BRIEF

Help a young nonprofit make its design education work more equitable and user-friendly.

OvERVIEW

UNLEASH is an organization that was launched in 2017 to empower young people to develop solutions to some of the world’s most pressing problems. Using the UN Sustainable Development Goals as a framework, the organization has held four in-person bootcamp/accelerator events, as well as countless remote hackathons and gatherings, that teach participants the basics of user-centered design and provide them with the resources and mentors needed to develop solutions that will contribute towards SDG progress.

My work with UNLEASH also began in 2017, when I led the establishment of Chemonics International’s partnership with UNLEASH. Over the course of my tenure at Chemonics, I managed the relationship between the company and the UNLEASH Secretariat; managed Chemonics employee participation in the 2018 and 2019 UNLEASH Global Innovation Lab, including selection of participants, identification of experts, and coordination of logistics; developed curricular materials on creating a theory of change, incorporating equity into design, and applying an asset-based community development approach; and served as a mentor and expert for participants in both the UNLEASH Global Innovation Lab and the UNLEASH+ Accelerator (an incubator program for existing social impact startups).

After leaving Chemonics, I was asked to stay involved with UNLEASH as an Innovation Advisory Board member. In this position, I provide ongoing support to the UNLEASH Secretariat regarding the organization’s overall strategy, particularly its efforts towards diversity and inclusion. I also continue to work with them to develop curricular materials, with a focus on facilitator training, and served as an expert and mentor at the most recent UNLEASH event in Mysore, India.