Tory Paez (McDonough, ‘20) entered business school with a desire to combine her consulting experience with her passion for social impact. Throughout her time at Georgetown, she has pursued classes, experiences and projects that have furthered her passion for a career in social impact, and the skills needed to be successful. She shared how she is using her MBA to build the skills she needs for a successful career in social impact, and how her time at Georgetown is helping her achieve that goal.
MBASchooled: What was your goal coming into business school? What interested you in an MBA?
My primary goal was to build a career that united my past experience in consulting and my passion for social impact. I saw the MBA as an opportunity to hone hard skills and also take risks by exploring other types of work I might not otherwise have the chance to try when I was working full-time.
MBASchooled: How did your pursue careers in social impact during your first year?
I am very lucky that Georgetown University puts quite a focus on social impact. I used the first year to explore different avenues of social impact: international development, nonprofit consulting, and food innovation. Anything that sparked my interest, I wanted to learn more about and dove in head first.
First, I took on an internship with the United States Agency for International Development, where I explored sustainable development opportunities in Ecuador, a small mission of the organization. I also was an Impact Consultant with Georgetown’s Net Impact club. My team’s client was the Anacostia Watershed Society, a local nonprofit focused on protecting and restoring the Anacostia River. My second semester I completed an academic tutorial project with the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank to evaluate economic fitness of Brazil and Mexico to forecast unique development paths and investment opportunities.
In terms of student organizations, I served as Co-President of Emerging Markets Network, was a board member of the Design + Innovation Club, as well as served as a Student Leader for the Global Social Enterprise Initiative (now called Business for Impact).
MBASchooled: What resources, clubs, or programs does Georgetown offer for careers in social impact?
In terms of clubs, every student organization at Georgetown is required to complete a community service event each year. Clubs specifically focused on social impact include Net Impact and MBA Volunteers. We also have the Business for Impact initiative, which believes business can be a powerful force for good. Through research, events, and student engagement, Business for Impact connects global companies, nonprofits, government leaders and students.
Net Impact also offers students the opportunity to be Impact Consultants or Board Fellows. Impact Consultants are shorter engagements, approximately three months, with very targeted asks of non-profit organizations. Board Fellows runs a bit longer, approximately six months, and students partner with organizations to solve a unique, complex problem within their organization.
Business for Impact also has a Student Leader Program, where we have the opportunity to conduct research and lead events on specific areas of focus that year. There are also networking lunches that bring in prominent leaders in the space and allow students to connect with one another as well.
In terms of classwork, Georgetown offers classes like Corporate Social Responsibility, Impact Investing, Leadership and Management of Nonprofit Organizations, Social Entrepreneurship, Understanding Social Innovation, and Sustainable Operations and Business Models–all of which prepare students for social impact careers. Georgetown also offers a certificate opportunity called Nonmarket Strategy, which provides educational opportunities within and outside the classroom focused on the intersection of business, economics, and public policy.
MBASchooled: What other initiatives are you working on related to social impact in business school?
As a Consortium, Forte, and Peace Corps Coverdell fellow, diversity and inclusion within our business school is something I am very passionate about. I always make time for prospective and current students to discuss career or academic opportunities, because I know I wouldn’t be able to do what I have done to date without the mentorship and assistance of others.
MBASchooled: What has been the most interesting opportunity or experience you’ve participated in during business school?
As a side hustle to make extra money, I worked at the DuPont Farmers Market throughout the first year. It sparked a deep interest in food and agriculture, so I attended the MBArk2Boulder Food Leadership Conference over winter break and had a chance to connect with leaders and students in the food innovation space. Eager to learn more, I spent the month of September in Portugal working at CO Project Farm as a Design Volunteer in Serra Tomar, Portugal prior to starting my international exchange at ESADE Business School in Barcelona, Spain. The farm is zero-waste, a blueprint for systems regeneration and sustainable living. I assisted with website design, business use cases, and product offerings, as well as worked the land each day. It was a truly amazing place with unbelievable volunteers all interested in design, agriculture, and sustainability. The time to disconnect from MBA life and recharge with nature was exactly what I needed heading into year two.
MBASchooled: Now that you’ve been in school, how has your own view on your own career in social impact changed?
My view of a career in social impact has expanded significantly. There are so many ways to dedicate yourself to doing good in the world in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. You can work in corporate social responsibility or in an innovative, responsible start-up. You can drive diversity and inclusion efforts at a major corporation or lead a grassroots community-based organization. You can sit on a board, donate funds, volunteer your time…the list goes on. To me, we can have the most impact when we find how we want to personally make the world a better place and pursue it relentlessly.
MBASchooled: What kinds of resources and opportunities does Georgetown provide for students interested in careers in social impact?
Each fall, Net Impact leads a Career Trek to visit social impact organizations. We also have a dedicated career advisor for students interested in energy and cleantech, government, social impact, and international development Industries. The McDonough School of Business also partners with the Beeck Center, the World Bank, and OPIC for internship opportunities throughout the year.
MBASchooled:What advice do you have for students interested in pursuing an MBA to pursue a career in social impact?
Listen to yourself, tune out the noise! People come to business school for lots of different reasons and it’s easy to get caught up in what others want. If you know you want to pursue a career in social impact, stay true to yourself. Your path will likely not be as linear and straightforward as someone going into consulting or investment banking. Your recruiting timeline will start later and you may have to dig a little more to find positions that you are passionate about. But the opportunities you will have will be unique, rewarding, and most importantly, make the world a better place.