Launching your own social change venture is a labor of passion, creativity, and dedication. Social entrepreneurs typically possess these qualities in spades, but sometimes need support in turning their vision into reality. To that end, Teach For America developed a new program, the Social Entrepreneurship Initiative, to provide its alumni with the tools and knowledge required to create systemic change through social entrepreneurship.

As its inaugural director, Chaula Kothari is building the Social Entrepreneurship Initiative from the ground up. Here we share a recent interview during which Chaula discusses her experience supporting social entrepreneurship worldwide and her thoughts on what it takes to be a successful social entrepreneur.

What inspired Teach For America to create the Social Entrepreneurship Initiative?

Teach For America’s mission is to build the movement to eliminate educational inequity by enlisting our nation’s most promising future leaders in this effort. When Teach For America started 17 years ago, the program placed 500 corps members as teachers in six urban and rural low-income regions. Since then, the organization has expanded to placing approximately 5,000 corps members in 26 regions and has 12,000 alumni who continue to work from within education and from every sector to expand opportunities for children in low-income communities. Teach For America has created an environment where talented and driven recent college graduates can have a real impact on one of the most important social problems in this country. 

The experience of teaching successfully in low-income communities is a transformative one for our corps members – it influences the career path for many of them, creating a new leadership force for social change. As we grow our size and impact, we are systemically changing the way young people view public service and their role in social change. The Social Entrepreneurship Initiative is one example of how Teach For America is seizing an opportunity to create an even bigger social impact—by supporting our alumni in their development as leaders in social entrepreneurship.

How do you define a social entrepreneur? How do Teach For America and its alumni fit that definition?

Being a social entrepreneur is about addressing systemic problems. Money and resources can fill a gap, but how are you going to change the way people think and behave? That is the question social entrepreneurs set out to answer.

Teach For America alumni are in a unique position to move into social entrepreneurship. They have spent at least two years on the ground teaching and have gained an intimate view into problems such as literacy, low graduation rates, and other educational inequities. This experience is what fuels the ideas to address these problems in new and creative ways.

Historically, a number of Teach For America alumni have launched their own social ventures. Among these are charter schools, such as KIPP, YES Prep, and district schools like Generation Schools. Other alumni have launched mission-driven for-profit companies, such as Red Schoolhouse Software, a software provider for classrooms which counts the Los Angeles Unified School District among its clients.

Building on the success of these social ventures, the Social Entrepreneurship Initiative was created to formalize the career support available to alumni interested in social entrepreneurship.

How has your career path led you to this new role at Teach For America?

At the start of my career, my background was purely technical. After earning my degree in telecommunications engineering, I realized I was more interested in exploring the political, cultural, and policy implications of technology. I returned to school, earned my master’s degree in International Relations, and then started working in the public sector in nuclear disarmament research.

From there, I was fortunate enough to find a position at Ashoka, an organization that fosters social entrepreneurship worldwide. I was originally hired to support the selection program of US-based social entrepreneurs, and was then asked to help build a new team for Ashoka’s office in India. Working in India provided me with an amazing sense of on-the-ground social entrepreneurship. From there, I returned to the States and led Ashoka’s global staff recruitment program.

The four years I spent at Ashoka helped me to identify the characteristics common to successful social entrepreneurs, namely a combination of drive, vision, and business know-how. This experience equipped me with the tools and knowledge I needed to move into a role where I now help others realize their visions.

What is most exciting to you about your role?

To start, the Social Entrepreneurship Initiative is only a few months old! I was hired in November to build and develop this program and to me, the opportunity to inspire others to start their own social change ventures, as well as create a platform that will provide the tools and resources for them to do so, is really exciting. We have seen strong interest from the alumni so far. Some interesting existing initiatives and new ideas that I have come across so far include a documentary training program for urban youth, an organization exploring ways to leverage hip-hop culture to bring about social change, and a college preparation program for high-school students.

My position is part of the Alumni Affairs department, so I get to work closely with the other alumni programs that focus on political and school leadership opportunities..

