What
In a nutshell: I’m quitting my job before the end of this month, and moving to Tarapoto, Peru, to volunteer as an Economic Development Consultant for an NGO called Technoserve.
Longer version: I’ve worked as a management consultant for Deloitte Consultant, based in the Washington, D.C. area, for the past 3+ years, since graduating from college. About two years ago, my friend Nick, a Maryland alum and Deloitte consultant like me, quit his job to go volunteer with Technoserve (TNS) in Swaziland. For almost a year I have explored several possibilities for working/volunteering abroad; it took almost four months from the time I applied to TNS before I heard back about this opening. Several rounds of interviews later, including proving my rusty Spanish was up to the task via long-distance Skype calls of sometimes dubious sound-quality, I received an offer to work on a USAID-sponsored development project.
I will be involved with the latest edition of Idea Tu Empresa (“Your Business Idea”; website is Spanish-language), a series of business case competitions run by Technoserve to cultivate high-potential entrepreneurs who will create or expand successful businesses. Specifically, the competition seeks to assist people and businesses with limited resources, by supporting ventures which can create jobs, have high-profit potential, and benefit the “Base of the Pyramid” by providing new goods or services. I will be serving as a consultant to a number of participants in the competition, providing advice on business planning, financing, legal issues, effective communication, presentation skills, networking, and more.
“You are bringing the necessary resources to small economic groups that have very determined ideas but lack the technique.”
— Idea Tu Empresa participant (source: IADB)
Jay Nargundkar
Mi Vida S.A. 