How did your journey in the social sector begin?
Before joining Bridgespan, I worked as a portfolio assistant with the South Asia team at the International Finance Corporation (IFC) for about 11 years. IFC is a member of the World Bank Group and offers investment and advisory services for the private sector in less developed countries. In my role there, I became aware of the kind of challenges that people from these countries faced in the healthcare, education, and microfinance agriculture spaces, and I realised that I would love to work in the social sector. When this opportunity at Bridgespan came up, I knew it would be the perfect place.
Within the sector, which issues are you most passionate about?
Quite a few, but the top two would be education and animal welfare. I believe our development hinges on the education system and making children aware of human rights and other social issues. It is also what empowers people, by cultivating awareness at different levels. I'm also very passionate about animal rescue: providing them with adequate medical care and spreading awareness about our duty to be kind and compassionate towards them.
Tell us about your role as operations associate for BNDP.
After I started at Bridgespan, I spoke to some of the partners I was working with about how I wanted to more deeply understand the work Bridgespan was doing—beyond my role as an executive assistant—by joining project meetings. In 2021, when BNDP was being rolled out, one of the partners asked me if I wanted to join the case team meeting to understand what the program was about, and I jumped at the opportunity. I started working closely with the team, even though in the initial years I was mainly working on scheduling and other tasks. Then I started looking into operations and got involved in the planning for the different cohorts and webinars.
BNDP is very interesting work because you get to engage with so many diverse NGOs, understand the challenges they face, and see how they navigate those challenges by learning through the program. I'm grateful for this opportunity.
What do you enjoy the most about working at Bridgespan?
The one thing that has always stood out for me is the respect that staff have for each other, and the conscious effort we are making to move towards diversity, equity, and inclusion. The passion people bring for working in the social sector and wanting to make a difference has led to an amazing work culture.
How do you spend your time outside of work?
I love to be with my family and my 10 pet cats. They are all rescues, so I spend all my spare time making sure they get all the attention and love that they need. Not to mention, they're very vocal and demanding and keep me on my toes constantly. I learn so much from them, especially on how to live in the moment every day—and how to live without judging others.