Category: Five Minutes With…

For this installment of 5 Minutes With, NationSwell sat down with Hala Hanna, Executive Director of MIT Solve — an initiative of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that advances lasting solutions from tech entrepreneurs to address the world’s most pressing problems.

We asked Hala about how MIT Solve has built and maintained its vast network of thought leaders and industry innovators, the impact milestones she’s most excited about, and how the initiative is deploying AI to create lasting transformation. 

Here’s what she had to say:

NationSwell: Tell us about MIT Solve’s mission and vision—what makes this initiative so unique and impactful?

Hala Hanna, Executive Director of MIT Solve: MIT Solve is a marketplace for social impact innovation. We find and help scale the most promising solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges and forge lasting partnerships with our Solver teams, providing ongoing funding, strategic connections, and support long after their initial program ends.

Our secret weapon? A powerhouse community of thought leaders, industry pioneers, and MIT’s extensive ecosystem—all united by the belief that technology, in the right hands, can transform lives. We seek entrepreneurs from underrepresented regions and backgrounds whose lived experience is the expertise they bring to problem-solving. 

NationSwell: What does using technology for good look like? How are MIT Solve and its innovators envisioning a present and future where scalable tech can solve big problems?

Hanna, MIT Solve: Tech for good isn’t just aspirational—it’s our Solvers’ work today. AI powers 20% of our portfolio, demonstrating how emerging tech can be deployed as a powerful means of improving people’s lives and driving positive societal transformation—from bettering health and learning outcomes to mitigating the effects of climate change. 

In addition to the breadth of application, AI helps with scaling impact: solutions in Solve’s portfolio that are powered by AI reach twice as many lives as those not making use of the technology. 

While AI global venture capital investments exceeded $290 billion between 2019 and 2024, less than 1% of this funding went to initiatives aimed at social impact. This stark disparity reveals a profound misalignment between AI’s transformative potential and its current applications that we should all want to fix.

NationSwell: What is exciting to you about the funding that MIT Solve provides to innovators? Tell us about MIT Solve’s impact to date.

Hanna, MIT Solve: The $70 million we’ve mobilized has catalyzed extraordinary change, with our Solver teams now touching 280+ million lives globally. This translates to environmental and health monitoring for 97+ million people, internet access for 4.6+ million, educational content for 56+ million children, and vital health services for 26+ million patients. These aren’t just numbers—they represent real people experiencing better health outcomes, educational opportunities, and improved livelihoods. 

We are also proud that for Solver teams selected in the past five years, over 95% are operational—compared to 70% for similar programs. Moreover, our for-profit and hybrid teams have raised over $1 billion since their organizations’ inception—together, they are engines of economic growth for their communities.

NationSwell: Is there a grantee story that you’d like to lift up?

Hanna, MIT Solve: I cannot possibly pick just one! Instead, let me invite you to experience our award-winning docuseries, The Big Idea. It follows three Solver teams on their journey: an innovator stabilizing vaccine temperatures in remote regions, a creator of antiracist technology reducing Black maternal mortality, and a developer of robot-building kits empowering Indigenous youth. With hundreds of thousands of YouTube views, features at 17 global festivals, and awards including a Webby, these stories exemplify the ingenuity and impact of our community.

NationSwell: A year from now, what are you hoping to be celebrating? What milestones are you looking to cross?

Hanna, MIT Solve: Next year marks our 10th anniversary—a decade of catalyzing world-changing innovation! There’s a lot in store to celebrate this milestone, including at our flagship events, Solve at MIT in May and Solve Challenge Finals in September. We’re building a new model where social innovation isn’t seen as charity but as the highest-leverage investment possible. By our next decade, we aim to shift billions toward solutions that scale exponentially and reach communities where traditional systems have failed.

NationSwell: What are some of the challenges you’re facing? How can NationSwell’s social impact community help you with those challenges?

Hanna, MIT Solve: Funding for international development work faces unprecedented headwinds. Even before current events, we saw a stark disconnect: $238 billion sitting in Donor-Advised Funds while we face a $4 trillion gap in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Our mission is to bridge this divide by connecting innovators with funding opportunities, regardless of the political climate. NationSwell’s network is invaluable in helping us reach the communities that need innovation most. The most precious resource isn’t money—it’s the courage to back transformative ideas when they need it most. We invite the NationSwell community to come Solve with us!

