Alumni Profile featuring Chantal Laurie

Chantal Laurie (Metro DC ‘99)

Oakland Site Director, BUILD

Undergraduate University: Georgetown University

Undergraduate Degree: American Studies

What are you doing now? What does a typical day look like?

I am currently the Oakland Site Director with a non-profit organization called BUILD
(www.build.org). BUILD works with high school students from under-resourced
communities and teaches them how to start and run their own businesses as a
means of re-engaging them in academic process and preparing them for college. Our
youth entrepreneurs have achieved tremendous success at both our East Palo Alto
and Oakland sites –- 100% of our program graduates have been accepted to college.
I rarely have a typical day at BUILD; each day has a very different routine and a
unique set of goals. For example, in a single day I might complete a grant
application, conduct an information session for potential volunteers, substitute teach
an entrepreneurship class, meet with a school principal about our partnership, and
interview candidates for positions with BUILD. I am very involved with the
programmatic successes and challenges of the BUILD Oakland site and am also
working to expand our reach in the community by raising more funds, generating
more community partners, and recruiting more staff members. I appreciate the
diverse range of skills I need to tap into on a daily basis in order to be successful and
love the fast pace of the job.

How did you find your niche in the nonprofit sector? What advice would you

give to corps members and alumni who are thinking about where their focus

lies within nonprofit work?

After teaching as a corps member and working with Fellows at KIPP, I realized that I
wanted my “niche” in the non-profit sector to be directly related to youth, while still
having a focus on managing and supporting adults and helping to grow a successful
non-profit organization. BUILD, from my perspective, offers this unique blend which
has allowed me to see the impact of my work and increase that impact by partnering
with a growing number of schools.
For corps members who are working to determine where their focus lies, I would say
talk to as many people as possible. There are so many exciting opportunities in the
sector and I think it’s critical to organize as many informational interviews as
possible to get a really strong pulse on the quality of an organization, its mission, the
caliber of its employees, and the scale of impact it is achieving. I think gaining
perspective in any way possible is so important. For me, taking three months off to
travel in South East Asia and New Zealand in between my time with Teach For
America and KIPP was a really valuable opportunity for me to reassess my
professional goals and motivation. Taking time away from the classroom to explore
a different part of the world, expose myself to new opportunities, decompress, and
meet a truly diverse group of travelers, allowed me to gain perspective and realize
that education and working to close the achievement gap truly is my passion. I’m
not sure if it dawned on me mid-bungee jump or while exploring the Hanoi fruit
markets, but I discovered it nonetheless!

Describe the arc of your career. How did you move from your first position

after the corps to each subsequent position? What skills/ knowledge did

you acquire at each step of your career?

As I mentioned above, I completed my Teach For America commitment in
Washington, D.C. in 2001 and spent three months traveling through Southeast Asia
and New Zealand that fall, assessing my professional next steps. After Teach For
America I knew that I had an overwhelming responsibility to stay in the field of
education, but I felt passionately about impacting the lives of more than a single
classroom of students. I also knew that I wanted to move to the California Bay Area
to explore a different part of the country. As a fourth grade teacher, I had sent a
few of my students (rising 5th graders) to the brand new KIPP DC KEY Academy and
learned that the KIPP schools of Mike Feinberg and Dave Levin were being replicated
throughout the country through the recently formed KIPP Foundation (conveniently
based in San Francisco!). After respectfully stalking the HR department at the
Foundation, I began working at KIPP in early 2002.

At KIPP, I had the privilege of wearing a variety of hats. The Foundation was in its
early years and was attracting (as it still is!) an incredible group of driven and
passionate individuals. For most of my time at the organization, I worked very
closely with the Fellows (educators who were in training to open their own KIPP
schools). I helped to recruit, select and train the Fellows each year and had the
opportunity to learn about the key ingredie nts of successful leaders and the trials
and tribulations of starting a school, or any entrepreneurial venture, from the ground
up. I also had the privilege of visiting the schools once the mere vision became a
reality. Visiting the schools became the absolute highlight of my job, and it forced
me to realize how much I missed my daily interactions with students. After two and
a half years with the Foundation, I felt it was time to re-connect more directly with
youth. I found BUILD!

I came to BUILD initially as an Entrepreneurship Instructor. I taught one
entrepreneurship class each day and helped 9th grade students understand basic
business concepts, write business plans, and prepare for an end of year Youth
Business Plan Competition at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. I also
recruited, trained and supported our mentor and venture capital advisor volunteers
who are critical to our success. I assisted with curriculum development and
eventually laid the groundwork for our expansion into Oakland. I have now been the
Oakland Site Director for almost two years and look forward to further growing the
site in the Oakland community.

How does your experience as a Teach For America corps member influence

you personal and professional life today?

My experience as a corps member continues to influence my personal and
professional life. I feel that I am a stronger, more resilient, and more driven person
based on my very transformative two year experience. On a professional level, I feel
that my teaching experience still informs so many of my decisions. The fact that I
hired all Teach For America alums to work in the BUILD Oakland Site might give you
some insight into how much I value the Teach For America experience and the work
ethic, critical thinking skills, and commitment it instills in corps members.

What do you see as the main skills/attributes/interests you should bring to

your position?

At BUILD, we teach students how to be entrepreneurs. I think it is critical in our
non-profit that we are practicing what we are teaching. As a result, I feel that the
classic attributes associated with entrepreneurs are highly valued in my position. It
is critical for a person to be flexible and adaptable, both to new situations and new
trends. It is important for a person to be optimistic and resilient in the face of
adversity and it is critical for an individual to persevere regardless of how daunting
certain roadblocks appear. And similar to any non-profit with limited funds, it is
valuable for the person to be really creative and resourceful when thinking about
solving problems or improving our programs. A real good sense of humor is always
much appreciated as well .

What advice do you have for corps members and alumni interested in your

sector?

I think my main piece of advice is to find a non-profit organization with a really
strong leader. There are a lot of organizations out there which have very compelling
missions and visions, but the execution fails because leadership is weak. I’d
recommend that corps members and alumni find a leader who they believe in, who
they can learn from, who they respect, and who shares their values…then work hard
and have fun.

Favorite book/resource/organization in your career field?

Watch the movie Miracle. I know it sounds unbearably cheesy and I appreciate that
reliving the 1980’s US Olympic hockey team’s unexpected win isn’t everyone’s idea
of a good time. But the movie is one avenue to understand the importance of
culture building, functioning as a cohesive team, working relentlessly towards a goal,
and believing deeply in miracles.

*If you would like to contact Chantal to ask more about her career path or
use her as a resource to help you explore career options, please feel free to
email her at chantal@build.org.