Accepting Applications: IDEO.org 2013-2014 Fellowships

Are you a problem-solver, design-thinker, or someone who just cares a whole lot? IDEO.org is recruiting for their 2013-2014 Fellowship class and is searching for future leaders and innovators across all sectors to apply. See below to consider how perfect a match you might be for these human-centered thinkers and designers!

IDEO.org is a nonprofit design and innovation organization focused on solving challenges in poverty and spreading human-centered design through the social sector. Human-centered design enables organizations to create and deliver innovative solutions to pressing challenges that are rooted in the needs of people. IDEO.org works directly with organizations on projects using the human-centered design process across a wide range of focus areas related to poverty, including health, financial services, gender equity, water and sanitation. We are currently seeking applicants for our 2013-14 Fellowship class. Please see the job postings below.

• POSITION SUMMARY

  
  

  The IDEO.org Fellowship Program enables future global leaders from the design, business, and social sectors to spend one year working with experienced IDEOdesigners on social impact challenges. Over a 13-month period, Fellows will create solutions for nonprofits, social enterprises, and foundations on an array of topics, such as agriculture, water and sanitation, health, financial services, education, and more. Fellowships are based in San Francisco, California. Frequent travel and getting your hands dirty in the field are required.

  
  

  QUALIFICATIONS

  Here is some information on what our ideal candidate looks like.

  Why Do the Fellowship?
  

  • To gain expertise in design thinking.
  • To learn to apply human-centered design to the challenges of poverty.
  • To get the chance to work alongside world class designers in a world class nonprofit.
  • To connect with individuals and communities firsthand. 

  Is IDEO.org a Match?

  • You have a demonstrated professional experience for improving low-income communities and a deep understanding of the social sector. 
  • You are used to working across industries and disciplines. For example, you may have considerable experience in mobile application development, but you’ve also performed consumer research in India. Or launched a nonprofit related to maternal health. Or started making documentaries about your neighborhood, or…,or…, or…, [insert your personal story here]. 
  • You are able to demonstrate key components of the human-centered design process: empathy, synthesis, prototyping, storytelling.
  • You contribute to the larger dialogue of social innovation. You may be attending conferences, contributing to publications (blogs, Twitter, online, printed, etc.) or designing new programs with a low-income community. You are open-minded, self-reliant, and excited about being part of a diverse, fast-paced, nonprofit, start-up environment.
  • You are comfortable working collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams.
  • You have examples of work grounded in insights about people. You’ve applied your skills to real-world human problems (not just artistic or academic exercises) and have worked on-the-ground with a nonprofit or social enterprise.
  • You can easily switch from macro to micro; from understanding the strategic value and business dynamics of an organization’s product or service, to caring about visual designs at a pixel or message level.
  • You are an excellent written and verbal communicator. You have a knack for succinctly capturing thoughts and expressing them to others.
  • You have great instincts about: how to tell a captivating story; how to give honest feedback; how to establish a deeper rapport.

  Qualifications:
  

  • Minimum of 5 years of professional full-time work experience, or a graduate degree plus 3 years of work experience.
  • English fluency (written and spoken). Additional language capabilities are preferred.
  • Ability to legally work in the U.S. for one year (IDEO.org can help with the visa application process).

  What Materials Do I Need to Prepare to Apply?

  • CV or Resume.
  • Cover letter: tell us why you and IDEO.org are made for each other.
  • Visual story: create a visual story about something more you’d like us to know about yourself. Use photos, video, drawing, or whatever visual medium seems most appropriate for you. We are really interested in your creativity, but also want to see how well you can tell your story SUCCINCTLY.
  • Essay: 500 words (or less) telling us about an experience you’ve had with a culture other than your own that changed your perspective in some way. Different cultural experiences are up to you to define.
  • Participate on HCDConnect.org: share your stories, answer other participants’ questions, or post your own. We want to see how you can engage our online community and encourage others to share their stories.
  • One letter of recommendation: from a professional or academic contact. What do other people think of your potential to do great things as an IDEO.org Fellow?

  Where Do I Send My Application Materials?

  Email your materials to globalfellow@ideo.org. Please only send PDF versions of your CV, cover letter, essay, and visual story (if you’re creating a video, please include the link to the Youtube or Vimeo site in the PDF as well).

  
  

  Timeline:

  Application Due: 

  Thursday, January 3, 2013 at 5:00 pm PST

  
  

  Candidate Selection: 

  March 10, 2013 or earlier

  
  

  Fellowship Dates: 

  July 31, 2013 – September 12, 2014

  
  

  More Questions?

  Download the full position listing here.

  
  

  Download the IDEO.org Fellowship FAQ here.

  
  

  Email additional questions to globalfellow@ideo.org with the subject line:QUESTION. We’ll update the FAQ on a weekly basis
  .

You're Invited | Free Screening of "University Avenue: One Street, a Thousand Dreams"

As someone who has worked and volunteered for organizations based along University Avenue for over a decade, the upcoming screening of University Avenue: One street, a thousand dreams is profoundly exciting. While I have plenty of memories from up and down the avenue, the stories, people, and activities that this stretch of road has seen many decades before my own is breathtaking. Learn more about the Central Corridor Project through this one-hour program and stay for an engaging conversation following the film!

