“When our class founded Project Redwood, I understood in a completely new way why I was given the chance to earn a Stanford MBA,” Ann says. “Using the analytical and enterprise-development skills the GSB taught me, I found it deeply satisfying to help applicant organizations craft successful grant proposals and then support them through multiple grant cycles as they build innovative programs to combat poverty. This work is an unexpected synthesis of what I’ve learned in my business career and over a lifetime of loving the written word.”
For Ann, Project Redwood’s greatest rewards come from working side by side with exceptional social entrepreneurs – “the one-on-one, intense effort to help grantees receive funding, and the ongoing work to help them keep their programs on track, dealing with problems early on.” Over the years, she has sponsored, co-sponsored, or provided strategic guidance to thirteen grantees, including the S.O.U.L. Foundation providing opportunities in education, maternal health, and social well-being in Uganda; Congo Leadership Initiative serving marginalized, impoverished youth in the DRC; Fireweed Institute supporting Indigenous entrepreneurs in Canada and the United States; Development in Gardening (DIG) which equips underserved communities in Africa with sustainable agriculture and business skills.
A key part of Ann’s work with grantees has been onsite visits to learn in depth about antipoverty organizations’ achievements and challenges. During several site trips to Africa, Ann gained insights impossible to acquire from reports alone. “You learn where there are problems that the grantee might otherwise never reveal to a funder,” she says, “and you can help solve those problems because of Project Redwood’s and your own network of resources.”
Teamwork with other GSB alumni in Project Redwood also has great personal meaning for Ann. “I never wanted a life defined by money or power,” she reflects. “I wanted to share what I’d been privileged to learn and experience, and to do it with friends I’ve grown to care deeply about. I’ve always loved the intellectual and heartfelt discussions we have at meetings, on-line and one-on-one. The opportunity for these interactions has only grown, as we’ve welcomed other classes to join us.”
“For me, personal meaning lies in knowing I’ve helped lift people up. Through Project Redwood, I get to do this with so many kindred souls. As a fledgling MBA, I could never have seen Project Redwood coming to be, but I believe it truly fulfills the GSB’s mission: ‘change lives, change organizations, change the world’.”