For this installment of 5 Minutes With, NationSwell sat down with Kiana Jackson, Director of Data and Research at New Disabled South, to discuss the launch of the new think tank, Black Disability Institute. Housed under New Disabled South’s Research and Data team, the Black Disability Institute aims to initiate original research and bolster existing advocacy efforts examining issues uniquely affecting Black people with disabilities.

Here’s what she had to say:

NationSwell: Tell us a little bit about your journey in advocacy work and research — what is your personal connection to the Black disabled community? What inspires or motivates you — personally and professionally — to do this work?

Kiana Jackson, Director of Data and Research at New Disabled South: My journey in advocacy started with community organizing in rural Georgia, where I saw firsthand the health disparities and systemic inequities Black communities face. Over time, I became more involved in research, trying to uncover why these inequities persist and how we can tackle them at the roots. My personal connection to this work comes from my own experience as a Black disabled woman from the rural South, where I ran into everything from limited accessibility in schools to scarce resources for complex disabilities. Seeing how these barriers affect not just me but so many in my community drives me to keep going. What truly keeps me motivated is the incredible resilience I see among Black disabled people. Even when the deck is stacked against us, our community finds ways to create joy, support, and innovation. I want to help shift the conversation around disability away from merely “fixing” people or adding accommodations onto flawed systems, and instead push for broader, structural changes that allow us to thrive.

NationSwell: What is unique about the experiences of Black disabled folks living in the American South? Why is research so critically needed at this time?

Jackson: Black disabled people in the South occupy a very particular space, facing racial discrimination, ableism, and the unique challenges that come with living in a region that is often under-resourced. Legacy issues—like entrenched racism in institutions, lack of healthcare infrastructure, and inaccessible public spaces—combine to create more hurdles than what you might see elsewhere in the country. At the same time, the South has a legacy of resilience and activism that runs deep, with strong community networks supporting one another. Despite that legacy, Black disabled Southerners are often overlooked in national policy and research, which makes it harder to bring about meaningful policy reforms. If we don’t have accurate data and storytelling that center these experiences, we can’t demand the changes needed in healthcare, housing, or education. Focused research is crucial right now because it pushes back against harmful narratives and ensures our communities’ realities become part of the broader conversation on disability justice and equity.

NationSwell: What are New Disabled South’s existing advocacy efforts like for the Black community, and where are you most excited about expanding that advocacy work?

Jackson: We’re committed to intersectional disability justice, and that means ensuring Black disabled voices directly shape our policy and research agenda. Through our Black Disability Institute (BDI), we will conduct original research and connect with Black communities, making sure people’s lived experiences inform our work. For example, in our broader research initiatives, we’re investigating racial disparities in Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waitlists—vital supports that Black disabled Georgians often wait years to receive, even though the state has the means to address the backlog. We’re also examining how policing intersects with disability and race in the South. Our data shows Black disabled voters frequently report discrimination in encounters with law enforcement. By pinpointing where these problems occur, we can push for better training, alternative crisis response teams, and more accountability. Looking to the future, I’m eager to see the Black Disability Institute grow and take on more community-centered research in healthcare, criminal justice, and the economy. Our broader vision is a South where Black disabled folks have the resources and autonomy we deserve—and where our lived experiences are front and center in every advocacy effort. We view research as both a tool and a call to action. The data we collect does more than reveal problems; it drives our advocacy strategies and helps us collaborate effectively with state officials, healthcare providers, and fellow advocates. Through all of this, our guiding principle remains clear: The fight for disability justice in the South must uplift Black experiences, voices, and leadership every step of the way.

NationSwell: What are the Institute’s primary goals, and what is its theory of change?

Jackson: Black Disability Institute (BDI) operates as a think tank under New Disabled South’s Research Department, aiming to reshape how we talk about Black disability and ensure that research benefits the community. We focus on bridging gaps between researchers and Black disabled communities, building trust where it’s often been broken, and spotlighting lived experiences through studies and community outreach. Ultimately, we want more funding and attention directed to the challenges that keep Black disabled people—especially in the South—from having economic independence and quality care. Our theory of change is that real progress comes when rigorous research, grassroots engagement, and institutional partnerships come together. By keeping Black disabled voices at the heart of what we do, we can confront the systems that leave us out and create lasting policy change. In our first three years, we’re zeroing in on Poverty & Care, working with healthcare leaders, policymakers, and local organizers to give Black disabled Southerners a comprehensive network of support—from accessible housing to decent-paying jobs. Our hope is that by driving both research and advocacy, BDI can help build a future where Black disabled people are fully recognized, respected, and resourced.

