As told by Elizabeth Ndungu (’23SPS, Information and Knowledge Strategy)
If there was one amazing, never-happened-quite-like-that-before kind of moment last semester, this would be it. I had a pretty cool role in connecting the annual Greater Good Challenge with its next grand-prize winner. How?
Thanks to my internship at the Columbia SPS Career Design Lab (CDL), I had the opportunity to work behind the scenes of the annual Greater Good Challenge, a pitch competition offering seed money for innovative business solutions addressing current global and societal needs. I, along with fellow CDL intern Yifei Fan, was able to create, market, and promote the GGC visual assets. We promoted the events on channels on WeChat, GroupMe, WhatsApp, Linkedin, and Instagram. But I took it a step further. I was so excited about this opportunity that I personally wanted to tap into my peer networks across Columbia—I had to know at least one Columbian already working on an innovation that just needed the right support and exposure. So I shared the flyer in a few informal GroupMe chats of which I’m a part.
That’s when the real action began. After I dropped the flyer in the chat, Lacie Pierre (’23SIPA) immediately expressed interest, calling for additional Columbia students and alumni in GroupMe to join her in entering the challenge!
Soon, an extraordinary team was formed: Lavar Matthews (’23SPS, Human Capital Management); Lacie Pierre (’23SIPA); Nile Pierre; Sofia Rinvil (’17SPS, Negotiation and Conflict Resolution); and Danna Lennon-Thomas (’18SPS, Nonprofit Management). Their proposal: The Wash House, a Mississippi-based center that offers a coworking space with free internet for underrepresented professionals and a Community Innovation Center that designs courses to “alleviate the deep skills gap that besets underserved communities.” The team’s hard work paid off, and their proposal made it to the top ten final teams.
But as a CDL intern, I had more work to do behind the scenes. The challenge needed additional coaches when it hit me that a kind and motivating mentor I know, Tisha Hammond, would be perfect to coach the teams in this competition. She graciously said yes.
The rest is history! The Wash House team won the grand prize of $10,000 for their social-enterprise solution. There has never been a time in my life when I have been so happy to witness the social and emotional bonding of such outstanding individuals.
This was also the first time the grand prize-winning team also won the audience pick. And this was all done virtually!
I believe in being kind to as many people as I can because it can make a difference. I have found many people at Columbia SPS who practice this as well. I’d like to thank the CDL and SPS community at large for making such a big difference in the lives of so many people. This is a wonderful memory I’ll cherish long after I graduate.
To learn more about the Wash House, please visit lillieshandsfoundation.org.
