Christine Sedky ’11Journal #1
Have you ever seen a job description and felt that job was made for you? The marriage of both your professional and personal interests? That is how I felt when I applied for the summer internship at the Schwab Foundation at the World Economic Forum. I was thrilled when I received the offer to work there for the summer, never paying attention to the details — such as the office location in Geneva, Switzerland. The job so intrigued me that I accepted and knew I would figure out the details later. They were looking for someone to run the search and selection process for social entrepreneurs in the Middle East, prepare the new US selection process, and develop and implement social media concepts for the foundation. I actually came to Columbia Business School to marry my interest in the efficiency of the private sector and my interest in development, which turns out to be social entrepreneurship, so I was really looking forward to starting the internship.
The Schwab Foundation’s main activities include the following:
- Identifying and highlighting: the world’s leading social entrepreneurs
- Community building: currently over 190 social entrepreneurs form the Schwab Foundation community, which fosters peer-to-peer exchange
- Connecting social entrepreneurs: The foundation supports the participation and active involvement of its selected social entrepreneurs at regional and global meetings of the World Economic Forum
- Next Generation of Social Entrepreneurs: The foundation works with the Forum of Young Global Leaders (of the World Economic Forum) to identify rising social entrepreneurs with a significant impact under the age of 40
- Additional Services: Works with Harvard University, Stanford University, and INSEAD to provide additional scholarship opportunities; also works closely with leading academic institutions to publish case studies on specific social entrepreneurs
Journal #2
The first month has been busy. It seems like when it rains it pours. The deadline for the first round of the Middle East/North Africa process and the bidding of the Young Global Leaders was the same date. It’s inspiring and consuming to read the profiles, projects, and stories of these social entrepreneurs.
So, I was reviewing the applicants as well as doing research on young, global leaders in the social entrepreneurship space around the world. I have to admit that I get attached, and side-tracked, reading about these programs and applicants. I only need to write a brief paragraph on each, but sometimes I get sucked into the projects and the problems that these leaders are trying to solve, and end up reading and researching for hours, much more than I need to for the task at hand.
Working on the Middle East/North Africa SEOY (Social Entrepreneur of the Year) process is personally satisfying for me. I have worked with, or seen, many of the organizations’ work on the ground — from my time at the World Bank, to my time interviewing development agencies, to my nonprofit work in Cairo. My favorite thing to do is speak with the social entrepreneurs themselves. Though they work on different challenges, and in very different arenas, the common thread they seem to have is their burning drive and charming personalities. It makes sense because they have to be visionary, passionate, and persistent in the face of challenging circumstances, as well as have a certain amount of charisma to be effective in their unique domains. It is exciting to see read the descriptions and financials of these projects, and how they simultaneously make a difference and are financially sustainable.
