Background

After completing a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and a Minor in Social and Economic Justice at UNC-Chapel Hill in 2005, I began my career working with victims of domestic violence. Through this experience, I learned to think quickly on my feet, communicate clearly in crisis situations, and help clients solve complex challenges. However, I realized I wanted to focus my career on more long-term, sustainable solutions and transitioned into the position of Internship Director of the Minor in Entrepreneurship at UNC-Chapel Hill. As Internship Director, I placed and mentored 180 students in entrepreneurial internships around the world and worked closely with senior faculty members to design and implement courses on entrepreneurship. After working with the program for two years and discovering my passion for entrepreneurship education and social entrepreneurship, I decided to move to India to work on a social venture as a Sandbox Fellow with the Deshpande Foundation. My work in India focused on launching and managing Entrepreneurship Academy, an initiative that inculcates entrepreneurship into the region’s higher education system. While working with Entrepreneurship Academy, I expanded the number of partnerships by 600%, designed courses on entrepreneurship (reaching over 1,500 students), and trained 80 faculty and community members to use experiential learning tools to teach entrepreneurship.

Career Path

Having spent the majority of my career at entrepreneurial organizations, I have learned that I thrive in environments that require self-initiative and an ability to perform in ambiguous situations. My long-term career goal is to leverage the business skills I will develop through Kenan-Flagler’s MBA program and my work experience in community development and entrepreneurship education to address challenges in the education sector.

Interests and Hobbies

As an Anthropology major, I have a thirst for exploring new cultures and love traveling to places that take me outside my comfort zone. Additionally, growing up in rural Western North Carolina I have a great love for the outdoors, and I try to get to the mountains whenever I can. I also enjoy biking, yoga, and mentoring.