Besides working closely with internal departments, I get to partner with outside groups to provide funding, strategic planning, and consulting services for alumni interested in starting their own social change ventures. I enjoy being part of a larger community of support that new social entrepreneurs can tap into; access to a community and the resources it provides is a key factor of a social entrepreneur’s ability to succeed.

What challenges do you see for professionals interested in pursuing a career in social entrepreneurship? What general skills are needed for this type of work?

Social entrepreneurship is not always thought about as a full-time career. A lot of people have the desire to just start something, but they are unsure how this translates into a realistic, long-term career. Part of our program’s mission is to shape the perception of social entrepreneurship as a viable professional choice and to help prospective social entrepreneurs address the challenges of turning their life’s passion into their life’s work.

Social entrepreneurs need to rise above the myth that social entrepreneurship is solely driven by the heart, and not by sound business practices. Successful social entrepreneurs possess the same competencies as traditional business entrepreneurs, such as the abilities to plan strategically, manage people and programs, and measure results.

Being able to scale operations and manage growth is key. Ideally, social entrepreneurs should grow themselves out of the job. A true measure of success is when others begin to copy your idea..

Finally, what advice do you have for social entrepreneurs interested in starting their own organizations?

First of all, social change comes in all shapes and sizes. You don’t need to start a 501c3. You don’t have to give up your full time job. Everyone as a citizen has a right and a duty to social change. You can be a full citizen working for social change no matter what line of work you are in.

If you plan to start your own organization, you need to be absolutely committed to and happy with what you are doing. If you’re not happy to take on the challenges that come with starting your own organization, you will not do a good job of helping others.

Lastly, remember to consider your own personal and professional growth when launching a new venture. Strive for that growth. Strive to be happy with your job and career path. That way you’ll be able to devote yourself even better to social change.

This article was written by Commongood Careers and is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical-NoDerivs 2.5 License.

For more information about nonprofit and socially entrepreneurial careers, visit Commongood Careers at http://www.cgcareers.org.

As the Director of Program Services at Mass Mentoring Partnership, the only nonprofit that focuses on start-up and sustainability of high-quality mentoring programs statewide, Marty Martinez has his work cut out for him. With a deep personal commitment to youth services, as well as over eight years of experience in the field, Marty now lends his talent and drive to helping a number of mentoring organizations become more effective in the communities they serve.

Here’s what Marty had to say about his current role, career path, and thoughts about working in the nonprofit sector:

Tell us about your role as Director of Program Services. What is your favorite part of this work?

I work with program staff from other mentoring organizations, both school and community based, to help them think through their programs. I work closely with them on developing strategies to recruit more mentors, defining protocols for screening mentors, and creating evaluations for assessing outcomes. I also act as a sounding board and an advisor to help them figure out where they’ve been successful and where they need to adapt their program strategies.

My favorite part of my job is the ability to be innovative and come up with creative solutions to problems. Just today, I walked into an organization that had some amazing new ideas for training and capacity building. I enjoy working with organizations that are open to new processes and new types of training.

How has your career path to date led you to your current position?

From the start, my career focused on supporting programs that serve young people. I have always been passionate about human services and social services. I started off doing the actual fieldwork, such as running prevention programs and providing other direct services. Since I worked full-time while earning my bachelor’s degree, I already had a good deal of experience in youth services by the time I finished college.

By later returning to school to earn my Masters degree, I was able to shift my focus from direct services to nonprofit management. By the time I entered graduate school, I already had a lot of direct services experience in my tool kit to build upon. This inspired me to look at this work from a broader perspective, and to ultimately make a bigger impact in the field by focusing on capacity building.

What were the most important criteria in choosing your current position?

I knew I wanted to continue working with youth, and I focused my job search on organizations that shared my passion for youth services. I looked closely at each organization’s mission, as well as the staff’s enthusiasm for the mission.  Those factors became the most important criteria in my search. I need to be part of an organization that has a mission I believe in, and I found that at Mass Mentoring Partnership.

