental in guiding my project. These courses prepared me to lead effectively, define an actionable scope, and conduct interviews and audits, crucial to pinpointing platform inconsistencies hindering user engagement and growth.

I also drew on extracurricular experiences, like my involvement with the Tamer Institute's Nonprofit Board Leadership Program, to conduct a rigorous competitor analysis. This involved benchmarking SWA against four global competitors across 45+ metrics, providing valuable data on SWA’s competitive positioning and revealing strategic growth opportunities. I also performed a SWOT analysis to help guide the owners in evaluating The Collective’s future. Finally, I developed actionable recommendations to enhance the user experience and refine their marketing plan to boost engagement. Overall, the skills I gained from my MBA formed an important foundation for my work with SWA.

Challenges faced were mostly site specific. Living and working in a rural area on the edge of the jungle during the rainy season meant nature dictated my access to electricity and the internet. Spotty service made online work more itinerant than usual. My experience also highlighted the broader global issue of climate change. While the local community had established commendable initiatives for social impact, addressing environmental challenges remained complex. Beach cleanups faced significant hurdles due to limited waste disposal options. Additionally, the presence of riverine pollution and plastic accumulation in the ocean were evident reminders of the ongoing environmental issues. Recognizing that resources and infrastructure vary greatly between urban and rural areas deepened my appreciation for community efforts and underscored the importance of approaching such environments with understanding and respect.

As part of my research for the project, I read Yvon Chouinard’s Let My People Go Surfing. Surprisingly, the book has little to do with surfing, focusing instead on Chouinard's journey as a reluctant businessman, the founding of Patagonia, its values, and his environmental philosophy. Chouinard’s arguments resonated with me and highlighted how commerce’s relentless drive for growth is pushing our planet towards bankruptcy. This summer, I realized that while I may be part of the problem, I can also be part of the solution. Living at the ocean's edge, working with a business reliant on that very ocean, I recognized the necessity of protecting it. It also underscored the importance of SWA’s work to empower and build a community of female surfers. The history of women’s surfing is fraught with inequality and misrepresentation. While progress has been made (World Surf League pay parity was only reached in 2018), much work remains. Identifying as a waterwoman carries not only the responsibility to continue this legacy of inclusive education, but also to foster a profound relationship with the ocean and a promise to act as its steward.