NationSwell: Finally, what are some of the challenges you’re currently facing, and how can NationSwell’s community of changemakers help you with those challenges?

Jackson: One of our biggest hurdles is the lack of detailed data and targeted funding for Black disabled communities in the South. Too often, policy and research discussions don’t address—or even acknowledge—the multiple layers of racism and ableism we encounter. Changing this requires significant effort and resources. Another challenge lies in shifting the broader narrative: disability is still widely seen through the lens of “accommodation” rather than justice, and Black disabled people can get lost in both racial justice and disability advocacy spaces. NationSwell’s community can help by sharing resources, forging strategic partnerships, and amplifying our research so the experiences of Black disabled Southerners reach decision-makers. We also welcome support in reshaping the narrative—through storytelling, media, and campaigns that show the realities and resilience of Black disabled people. By joining forces, we can push for systemic changes that move us past “inclusion” and toward genuine equity and justice.

With the support of the American Family Insurance Institute for Corporate and Social Impact, Cerberus, and ServiceNow, NationSwell has just completed a second year of the NationSwell Fellows program, which supports young leaders through skills-building workshops, mentorship, and access to an expanded network and resources. Over the course of 10 months, this impressive group of young people worked to co-design fellowship programming, create community with one another, connect with mentors, and develop and refine individual incubator projects. 

This cohort of young changemakers were highly accomplished outside of the program and highly intersectional in their approaches to their social issues. These young innovators devoted themselves to a variety of social impact areas including mental health access and awareness, climate justice, LGBTQIA+ rights, youth unhousedness, data for good, and Indigenous rights. In this series, NationSwell is highlighting a few outstanding fellows and giving you insight on how to support them.

In this installment, we talk with Maya Salameh, who believes in better mental healthcare, including increased access and awareness, and improved cultural competency, for Arab Americans. Her incubator project was a comprehensive literature review to progress the resources available to clinicians, researchers, and others who have a stake in the mental health journey of the Arab American community.

Tell us about your journey to social impact and Arab American mental health work. What was the moment you knew you wanted to devote your professional life to what you’re doing now?

My journey to social impact work and passion for Arab American mental health technically began at Stanford. As a Psychology undergraduate and Sociology graduate student, I participated in research at the intersections of social science, care access, and racial justice. But even before that, I grew up acutely aware of how Western wellness models seemed to exclude people like me. I remember being told by my relatives that therapy was “for Americans.” But I witnessed firsthand a community need for culturally competent care, and I became passionate about making mental health resources more accessible to all Americans, especially hyphenated ones. 

A pivotal moment in my work was the opportunity to develop my honors thesis, an interview study I conducted in 2022 with 35 Arab Americans, investigating their experiences with psychological care and definitions of mental health. This work affirmed for me the urgent need for more inclusive and culturally sensitive mental health resources, and also highlighted other knowledge gaps in the limited research, especially for gender and sexual minorities within the community. 

What are some of the ways this fellowship has been able to support your work? What have you gotten out of it, and has anything surprised you along the way?

The NationSwell Fellowship has been instrumental in advancing my work. The funding and brainstorming space allowed me to devote capacity to this nugget I’d had on my mind for the last two years. Getting to develop this literature review on the psychological care experiences of queer and gender-marginalized Arab Americans allowed me both to build upon my previous research and to contribute to the limited knowledge base on this minority within an already invisibilized identity. I invite you to read it here. My mentor Patrice Berry also offered valuable insights on building a social impact career as a woman of color and the many ways one can continue contributing to community-based research outside of academia. 

What surprised me the most was the incredible network of like-minded young leaders I got to connect with! Our cohort’s collaborative environment and shared commitment to social change helped me refine my approach and broaden my perspective on impactful social work.

What’s the focus of your work right now? And what’s next for you?

