In Boston, I navigated two worlds that are best illustrated by the windows through which I given the opportunity to view the communities around me. In one world, I sat in a sky-rise office building with an unobstructed view of downtown Boston, where I could watch young professionals and corporate executives congregate for business lunches and happy-hours. In the other world, at my apartment, the view from my bedroom window provided me a glance into the lives of patients at the methadone clinic on the outskirts of Roxbury. Every night, the sound bites that floated through my bedroom window served as a reminder of the dichotomy of the two worlds I straddled – it was a consistent reminder of the of the considerable chasm between people who lived and worked only a few miles apart. …show more content…
After securing a seat next to my firm’s CEO, David Kaliff, at dinner one evening, I spoke fervently in favor of engaging Xyster Consulting in important development initiatives ranging from poverty alleviation to women’s empowerment, and outlined my proposal for implementing a comprehensive social-impact strategy. My vision to export Xyster Consulting’s unique technical capabilities in support of community organizations resonated with David, and I found myself charged with the task of bringing this initiative to life. In spite of my position as one of the youngest analysts at the firm, and my limited background in the private sector, I was able to leverage the skills I had developed through previous leadership experiences to drive the formation of the CSR team. My willingness to take on responsibility and ability to effectively coordinate multiple projects enabled me to work with this team to launch the CSR initiative only two months