Wrapping up the very inspiring investor pitch session, Natalia Oberti Noguera of NYWSE asked those present to stand up if they ever had an idea. Everybody in the room instantly got up. When asked if they also had the resources to materialize it, all but one sat down. She then explained that it was this immense disconnection between vision and action that prompted the creation of the Fast Forward Fund.
All the initiatives that were presented last week clearly reflected the passion, energy and consideration that their architects had already invested in them. Taken as a whole, they were diverse, and separately, all ideas were original and well-suited. Somebody had a plan to improve health primary health care in Mali, and somebody else was helping underprivileged Indian women to achieve higher education. What’s more, all entrepreneurs were young! Not only did they display confidence and ability, but also great potential for future growth. Before, the general mindset was to timidly wait for those more experienced to come up with solutions. Now, if you have an idea, you have the responsibility to take action yourself!
As a student director for the poverty alleviation portfolio I was very excited for the two projects we are considering, Illume and Early Earners. The pitch session provided us the opportunity not only to clarify some aspects of the proposals, but also to meet the people behind the ideas. Talking to the entrepreneurs gave me a better understanding of how the experience is for them as well, and I trust that we are now better equipped to evaluate the challenges and strengths of our investment choices.
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The FFF pitch session was a very informative and worthwhile experience. The presenters gave excellent presentations and answered any questions we might have had. I learned a lot and enjoyed it at the same time. We met many dedicated individuals who would, without a doubt, have an impact in their respective fields.
ReplyDeleteThe key take away point from the whole experience would be that it is equally important to support others' ideas as it is to promote your own. There are multiple ways of having impact, but support is what lie behind them. As Ioana writes, "Natalia Oberti Noguera...asked those present to stand up if they ever had an idea...everybody in the room instantly got up. When asked if they also had the resources to materialize it, all but one sat down. She then explained that it was this immense disconnection between vision and action." The FFF is unique in the sense that you can also be part of these projects and have an impact by investing in the success of others. It is important for our generation to realize that investing is taking action because support, especially financial support, is at the heart of many of the projects' success.
I am part of the Health Portfolio group and we listed to two amazing presentations. The Mali Health Organizing Project (see post for link) and the Start Your Engine campaign. As mention in the post, it aims at improving the health of individuals in a particular area of the Africa country Mali. Start Your Engine wants to work with obese women to warm then of the health consequences and to help them get on the path to a healthier lifestyle. Both of these programs were amazing and our group will surely have a difficult time who to give support to. Who knows what the outcome will be? To end this, I would like to say that the pitch session was very important because it helped us better understand the projects and meet the people involved. Though I can't say it made the decision process easier, I will say that it helped us understand the vision of the two individuals and where they would take their projects in the future.
As it has been said, there is a disconnection between ideas and action, which is why this profile pitch session holds such importance. To give someone the opportunity to act upon that vision is a great step not only for social change, but ultimately for how future ideas are put into action. The FFF pitch session was very interesting and rewarding, and although I'm sure every director is feeling pressure when deciding who to invest in (as every speaker is clearly passionate about their project), without this session this decision would be extremely difficult. What I enjoyed most was seeing the amount of diversity between each project, covering a range of issues that all need to be addressed. Although it is overwhelming to think about all the different types of problems that need to be addressed, the way the FFF organization is structured offers a since of cohesion to these vast issues.
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