I’ve found in my career that if I can find a position that meets these criteria, it’s easier to make other sacrifices around things like salary or specific responsibilities. It’s true what they say: do what you love, and the money will follow.

What drives you to work in the social sector?

I come from a low-income, Hispanic community. I was one of the first people in my family to go to college and graduate. While growing up, I received so much support from the local community center and other nonprofit programs. This experience instilled in me the value of supporting and building communities. I would not be where I am today if I had not received that support.

The bottom line for me is people, not how much I earn or what my title is. At this stage of my life, I could get a job in the private sector earning at least twice what I earn now. But that’s not why I work. I’m committed to giving back and helping others in the same way I was helped.

What advice do you have for jobseekers that are interested in pursuing opportunities in program management?

I would say to jobseekers that you need a combination of passion, drive, and reality. There are great opportunities and organizations doing great work, but you need to be prepared to deal with the struggles of program management, such as trying to find grants and working in a resource constrained environment. Everyday, I’m required to make a lot with very little.

The nonprofit world is very professional and filled with innovators. Program management is at the core of this innovative work. You can really make a very exciting career.

Most importantly, the desire to work in program management has to be mission-driven. You must genuinely want to commit to giving back, not just having the prestige or the salary of a given role because that’s not what will sustain you through the toughest days.

What are the greatest challenges facing the social sector today?

One big challenge is figuring out how to retain professionals in the field long-term. I’m 30 years old and have a Masters Degree. I love my work, but I still need to earn a salary where I can support myself. It’s important that people my age are able to buy a home and support a family. If the sector can’t pay bigger salaries, it needs to come up with other incentives for employees.

Diversity is another big challenge. The sector is great at developing program staff into managers, but less strong at moving managers into director-level and executive positions. It is important that nonprofit directors and executives reflect the communities being served by the organization. There needs to be more “decision makers” of color for this to be true.

What can nonprofit organizations do better to attract new talent to the social sector?

There are a few things. I already mentioned salary, and I think benefits are an area where organizations can pick up the slack. By getting creative about non-monetary benefits, such as flexible schedules or casual work attire, organizations may be able to attract a new crop of employees.

Organizations need to be committed to reaching out to young professionals. They need to get in front of undergraduates and have a visible presence on college campuses. When I was an undergrad, I remember seeing banks and consulting firms at every career-related event, but never any representation from the nonprofit sector. The sector needs to be more aggressive to compete for talent with the private sector.

Like a lot of the work we do, attracting new talent requires innovation. Many young professionals are attracted to innovation and want to become a part of an organization that does things differently. To me, there is nothing more exciting for a young professional than to create a new idea, implement it and see its impact.  By creating and communicating a culture of innovation, many organizations will attract these types of young thinkers and leaders.

Finally, I think there are a lot of people who join the field out of a personal commitment. Some join because they came from an underserved community; others join because they had a privelleged background and feel committed to give back. No matter what drives someone to the field, nonprofit talent need to feel that they are making some sort of contribution. At the end of the day, our bottom line is about people and community. The sector needs to stress this as a key benefit of nonprofit work.

This article was written by Commongood Careers and is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical-NoDerivs 2.5 License.

For more information about nonprofit and socially entrepreneurial careers, visit Commongood Careers at http://www.cgcareers.org.

Catherine Carrington recently joined Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) as its Manager of Strategic Initiatives. A sector switcher changing from a private company to a nonprofit organization, Catherine took some time to tell us about her thoughts on her career path, her new role, and the nonprofit sector.

Q: You worked in the private sector before. What drew you to the nonprofit sector and this opportunity with Management Leadership For Tomorrow (MLT)?

A: I’ve always been drawn to the crossover between education and business. Whenever I’ve looked for jobs, I’ve first looked at the mission and the leadership. My former company, StudySmart, and MLT have very similar missions: to assist students in achieving their academic and career goals, thus ultimately being in a position to give back to future generations. When I learned about the MLT opportunity through Commongood Careers, I sensed very quickly that MLT was the type of place that would reward entrepreneurship, creativity, and hard-work, and meeting the staff further reinforced that sentiment.

