This spring Janina Raiser, McS student in Business and Management at Stockholm School of Economics joined Social Initiative for a five weeks internship. Here are some of her reflections.

What made you apply for an internship with Social Initiative?

I was looking for a company with a clear purpose and impact. I wanted to experience working for a non-profit company that transforms lives and societies. Once I read about Social Initiative and your great work with social entrepreneurs in developing countries, I knew I wanted to learn more about it. Therefore, I applied for an internship with Social Initiative.

What will you take with you from your time with Social Initiative?

I have worked on two great projects during my internship. For the first one I have learnt that it is not only important with financial support to social entrepreneurs, but also to provide strategic advice in various areas to help deepening their impact.

In addition, I have researched the field of women empowerment and climate and it strikes me that these two areas have a lot of connections and can have a great impact when both are addressed together.

Overall, I realized that after I finish my master studies, I want to work for a company that has a clear purpose and impact on society at large.

What has been most challenging during your internship?

Most challenging for me was that I worked 100% from home in Munich and I was not able to see anyone in person during my internship due to Corona. I was hesitant at first and didn’t know how things would turn out. I couldn’t imagine working remotely the whole time. I worried too much in the beginning, because the internship turned out to be amazing!

The whole team at Social Initiative was very welcoming and made it easy for me to feel part of the team. We had online meetings whenever needed and we started an online lunch every week to just chat with each other. Despite the current situation, I feel like we all made the most out of this internship and I am grateful that Social Initiative was open to having this internship remotely.

Would you recommend others to do an internship with Social Initiative?

Yes definitely! If you want to learn more about social entrepreneurship, what it is like working for a non-profit organization and experiencing an awesome and dedicated team, Social Initiative is the right place to intern.

 

Social Initiative Team