Ann Welch: PBS
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I spent my summer in Washington, DC, at PBS (Public Broadcasting System) in the Ventures division, which focuses on how to add incremental revenue to the bottom line. I completed a strategy for the creation of a business development unit, a competitive analysis of online kids games, recommendations for the forecasting of bandwidth use, and business process requirements for the implementation of a film editing software. I learned about a whole new industry (public television), was given a lot of independence to work on my projects, and had a sense of ownership and pride about what I completed. My supervisor was great; he made sure to keep in touch on what I was doing, was enthusiastic about the work that I did, and worked hard to make sure that my work was substantive and MBA-level.
This summer I am working as an Associate in the Corporate Finance group at Airtricity Holdings (AHL). AHL’s core business is both the development and construction of wind energy projects and the generation and retailing of renewable electricity. I worked on the financing of a $252 MM (126.5 MW) wind power plant in TX and the recapitalization of a 90 MW distressed project. I really enjoyed working for a small but growing company which gave me the opportunity to work on many different aspects of the business.
This summer I worked as a Marketing and Strategic Planning Associate at World Vision’s U.S. headquarters near Seattle. World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. In 2006, World Vision served more than 100 million people, worked in 97 nations, and affected more than 3 million children directly through child sponsorship. World Vision employed 23,000 staff members and raised $2.1 billion in cash and goods for its work.
Amy Karson and I worked this summer to launch a social venture that provides business process services to the non-profit industry. Last Spring 22 first-year Yale MBA students worked with us to prepare a full business plan. Our goal for the summer was to use this plan to raise the necessary capital to launch this business upon graduation. After the 13th investor told us that they liked the idea but that they were a little nervous about selling to non-profits, we decided to change our strategy and come back to the investors after we had a few clients. Therefore, we spent the second half of the summer pitching to clients instead of investors. We met with 30+ non-profits in Boise, the Greater Yellowstone Area, and the Greater NYC area. Over twenty asked for proposals, but since we weren’t actually fully operational, we only sent out three. One firm accepted and we now have our first client right here in our very own New Haven.
This past summer, I worked as a program intern in the Capital Markets division of Grameen Foundation in Washington DC. Grameen Foundation is an organization focused on empowering the world’s poorest through microfinance. The foundation shares the heritage and the spirit of Grameen Banks started by Dr. Muhammad Yunus in Bangladesh. While Grameen Banks are the microfinance institutions (MFIs), Grameen Foundation is a not-for-profit established in 1997 to support MFIs around the world. The areas of support include technology, industry knowledge sharing and access to capital markets.
United Way of America, located in Alexandria, VA, is the national office of United Way. I worked in the Diversity and Inclusion department, focusing on best practices. I conducted a review of current best practices in diversity and inclusion in the private sector. I used a framework based on best practices to analyze internal human capital survey data and then highlight the key findings on diversity within the system. Using these findings, I provided recommendations on strategies to advance the organization’s diversity plan. I also identified areas for improvement of the content and imagery of the United Way’s website and recommended ways to better reflect the organization’s commitment to diversity. Additionally, I interviewed United Way and university career office staff as well as college students to develop a college recruitment strategy to attract a more diverse cohort of graduates.
This Summer I worked at the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia. Sydney Opera House is governed by Sydney Opera House Trust, which is affiliated with the Australian government. I worked for Naomi Grabel, Director of Marketing and Development and a graduate of the Yale School of Drama’s Theater Management program. It was especially interesting to see how SOH is building its development initiative in Australia’s emerging philanthropic environment. I helped to initiate collaboration between several major local arts organizations in order to create a more cohesive and overt Sydney Arts Community. Through this project I helped establish a committee of marketing directors from the various local arts organizations and facilitated the conception and initial production of a Sydney Cultural Guide. It is hoped that the Cultural Guide project will serve as a launch pad for other future collaborative projects within the arts community.
I interned with the State of New Jersey Office of Public Finance in Trenton. While there, I drafted New Jersey’s first debt management policy by researching national best practices and adapting them to state conditions. I also revamped the office’s record-keeping of past bond deals. I particularly enjoyed working on Governor Corzine’s Asset Monetization plan for the NJ Turnpike, and participating in the issuance process for a bond that securitized motor vehicle surcharges to pay for special-needs housing. I got this internship through a CDO-sponsored visit to SOM by the NJ State Treasurer, Brad Abelow (SOM ’93).
I worked with the Performance Management team within Booz Allen’s Organization and Strategy Group over summer. The focus of my summer was to develop a performance management maturity model that defines levels of organizational maturity. After developing the model, I then applied it to ongoing performance management projects with clients in the Defense Intelligence enterprise. The most enjoyable part of the summer was taking advantage of the opportunity to attend strategy meetings on new proposals and bids, and interacting with a team comprising of several associates, principals and a partner.
I interned at New Schools for New Orleans this summer, where I managed communications and organizational strategy for a growing non-profit that is launching and supporting public charter schools in New Orleans. My work led to the creation of a brochure and supplementary marketing materials, in addition to the development of brand identity and positioning strategy, such as the definition of core organizational beliefs and operating principles. I was a public school teacher in New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina, so it was particularly fulfilling to be back in New Orleans working on education reform during a time of intense need and opportunity. I will be returning to New Orleans after graduation this spring and would love to bring more SOM students and alumni with me so if you are interested in internship or job opportunities in New Orleans (both in and beyond the education sector), please don’t hesitate to reach out!