My work currently focuses on improving Arab American and other immigrant communities’ access to psychological care and public benefits. I have the honor of contributing to the Digital Benefit Network at the Beeck Center, where I support their measurement and evaluation approach as they work across verticals to make benefits more accessible and equitable. Generally, I remain interested in the development of new community-based interventions for immigrant communities and leveraging digital advancements to enhance public services.

Looking ahead, I’m attending UCLA Law in the fall to continue my research and advocacy efforts, aiming to influence policy changes that will improve legal protections and benefits access for immigrant communities. I plan to specialize in Critical Race Studies and engage in clinics like the Immigrants’ Rights Policy Clinic. I am especially looking forward to entering law school on the heels of the newly approved MENA category on the Census. This rollout will likely create new opportunities for Arab lawyers to advocate for their communities, as well as present new questions and debates around federal resource allocation, civil rights, and legal protections for Arab Americans. 

By integrating my research background and evaluation experience with legal skills, I aim to advocate for laws that not only alleviate discrimination but actively promote racial equity. As an Arab woman, and the first lawyer in my family, I aim to represent all my communities with integrity and dedication. 

How can NationSwell’s ecosystem of social impact leaders and partners help you with your short term and/or long term goals? 

In the short term, I’m seeking opportunities to collaborate with organizations focusing on mental health and marginalized communities to apply my research insights and contribute to culturally based resources.

In the long term, I aim to build a network of advocates and professionals committed to enhancing the safety net for all Americans, whether in terms of benefits access, psychological services, or legal protections. Support through mentorship or collaboration to share my research and findings would be incredibly valuable.

To learn more about the NationSwell Fellows program, visit our fellowship hub.

With the support of the American Family Insurance Institute for Corporate and Social Impact, Cerberus, and ServiceNow, NationSwell is uplifting a second cohort of young leaders through skills-building workshops, mentorship, and access to an expanded network and resources. Over the course of 10 months, the NationSwell Fellows team works with these impressive leaders to co-design programming, develop and refine individual incubator projects, and make curated connections. 

This group of young social impact innovators is highly accomplished and working through intersectional strategies. As social impact innovators, they work on a variety of social issues including mental health access and awareness, climate justice, LGBTQIA+ rights, youth unhousedness, data for good, and Indigenous rights. In this series, NationSwell will be highlighting each outstanding fellow, showcasing their passions and endeavors, and giving you insight on how to support them.

In this installment, we talk with Maya Siegel, who is highly passionate about climate justice and opportunities for young people, and currently works as the platforms manager for Feminist, the largest women-owned social media platform for women, girls, and gender-expansive people. She is the co-founder of Stories of Consent, an organization dedicated to making consent education more accessible and available for young people. 

Trigger warning: this story includes experiences with sexual violence

NationSwell: Tell us about your journey to social impact and what inspired you to start Stories of Consent. What was the moment you knew you wanted to devote your professional life to what you’re doing now?

Maya Siegel: My journey into this space was sparked by my love for community service, which led me to volunteer for organizations with missions spanning from gun violence prevention and environmental justice to menstrual equity and beyond. Through these experiences, I gained an understanding of the interconnectedness of social issues and developed skills that were valuable to the workforce. 

There was no singular moment where I decided to make this my career. I just kept pursuing my passions and eventually had the skills and experience to be paid for the work I was doing.

My motivation to start Stories of Consent stemmed from experiencing sexual violence before consent. The first time I was with a partner who demonstrated consent (which was nearly a decade after my first encounter with sexual violence) changed my life, and inspired the desire to shift the narrative of survivorship from one of trauma to one of  joy. In 2023, Emily Bach and I co-founded Stories of Consent (SOC) with the idea of sharing only stories of affirmative consent, in contrast to survivor testimonials.  

NationSwell: What are some of the ways this fellowship has been able to support your work? What have you gotten out of it, and has anything surprised you along the way?

Maya Siegel: This fellowship has given my cofounder and I the time to intentionally think about SOC’s impact and future. We are incredibly grateful to the NationSwell team and mentors, who not only encourage the SOC team to dream big but lend their time, resources, and experience to our cause. 

NationSwell: What’s the focus of your work right now? And what’s next for you?

Maya Siegel: Presently and for the foreseeable future, we are focused on amplifying stories of affirmative consent from all 50 states on our website and in middle and high schools around the county via the Certified Peer Educator Training. We hope these stories will contextualize consent for young people and contribute to our collective global health and safety.

