During my summer internship at the Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF), I developed processes and tools that simplified the collection, integration, and analysis of relevant data to identify key strategic priorities for BWF. I liaised with stakeholders to understand how they currently use data to prioritize veteran needs, identified opportunities to increase efficiency, and then developed a bespoke analytical solution with accompanying processes. This solution will allow BWF leadership to quickly identify emerging needs of veterans by marrying their deep expertise in veteran affairs with data-driven insights generated by their partners and veterans across the United States.

BWF’s mission is to “find, fund, and shape innovative programs that help our impacted veterans, service members, and their families thrive.” This new tool will enable the team to quickly identify issues of concern for veterans and organizations supporting veterans, and shape grants to programs that solve these issues.

My Columbia MBA developed my operations and analytics skillsets, which I leveraged during my summer internship. Operations: I evaluated the effectiveness of BWF’s decision-making processes and identified opportunities for improvement within BWF’s information processing and sharing mechanisms. I was able to define the right balance between complete automation and human-centric processes along with proactively identifying bottlenecks to improve efficiency. Analytics: I built an analytical tool in Excel using learnings from the Business Analytics course. I created processes and solutions that analyze data and provide insights that end users can leverage to make decisions. Additionally, I was aware of risks involved with analytical solutions, such as human bias and data leakages, and created a plan to mitigate them.

My summer internship coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic. The biggest challenge I faced was adapting to the new, online-only model of working. This meant video calls replaced in-person meetings, Slack messages substituted manager drop-ins, and Zoom presentations swapped group meetings. This was a completely new experience for me and presented a great learning opportunity. My supervisor at BWF was helpful in guiding me through the new style of working by sending detailed emails, providing feedback on presentations, and proactively identifying any issues.

I thoroughly enjoyed my summer internship and leaned a lot! I have summarized my learnings below:

Nonprofit: My summer internship gave me a glimpse into the inner workings of a nonprofit. It was exciting to see how employee passion and a strong mission can drive an organization towards its goals. I would strive to build a similar culture in any firm I join moving forward.

Veteran needs: This opportunity also exposed me to the myriad challenges our veterans face daily, such as social isolation and mental health. These challenges, though complex, are solvable. We need to raise awareness and push for solutions.

Data and Innovation: It was exciting to learn how data and technology are used to make strategic decisions in a nonprofit, such as defining priorities and creating a competitive advantage. I also gained valuable insights into factors that influence the adoption of new technology, such as human bias, organizational hierarchy, and individual motivations, and how a good leader can bring cultural change to overcome these factors.