Did you attend the monthly meet-up about the University Ave. Corridor? Would you like learn more about the Central Corridor project? Then this event is for you! See a FREE screening of University Avenue: One street, a thousand dreams Tue., Nov. 27 at 7 pm John B. Davis Lecture Hall Macalester College The program runs one hour. Admission is free but space is limited. Join us a half-hour before each showing for refreshments, and stay for conversation afterwards. University Avenue is a story about people and ideas, hopes and dreams. Since the beginning, the street has been shaped by people determined to turn their dreams into reality. In the 1880s, James J. Hill had the idea to consolidate nine separate railroad lines serving the area, creating a massive transfer yard to facilitate the exchange of freight. The Minnesota Transfer helped make Saint Paul a major hub in the national railway system and led to the establishment of the Midway industrial corridor. A few years later, Thomas Lowry created a private streetcar system that grew to include 500 miles of track. University Avenue was the spine of the system, and 700 streetcars were made at Lowry's shops at Snelling and University. In the 1940s, radio broadcaster Stanley E. Hubbard had the vision to invest in a new invention called television at a time when most people thought it had little chance of succeeding. In 1948, KSTP-TV went on the air, becoming the first television station in the Upper Midwest. KSTP's tower and studios were built on University Avenue, right on the city line between Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Today, hundreds of immigrants from Southeast Asia, East Africa and other countries are living out their dreams by owning their own small businesses along the avenue. Most of them started with little more than their own determination, overcoming every obstacle that was put in their way. Today, the promise of the Central Corridor light rail project is inspiring new investment in the avenue. Supporters hope it will lead to widespread renewal along the avenue, making University a destination once again... just as it had been during the streetcar era. More information can be found at: http://www.universityavenue.net/ ### The League of Women Voters of St. Paul is a non-partisan organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.  More information about LWVSP is available on our website:  www.lwvsp.org. # # #

Rising within

Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos 

"Whatever it is you're seeking, just like the sun, it's already rising within you." 

-Jodi Hills

You're Invited: Citizens League Emerging Leaders December Happy Hour

We're now entering the season of holiday parties, and the Citizens League will not disappoint. In fact, their Emerging Leaders December Happy Hour promises to be a fun event full of problem-solving challenges and team sleuth work. Register now for an adventurous evening with friends old and new and to toast to all the great work accomplished in 2012!

December Happy Hour

Monday, December 3 5:30-7:30 p.m. Honey 205 East Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis Register now
Do you want to play a game?

This isn't your typical happy hour. Join the Citizens League for an evening of real-world, group problem-solving with some twists and turns along the way. We hope you'll join us for our last happy hour of 2012.

This happy hour is hosted by the Emerging Leaders Committee and is open to all Citizens League members and supporters. New members are encouraged to attend!

This happy hour is part of our 2012 Inter-Generational Event Series which is generously sponsored by

You're Invited: From Do Gooder to Change Agent

You've got vision and you've got a whole lot of determination. But do you have what it takes to make a change? YNPN-TC's upcoming "From Do Gooder to Change Agent" features Chris LaVictoire Mahai of Aveus, who will provide frameworks for change leadership and management as well as detail an organizational change model and process. There'll also be an interactive opportunity to problem-solve with other participants, so bring your own change challenges to exchange and work through. Whether it's a change of heart or changing your mind, this workshop is just the ticket to transform your change attitude!

You are invited to attend: YNPN Twin Cities Presents From Do Gooder to Change Agent: Transforming your Change Attitude   Wednesday, November 28, 2012 from 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM Registration starts at 5:30 PM. Program begins at 6 PM. Happy hour to follow event. Details will be announced soon. Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to expand your change agent arsenal by attending the Do Gooder to Change Agent event. If you're tasked with leading change, but lack support and resources to be successful … If you see opportunities for change but struggle to bring them to life … If you work in a culture resistant to change and want to help the organization break free and pursue new ideas … If you feel stuck and wonder how to make changes in your personal and professional life … You'll find this event transformational. So how do you make change? Turns out, there's a process for that. We're lucky to have change expert Chris Mahai as our speaker. She's the managing partner of Aveus, a global strategy and change operation firm. She works with Fortune 500 companies, small nonprofits and organizations in between on creating and managing change. With practical, smart advice tailored for our specific change challenges, Chris will guide us through some important change fundamentals. What you'll have in your arsenal: You'll want to hear Chris's expert advice for making change happen, no matter what your seniority. You'll learn: The 10 reasons change initiatives succeed or fail and how to equip yourself for success The difference between change leadership versus change management and why you need both sets of skills A simple model of organizational change While this event will focus primarily on how to make change in your professional life, we'll also touch on how to make effective change in your personal life. Your assignment: You'll have the opportunity to problem solve with your fellow change agents so come with your hopes and change challenges to discuss. While this message won't self-destruct, you'll want to register fast. This event will fill up quickly. PARKING Free parking is available in the parking garage located on Robie Street.  MEET THE SPEAKER Chris LaVictoire Mahai is the Managing Partner of Aveus, a global strategy and operational change firm. During her Aveus tenure, she has worked with more than 100 organizations large to small, for profit and not-for-profit.  Chris enjoys her work because of the breakthrough moments. She loves digging down to the root of a client's challenge, and then helping them develop ideas they can implement successfully.  Chris is the published author of ROAR: Strengthening business performance through speed, predictability, flexibility, and leverage. She is a regular speaker on the topics of change leadership and customer experience driven performance. Chris held several corporate executive roles in banking and media prior to Aveus and has served on many non-profit boards, worked as a volunteer, and she is an active private investor in women-owned and led businesses. Chris holds a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies from Hamline University, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Minnesota and a Bachelor of Arts in economics and political science from the University of Wisconsin-Superior. By night, Chris is a struggling writer and playwright. She reads voraciously, loves contemporary art, music of almost any kind, and travels with friends and family every chance she gets, always trying to land near water. You can find Chris on Twitter @clavm and at Aveus.com. EVENT SPONSOR Neighborhood House 179 Robie Street East Saint Paul, MN 55107 Attend Event Events powered by EventBrite Copyright © 2012 Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of the Twin Cities, All rights reserved.