Meet the Interns: Spring/Summer 2011
We are proud to have two new interns at the NEN Trust, Rishabh Kaul and Mekala Gummadi from BITS, Pilani. Bright, talented and full of ideas, they are working closely on two of NEN’s key programs, the NEN E Club and E Leader Development program. And we’d love for you to get to know them!
MEKALA GUMMADI (NEN Education and E Leader Development)
Tell us a little bit about your background. Where you are from, and your education?
I am originally from Bangalore, but I grew up in Chennai. I’m currently a senior at the BITS, Goa campus, where I’m studying Chemical Engineering.
What's been your favorite discovery in Bangalore?
Bangalore has for the longest time been my summer vacation haunt since I have plenty of relatives here. But this time, it’s been a completely different experience. I am sharing an apartment with two friends from college, who are also doing their internships in Bangalore. So, apart from discovering all the eating joints (I am a big foodie!), my most interesting Bangalore discovery has been my previously dormant house-running skills that have emerged from within me!
Why did you choose to intern at NEN, when your peers were choosing to go to larger MNCs?
What attracted me to NEN most was the role I was offered. It gave me an opportunity to help aspiring entrepreneurs, including students like me, find the support they need to realize their dreams. While exciting, it also appeared uniquely challenging.
And your role at NEN?
Support Arthi and the Education team in building our world-class Faculty Development programs! I research a lot on entrepreneurship programs being offered in top universities across the world, and provide my findings to the team here. In addition, I work with Vijay in the E Leader Development team to help put together sessions and programs for our fabulous E Leaders for the coming year.
What is the one thing that excites you most about working here?
Two things, really. NEN is not one of those places where you are put in a cubicle, made to sit and work mechanically on a pre-determined task. We are constantly trying to come up with new and innovative ideas to improve what we do. And the second most exciting thing is the people you get to work with. They are some of the smartest minds I’ve come across!
What have you learned working at NEN that you would love to share with your friends?
The most important thing that I have learnt here is that there is no “best” way to do something. Even the most successful programs and events can be made better and this is what the NEN Trust team constantly does.
What’s been the biggest surprise since you came on?
The accessibility one has to each and every person in the organization. This, I believe, is what makes the team so well-knit. Another surprise has been that I share my birthday with Laura!
Have you worked with any other non-profit organisation before? What was your role there? How different is this experience?
Interning at NEN is my first work experience.
Where do you think NEN should next expand to next? Why?
NEN should expand to developing countries; countries where people are struggling to find jobs for themselves; countries similar to India in culture such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and other nations in the sub-continent.
When you are not working at NEN...?
I am spending most of time exploring Bangalore. Restaurant-hopping to night-treks, I plan to make the most of my six-month stint here. I have also decided to finally give in to my long-time wish and have enrolled myself for drum classes.
Tell us a little bit about your background. Where you are from, and your education?
I am a Kashmiri, who was born in Chandigarh, and brought up in Hyderabad! I am currently in the final year of my degree in Economics and Civil Engineering at the Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani.
What’s been your favorite discovery in Bangalore?
Bangalore has so far been a great experience. It has a vibrant entrepreneurial culture, which has enabled me to meet some really interesting people. What I like the most is how there is never a shortage of events to attend, be it a play or an exhibition or an invited lecture! But my favorite discovery has been the invited lectures at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). The talks are always stimulating.
Why did you choose to intern at NEN, when your peers were choosing to go to larger MNCs?
I have always been interested in empowering entrepreneurs. Back in college, I have been part of the E Cell on campus, Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership. When we were given the choice to choose our internship stations, I chose to intern at NEN because it involved meeting lots of entrepreneurial people. I wanted to be part of a small organization, which had an open culture and NEN fit the bill perfectly. NEN also seemed exciting because I would be part of a small team and hence have more responsibility.
And your role at NEN...?
I work with Raghab, my manager, in helping run the NEN E Club program, which supports NEN’s growing membership of alumni and professionals. A large part of my work involves coordinating for programs and events with our army of 50-plus Leadership Council Members, who run NEN E Clubs in 7 cities. What I enjoy the most is I constantly get to figure out and implement new ways of making E Clubs a more fun and social experience for everyone! Apart from the E Club team, I help the (awesome!) Resources Bureau team with leads for speakers for various events, and the Education team with entrepreneurship material once in a while.
What is the one thing that excites you most about working here?
One awesome thing here is that, even though I’m in the E Club team, I get to contribute to many other teams on a variety of projects. Everyone here is open and keen on working with members from other teams – and that works well for me, because I feel wanted and I have so much more to do! Also, being with NEN is a sure-shot conversation starter with anyone I meet, be it a student or an entrepreneur. That’s something I find fantastic.
What have you learned working at NEN that you would love to share with your friends?
Importance of team work! Every event we conduct uses the effort and support of perhaps every single team in the organization.
What’s been the biggest surprise since you came on?
The number of women in the office!
Have you worked with any other non-profit organisation before? What was your role there?
Yes I have. I spent one summer researching at the International Center for Advancement in Rural Eyecare at LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad. I loved my experience there, which involved reading up about the healthcare condition in India and developing research methodology. I have also spent six months researching ‘Microfinance and Mobile Usage for Emerging Economies’ at NCAER, a premier economic policy think tank. Apart from this, I have interned with the rural business development team of a for-profit social enterprise Sarvajal, which provides accessible pure water at affordable rates.
While all these internships were special in their own way, NEN is a different experience because firstly the team I am in, is much smaller, and the work is very different – it's hands on, and involves much more communication and soft skills. At the same time, unlike a research environment, deadlines actually mean something here!
Where do you think NEN should next expand to next? Why?
Africa. Kenya specifically. The opportunity to create impact there is amazing. Real grassroots level impact can be achieved there.
When you are not working at NEN...?
When I am not working at NEN, I am either meeting interesting folks around the city – this could be a start-up founder I met online, or a college alumnus or a classmate – or scanning for books at a bookstore. Also, every now and then, there’s a gig in the city, and I try to make it to the decent ones.
