Maurice Matthews (2010 Fellow) on “one of the best experiences of my life”

 
By Maurice Matthews, 2010 ProInspire Fellow
Working for Year Up as a 2010 ProInspire Fellow was hands down one of the best experiences of my life. I often used the term “I wear many hats” to describe my role at Year Up. While my official title was “Special Projects & Operations Manager,” I helped manage a $6M budget, supervised the allocation of a $5M dollar grant from Venture Philanthropy Partners, planned a $120K site renovation, taught finance courses, and served as an advisor for several students. The responsibilities and opportunities to impact people’s lives was far greater than what I had during my time in the US Army and as an analyst at JP Morgan. At Year Up, every day was new and the people were great. I would do it all over again if I could.
Today, I am involved in an assortment of social innovation projects as usual. In addition to applying to business school, I am a consultant for Mahan Consulting Group and perform strategy work for government agencies. Outside of my day job, I am a founding member of DC Social Innovation Project. We provide quarterly $3K grants and a yearly $10K grant to social entrepreneurs who have new and innovative ideas to attack social ills in the DC community. Last but not least, I am working on a project in Pittsburgh under Propel Schools called Row for Row, which puts 10-12 young men ages 18-23 in a single home and trains them in the field of construction. The goal is to rebuild abandoned homes for each other in a single neighborhood while attending council meetings and becoming upstanding citizens of their communities.
Without ProInspire I would not have thought of the social sector as a long term career goal, but today I am creating my vision of economic mobility in urban communities through much of what ProInspire has taught me. ProInspire’s training and resources have expedited my learning curve and have given me access to great role models who are always willing to provide support. Whether you’re thinking of business school as a next step, looking to become an entrepreneur, or want to have the experience of working in the non-profit sector, ProInspire is the best way to spend your next year.

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