Q: How did your past experience prepare you to move into the nonprofit sector?

A: The value of helping others and contributing to society was instilled in me early on. My parents were both teachers and several members of my family were coaches; I learned that strengthening students’ experiences was critical to society and to a person’s intrinsic satisfaction.

The skills I have learned throughout my life, such as management, financial budgeting, and sales and marketing, are transferable to almost any industry. Of course, the ‘softer’ skills are also invaluable - a sense of pride in one’s work, a positive, can-do attitude and the ability to build strong relationships. Each of those skills is critical to increasing the visibility and viability of any organization.

Q. What do you see are the challenges facing today’s nonprofit sector? What are the opportunities?

A: Two of the biggest challenges have always been financial constraints and the impression of inefficiency that people believe is synonymous with the non-profit sector. Both keep many well-qualified people from pursuing opportunities that otherwise would be a good fit.

The opportunities in the non-profit sector can be terrific; our respective missions inspire us to get up and go to work in the morning, and we know that we’re making a societal impact every day. We also are in a unique position to be able to reinforce the idea of reciprocity within other companies and organizations. For example, corporations offer MLT financial support and intellectual capital, and we provide them with phenomenal interns and employees who otherwise may not have known of the opportunities.

Q. Describe your experience working with Commongood Careers. How was it different from past job searches you conducted?

A: My experience with Commongood Careers was tremendous. The level of knowledge and professionalism demonstrated by their staff superseded any expectation. I’ve worked with other recruiters before, and can honestly say that everyone should be so fortunate to work with such sincere, positive, results-oriented and diligent people as the folks at Commongood Careers.

This article was written by Commongood Careers and is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical-NoDerivs 2.5 License.

For more information about nonprofit and socially entrepreneurial careers, visit Commongood Careers at http://www.cgcareers.org.

Maia Blankenship graduated with her MBA from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill in 2004. Having worked in management consulting with Ernst & Young prior to business school and establishing a nonprofit focused on entrepreneurship education; Maia’s goal was to follow her passion for community, empowerment and education by transitioning into the nonprofit sector.

Finding Her Focus
Maia took advantage of her first year at UNC to thoroughly explore the various opportunities her MBA program exposed her to. “Net Impact was the guiding force for me and my exploration, I chose to intern within the corporate sector that first year to put my new skills to test.” Through this initial exploration Maia was able to enter her second year very focused on a career in education reform with a nonprofit organization that would value the business skills she gained pursuing an MBA.

Following Her Interests
Maia focused on leveraging her network and the Net Impact community to pursue opportunities with organizations such as the New Teacher Project, Teach for America, and College Summit. She quickly found her fit in education reform as a Special Project Manager at College Summit. Maia now serves as the Director of National Partnerships and Investments at College Summit, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing the college enrollment rate of low-income students across the country. In her role, she is responsible for building and maintaining College Summit’s relationships with both national foundations and private investors. In addition, Maia directly manages the organization’s “Proof Fund” (a $15 million growth capital investment) raised in 2005 from ten individual donors over the next four years.

Beyond the Office
Maia carries out her values in both her work and her personal life as she in an active leader of the Washington DC Professional Chapter Net Impact Leadership Team. Her work with College Summit is both challenging and rewarding, which energizes her to remain involved outside of her career focus as well. She volunteers regularly as a member of the National Urban League and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. She also serves as financial literacy coach with Operation Hope. For others who are seeking to join their values and career path Maia recommends focusing on the issues that are most important to you by identifying and building relationships with experts in that industry or field. Professional mentors help you explore options and determine how to best leverage your skills to pursue your career interests.

Net Impact strives to improve the world by growing and strengthening a network of new leaders who are using the power of business to make a positive net social, environmental, and economic impact. With more than 125 student and professional chapters on 4 continents in 75 cities and 80 graduate schools, a central office in San Francisco, and partnerships with leading for and nonprofit organizations, Net Impact enables members to use business for social good in their graduate education, careers, and communities.