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Photo by Michaela Hackner, Kalabird
By the time you read this post, I will be crossing the International Dateline enroute to the first Cambodian Bloggers Summit in Phnom Penh. (No, I'm not blogging on the plane! I wrote it in advance)
I was asked to participate on a panel proposal at SXSW 2008 with several nonprofit colleagues. The panel is about using Web2.0 for fundraising strategies. (And, of course, you can vote for it here) Before I left, I got word that one of the participants, Seth Mazow, would not be able to particpate. Through a strange twist of fate, I connected again with Kalabird one of the first ex-pat bloggers from Cambodia that I discovered in 2005 because of her amazing photographs in flickr.
Michaela is now working as the Online Manager for a nonprofit focused on International Student programs, called World Learning and had attended SXSW where she felt that there needed to be more nonprofit panels. So, she graciously agreed to participate in our panel and do a quick interview for me so I could "pro blog it" for BlogHer.
You are working in technology for a nonprofit, what did you did study in school?
I studied at Penn State University, working towards a self-designed major in web and multimedia design (when it was just basic HTML and Macromedia Director). I had dreams of designing the websites for Disney and hoped to score a big corporate job after graduation. My second to last semester I did a study abroad on Semester at Sea, a floating university that travels literally around the world exposing students to 11 different countries, particularly developing countries. After life-altering experiences in Vietnam and India, and spending the night in a displaced persons camp in Turkey after the '99 earthquake, I knew my life couldn't continue on it's current course. But I knew nothing about international relations, development, political science, civil society,et al. I was just a tech girl with limited knowledge about the world. I also wasn't able to shift my major that late in the game.
How did you end up in Cambodia?
Once I graduated I took a job at a large consulting company in Washington, D.C. (doing website and multimedia design), with the long-term plan to get my masters in International Development and Technology at Georgetown University. I worked as a web developer and went to grad school part time, and I finally received my degree in Spring 2004. My long-term goal was to use technology to roll-out international development programs. I did a stint as a humanitarian analyst for the US government (where I spent more time advising them on new technologies than I ever thought I would) to see what it was like to leave the tech field altogether, and in 2005 I won a two-year fellowship supporting the NGO Pact in Cambodia on a women's microfinance program.
What did you do while your in Cambodia (and Kenya)?
Throughout my two years at Pact, with residence in both Cambodia and Kenya, I spent much of my time doing actual program work, providing technical assistance to our partners, and chronicling lessons learned. Over time, however, I realized that I missed the technology piece and what's more, the real value-added I could provide was through technology consulting. I recognized a huge need at Pact and several of the other organizations I met with, and when I returned to Washington, D.C. last January (after nearly 2 years abroad), I set about really learning the non-profit tech industry. I had the on-the-ground non-profit experience, high awareness of the bureaucracy, poor management, and ever lack of resources, and wanted to really tie in my years of work in technology.
What are you doing now?
My fellowship ended this past May and I recently took a position as the Director of Online Strategy at World Learning - an international organization that does study abroad programs for high school, study abroad for college students, has a grad school in international development, and implements international development projects overseas. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to support all of the great programs (study abroad, graduate schools, and international development) that have helped me find my way to where I am now, and what's more, the organization is undergoing a huge transformation, so I get to be part of a complete rebranding/web redesign process that is set to be completed in February. It's been a great experience so far.
Why did you start
