Careers with Impact: How UNH Alums Are Driving Transformative Change
Social Innovation Week 2016
For those committed to diversity and social justice, activism is often a logical next step. This panel event exposes student to an exciting new career path to express their activism and to drive transformative change – the path of social entrepreneurship. A fast growing community around the world, social entrepreneurs develop new models and find innovative solutions to society’s most pressing social and environmental problems. This panel will feature dynamic social entrepreneurs who are working across diverse set of fields to do just that!
Co-Moderators:
· Fiona Wilson, Executive Director, Center for Social Innovation and Enterprise
· Ariel Brooks, Chief Program Officer, College for Social Innovation
Entrepreneurs on the panel:
· Nyomi Guzman ’14, Administrator, New Hampshire Women’s Foundation
· Sarah Place ‘04, National Program Director, Bottom Line
· Sarah Wiggins ‘15, Events and Volunteer Coordinator, The Food Project
Keri Wolfe ’08, Partner Relations Associate, Cradles to Crayons
Panelist Bios
Nyomi Guzman ’14, Administrator, New Hampshire Women’s Foundations
Nyomi is a 2014 graduate from the University of New Hampshire. She completed a double major in Communication and Women Studies, with minors in Queer Studies and Race & Ethnic Studies. Ms. Guzman spent a year researching interracial couples in film and the progression of racial acceptance in America over a twenty-year time frame. She has also worked in the marketing department at ROC USA, which helps manufactured home community residents address issues of home security, and as a marketing and media consultant for the Office of Inclusive Excellence in Durham. Ms. Guzman has been a New Hampshire resident her whole life, growing up in Amherst, NH.
Sarah Place ‘04, National Program Director, Bottom Line
National Program Director, Bottom Line - a Boston-based nonprofit with a mission to help low-income, first generation students get into college, graduate, and go far in life.
Sarah Place graduated from UNH in 2004 with a BA in English and a minor in Sociology and American Studies and she credits UNH for sparking her initial interest and commitment to social justice. The professors and texts she interacted with in African American Lit, Asian American Lit, and Race and Relations began her commitment to create positive social change that has been building ever since. Upon graduation, she worked at the Democratic National Convention in Boston and then moved on to a job campaigning for John Kerry in Arkansas where she managed a field office in the rural Ozark Mountains. After the campaign, she took a job with Citizens Bank, working directly with their charitable foundation. At this job, she read a grant proposal from Bottom Line—a Boston-based nonprofit with a mission to help low-income, first generation students get into college, graduate, and go far in life. This mission resonated with her so much that she applied for a job that same week and has been working at Bottom Line since 2006. She started as a college counselor and as the organization grew to nationally with offices in New York and Chicago, she joined the National Team and now works as the National Program Director.
Sarah Wiggins ‘15, Events and Volunteer Coordinator, The Food Project
In 2015, Sarah Wiggins graduated from UNH with a degree in Business Administration Management and a minor in Hospitality Management. Currently, she is the Events & Volunteer Coordinator at The Food Project in Greater Boston. The Food Project is a nonprofit at the intersection of youth development, sustainable agriculture, and food justice. In her role, she manages all stewardship, cultivation, and fundraising events as well as the volunteer program.
Keri Wolfe ’08, Partner Relations Associate, Cradles to Crayons
Keri Wolfe, '08, is the Partner Relations Associate for Cradles to Crayons, a nonprofit located in Brighton, Massachusetts focused on providing the everyday essentials for childhood. At UNH, Keri majored in history and minored in English. She also spent a semester in Barcelona, Spain, and completed an internship at the Keene Public Library, supported by The Carsey Institute's John G. Winant Fellowship. After graduating from UNH, Keri discovered her passion for early childhood education and worked in the field for six years as a childcare provider. In 2013, Keri graduated from Dartmouth College with a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies. In this program, she also completed the university's "Future Faculty Series" while training as a Teaching Assistant for an intensive freshmen writing course. Following this new career path, Keri served as a faculty member for Granite State College and as an adjunct faculty member for NHTI, Concord's Community College and Great Bay Community College from 2013-2015. In the fall of 2015, Keri landed with Cradles to Crayons, using her teaching background as the Training and Volunteer Programs Coordinator. She moved into her current role in April 2016.