What was your experience working on a Taproot Foundation project?

I had a very positive experience working on the NPower Service Grant. We were tasked with developing a new performance management system for a rapidly growing organization that would help them maximize the output and development of their employees. Overall I was impressed by the professionalism, knowledge and passion of all involved in the project. NPower was very open to our ideas and helped us structure the tool in a way that best fit their needs so that the finished product was something that they could action upon immediately. My fellow volunteers were easy to work with and the project capitalized on the range of skills we had as professionals.

How have you grown from your pro bono experience?

This project provided valuable experience partnering with others who have different backgrounds and working styles and strengthened my ability to compromise. This has helped me professionally by making me more conscious of others' perspectives and consequently a better project manager and team member. This experience was personally rewarding in that it allowed me to give back to the community by leveraging my skills and providing a useful service to our nonprofit client. I felt like in some small way, I was helping to improve the lives of others rather than focusing strictly on profits. It was also a great opportunity to interact with other like-minded professionals. I found it exciting to build something from the ground-up and it gave me a greater appreciation for the HR professionals in my organization.

What were the biggest challenges in your project?

At times it was challenging to keep the project on schedule given everyone's other commitments and work. Given the nature of our project, it was also somewhat challenging to identify what information/training materials were most relevant without overwhelming the client with data. We had many discussions over which model would work best for a small organization like NPower given that all of the volunteers came from backgrounds with large corporate entities rather than small businesses. We had to be able to take ourselves out of the corporate mind-set and think about the problem from the perspective of the client.

How do you think the business community and nonprofit sector can strengthen one another?

The business community can learn a lot about commitment to and understanding of customer needs from the nonprofit sector. On the other side, I believe that nonprofits could learn a fair bit about how to market themselves from the business community. I think that organizations like the Taproot Foundation are fantastic in that they give both sides the opportunity to interact and share expertise. More companies should follow Taproot Foundation's lead and establish a structured pro bono consulting program for their employees.

What community issues are most important to you and what did you learn from the project?

I’m particularly committed to education and personal development, whether that takes the form of mentoring, formalized training or helping people become self-sufficient in the workplace. Through my Taproot Foundation project, I learned how critical organizations like NPower are to enabling other nonprofits to have the technology that will make them competitive. I also learned how investing a relatively small portion of my time can have a much larger impact on a nonprofit client than it may in the business community. Many nonprofits are stretched thin and deserve as much help as we can give them.

Other than volunteering with the Taproot Foundation, what do you like to do in your free time?

I have been a member of the Big Brothers Big Sisters Workplace Mentoring program since 2004. I am an avid runner, active member of the Stanford young alumni association and enjoy spending time with friends and family.