It’s time for me to say goodbye to YPI, the next chapter of my career will be with the Federal Government. I’ve learned a lot personally and professionally after eight months with YPI. I keep fond memories of the team. Let me tell you what happens when an academic goes from researching social responsibility to working for the leading foundation in youth-led philanthropy?
Next-Gen Social impact
The first thing I will remember is YPI’s incredible social impact and its ability to empower the new generation. When I lectured in business school, I had great discussions and debates about ethics and sustainable development with future “responsible managers”. But, this year, I was genuinely amazed by the courage, passion and impact that YPI students had when they tackled social inequalities and spoke up about challenging social issues. This is, in my opinion, where the generation change starts.
An ethical culture
It takes a leading organization to encourage and inspire young people. YPI is, first and foremost, an organization that walks the talk: it knows how to embody the values it promotes. It all starts with the captain of the ship: Holly McLellan does a terrific job at connecting all the parts of a growing network of stakeholders with optimism, honesty and compassion. So, even if YPI did not perfectly match my academic background, its willingness to do the right thing fitted very well with my vision of a responsible organization.
A strong team
This leads me to my last point. Because YPI’s open and solution-oriented culture, it was easy to bring my skills to the team in a warm and professional atmosphere. Rachel, Sneha, and Kate know how to develop meaningful interpersonal connections with everyone in the education, charitable and philanthropic sectors. Wearing so many hats is not an easy task, but they do it perfectly to collaborate towards a common goal: creating compassionate communities.
YPI makes a difference in so many communities. I’m convinced it does so by trusting people and their ability to be actors of change. For that reason, I am proud to have contributed to that change.
