How One Moses Brown Student Spent His Summer
By: Cayla Mackey
August 5, 2015
Meet Ben Steingold, our Summer 2015 Communications Intern. Ben assisted Paula Cunanan with Social Enterprise Greenhouse’s communications and marketing, which includes social media management, email newsletter formation, and event planning.
Ben is a rising senior at Moses Brown School. Social Enterprise Greenhouse benefited from having Ben onboard by enabling him to expand our capacity to serve our ever-growing community of social entrepreneurs.
Here is Ben had to say about the experience:
Q: How has your perspective on social enterprise changed as a result of your internship?
Similar to my perspective on Social Enterprise Greenhouse, my perspective on social enterprise has not so much changed, but rather widened. I am more aware of what being a social enterprise entails and how many great businesses are working out of the Social Enterprise Greenhouse Hub. I have also gained a tremendous amount of respect for all of the business owners working out of the Hub, who are constantly working hard for their causes, and always in good spirits.
Q: What did you accomplish during your internship?
During my internship with Paula, I did not focus on completing one large project, but rather helping her and occasionally Social Enterprise Greenhouse Hub employees with some of their daily tasks. That being said, two of the main things I have worked on over the course of the past eight weeks are helping with the Social Enterprise Greenhouse Facebook page and event pages for the Ship Street Bazaar and the Sports for Change Event Series, and helping to collect and organize materials for the new Member Wall. Some of the other things I did included making EventBrite events, helping to organize documents, and other small tasks Paula gave me.
Q: What did you learn during your internship?
My objective for this internship was to learn as much about different businesses, business models, and what it takes to run a business. Through my internship, I was able to directly see the many different social ventures that Social Enterprise Greenhouse works with, while also learning skills that will help me in any job I pursue.
Q: Why was the work you provided important to your host organization?
The work I did at Social Enterprise Greenhouse was very rewarding for me because I was able to see the direct impact that my small role played in different aspects of Social Enterprise Greenhouse. Whether I was helping to run the Facebook for the Ship Street Bazaar or helping to establish the Members Wall which will go in the Social Enterprise Greenhouse Hub, I could see that my work was translating into what I hope was something positive for Social Enterprise Greenhouse.
Q: How has your perspective on the host organization changed as a result of your internship?
Before my internship, my perspective on social enterprise was limited to my 1-2 sentence definition. Similarly, while I was aware of the great work that Social Enterprise Greenhouse does, I could not fully comprehend the impact that they have on the different social ventures that work with them. The amazing staff and committed Social Enterprise Greenhouse Hub and Board Members make it a great place for any social entrepreneur to come and learn how to grow their social enterprise. Thus, my perspective has remained that Social Enterprise Greenhouse is a great place to be involved with in any capacity, but my depth of knowledge on their work has greatly increased.
Q: What have you changed your mind about since working in this internship?
I have not significantly changed my mind on Social Enterprise Greenhouse or social enterprise throughout the course of my internship. Going into the internship, I thought that one day I would like to enter the business world, and this internship has re-affirmed that for me. It has also showed me the budding sector of social enterprise and how social consciousness can be integrated into almost any business. Overall, I had a great time throughout the course of my internship and learned a lot.
Email Ben if you want to learn more about his experience and what’s next for him at benjaminsteingold16@mosesbrown.org.
Social Enterprise Greenhouse has loved having Ben as an intern and wishes him the best of luck in his future endeavors. He has been an invaluable asset to the team. Learn more about internships, our internship support program, and how you can intern with Social Enterprise Greenhouse or a social enterprise by reading more about our University Initiative and checking out our Opportunity Board.
Cayla Mackey
University Initiative Director
As the Social Enterprise Greenhouse University Initiative Director, Cayla helps college and university students get involved in social enterprise. The University Initiative is a program funded by the Blackstone Charitable Foundation Innovation Grant to retain students and recent graduates in Rhode Island through enabling them to work on and in social enterprises. Learn more about Cayla here.
Contact: cmackey@segreenhouse.org