Over the next four weeks, we shall be introducing our 2006 Acumen Fund Fellows. This year’s inaugural cohort comprises a diverse group of individuals who all share not only individual accomplishment but a proven desire to serve, to listen, and to be part of a larger community focused on significant, measurable change. It is thrilling to see talented people who could do so many things in the world choose to give back to it - a spirit embodied by the Acumen Fund team as a whole.
Nadaa Taiyab
“This fellowship at Acumen Fund immediately excited me as it combines many of the elements I am seeking in my next job: an entrepreneurial environment where I will have the space to take initiative, the opportunity to work towards a social vision, and the challenge of working in developing countries.”
Jocelyn Wyatt
“While I have always been committed to sustainable development, I wanted to be part of a pragmatic, market-based approach that went beyond the standard paradigm. I am excited by this rare opportunity to further my professional development in social entrepreneurship, to achieve my goal of creating and leading my own social enterprise in the near future.”
Nadaa’s background…
Nadaa is completing a Masters at Tufts in International Business and International Environmental Policy, with a focus on climate change, carbon markets and sustainable development. She has worked as a financial analyst in the Investment Banking Division of Goldmans Sachs in New York and for the World Bank in Indonesia, piloting a project for private sector development in post-conflict areas. Nadaa obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania in International Relations. Born in Sri Lanka, she grew up in Indonesia and Canada.
Jocelyn’s background…
Jocelyn is currently finishing an MBA at Thunderbird, where she organized the Net Impact Global Citizenship Challenge and the International Development Association Microfinance Conference. Jocelyn served as India Country Director for the Scojo Foundation - a Social Capitalist Award winner and an Acumen Fund investee. Previously Jocelyn worked for five years for Chemonics International, a contractor for the U.S. Agency for International Development in Washington, DC.
I am honored to have been chosen as an Acumen Fund Fellow and am truly looking forward to this opportunity. I am currently finishing my MBA at Thunderbird and will graduate in August.
I became familiar with Acumen Fund when I was working in India with Scojo Foundation last year. I was inspired by Acumen’s work and the dedication of their staff and saw how much value the Acumen investment brought to Scojo Foundation. More than just the funding; the connections, mentoring, and technical support the Acumen team brought really helped us grow the program and provide access to reading glasses to thousands of Indians.
I am dedicated to social entrepreneurship and in the future hope to found a social enteprise. After this fellowship, I expect to continue an exciting career in venture philanthropy. I look forward to sharing more about my experiences and working with Acumen Fund in the coming year.
Reply to Jocelyn WyattHello to the Acumen Community,
I am very excited to have been chosen to be an Acumen Fellow. In my application to graduate schools three years ago, I wrote that my goal was to work in the private sector in some type of business activity that would also make a positive contribution to society, preferably in developing countries. My ideal was to find a way to combine financial sustainability and social good. (Imagine my delight when I read about the Fellows program.) I see the Acumen Fellows program as a way for me to obtain real on the ground experience, working with companies trying to achieve just that. I am particularly interested in the nexus between environmental sustainability, climate change, and poverty. I hope to be able to explore these issues further during my tenure at Acumen. Ultimately, I hope to have my own social enterprise, operating in developing countries. I see this year as a tremendous stepping stone towards achieving that objective.
Over the summer I will be travelling through Thailand and Cambodia with a few friends, followed by some time spent relaxing in Indonesia and Canada with my family.
Reply to Nadaa Taiyab