Learning How to Launch “Socially Minded ventures” in New Orleans

Hello, everyone!

My name is Madeleine Swanstrom. I am a rising junior and a Newcomb Scholar majoring in history and economics. I’m very excited to begin an internship at Propeller, which is a non-profit incubator space for “socially minded” ventures. I will be working in the fund development department.

The five learning objectives I hope to achieve are: career development and discernment, the on-the-ground operations of a non-profit, how social entrepreneurship (finding market-based solutions to social problems) works, and personal growth in areas such as goal-setting and organizational skills.

The first reason I have decided to do an internship is because I have no idea what I want to do. I mean, I’ve basically removed accounting, engineering, and surgery from the list of possibilities, but that still leaves me with way too many options. My dad and older sister both have experience fund-raising for their organizations. I have often thought about community work or business, and Propeller seems to combine both of these areas. As a fund development intern, I will be learning a lot about how non-profits raise funds in a sustainable way. Fundraising is essential to the survival of a non-profit, so I think my work will feel fulfilling and meaningful this summer.

NCI’s mission is to educate undergraduate women for leadership in the 20^th century. Through my internship, made possible by NCI funding, I will learn how social innovation works in New Orleans through market-based solutions and see how to possibly make my interests and passions a career. The Executive Director and founder of a Propeller, Andrea Chen, is a woman, as is my supervisor in the fund development department, Sydney Gray. I think I will have many examples of female leadership during the course of my internship. Also, I will be looking for ideas for a senior honors thesis.

Right now the hardest part about preparing for the internship has been figuring out how to get there and back without a car. Propeller is in the Broadmoor neighborhood of New Orleans, a little over two miles from where I will be living near Tulane, but it’s going to be a hot summer in New Orleans. I budgeted for a bus pass, but I’ve never used the bus system before so…this is going to be interesting.

Part of the reason I was attracted to Propeller is that I find their concept very innovative. I have heard of incubators, but I’ve never seen one that is specifically for launching businesses that will improve the community. New Orleans is an interesting city to launch this sort of space. The city has incredible strengths (diversity, architecture, food, culture) and weaknesses (such as huge income and educational inequalities). I am so excited to learn about solving social issues in positive and innovative ways at Propeller.