NationSwell: How can NationSwell’s ecosystem of social impact leaders and partners help you with your short term and/or long term goals? 

Maya Siegel: Currently, SOC is looking to engage students on college campuses through collaborations with student-run organizations and student advocacy centers. If you are part of either, we’d love to work with you! Additionally, we are always open to amplification and funding opportunities. 

Thank you so much to NationSwell for this fellowship opportunity and for actively supporting our mission to make consent education accessible and relatable.

To learn more about the NationSwell Fellows program, visit our fellowship hub.

With the support of the American Family Insurance Institute for Corporate and Social Impact, Cerberus, and ServiceNow, NationSwell is uplifting a second cohort of young leaders through skills-building workshops, mentorship, and access to an expanded network and resources. Over the course of 10 months, the NationSwell Fellows team works with these impressive leaders to co-design programming, develop and refine individual incubator projects, and make curated connections. 

This group of young social impact innovators is highly accomplished and working through intersectional strategies. As social impact innovators, they work on a variety of social issues including mental health access and awareness, climate justice, LGBTQIA+ rights, youth unhousedness, data for good, and Indigenous rights. In this series, NationSwell will be highlighting each outstanding fellow, showcasing their passions and endeavors, and giving you insight on how to support them.

To kickoff this series, we talk with Ericka Kamanou-Tenta, graduate of NYU who was nominated for a 2021-2022 NYU Global Engagement Symposium for her work in Ghana in which she co-founded a venture aimed at developing changemakers in impoverished communities through an entrepreneurship program. Her work is focused on advocating for a Pan-African movement and decolonization, to fight against the harms of racism and neocolonialism.

NationSwell: Tell us about your journey to social impact and social entrepreneurial work. What was the moment you knew you wanted to devote your professional life to what you’re doing now? 

Ericka Kamanou-Tenta: Coming from Cameroon, I’ve always been passionate about African Development. I pursued a minor in Social entrepreneurship at NYU where I learned about the importance of solving social challenges through sustainable and economically viable business ventures. Since then, I committed myself to helping tackle the poverty issues in my home country and other African countries through Social Entrepreneurship. I spent a semester in Accra, Ghana where a classmate and I built an entrepreneurship program and taught a group of young adults from one of poorest communities, Chorkor. We worked to not just teach them the skills to be entrepreneurs, but helped develop the mindset to see themselves as change-makers. Running this program showed me the potential of social entrepreneurship in decolonizing minds and business models, and the role this can play in advancing and uplifting local communities across Africa, specifically for the people in those communities. 

NationSwell: What are some of the ways this fellowship has been able to support your work? What have you gotten out of it, and has anything surprised you along the way? 

Ericka Kamanou-Tenta: First of all, the virtual setting has allowed me to connect with a diverse group of fellows from all corners of the United States. It’s enriching and exciting to get to be in a space with other young people working on different social issues. I’ve also learned so much from the workshops, specifically the one on succeeding as a young leader in social impact and the one on building narrative, storytelling, and pitching yourself and your theory of change. I’ve gained practical insights that I continue to apply like identifying my audience and the beneficiary group. 

I think the most valuable part of the program has been the connections facilitated by the NationSwell team. I’ve connected with Adam Schrager from The American Family Insurance Institute for Corporate and Social Impact, and further refined my theory of change and how to effectively talk about it. I connected with Morgan Dixon from GirlTrek, who I’ve looked up to as someone who has successfully built a movement. I am so excited to get the chance to talk with her and I’m eager to discover the doors it will open. I’m also thrilled about my mentor, Baffour Osei, who immediately understood the intentions and purpose behind my project. He and I also share the same passion of helping young adults in Ghana believe that they can do difficult things.  

NationSwell: What’s the focus of your work right now? And what’s next for you? 

Ericka Kamanou-Tenta: Right now, for the incubator project phase of this fellowship, I am focused on refining my theory of change and the audience I want to speak to. My goal is to develop a campaign that will influence key stakeholders to address neocolonial economic and educational structures impacting underserved African communities – the overarching goal is to raise awareness and initiate meaningful conversations. I’m working through what the messaging is and who the specific stakeholders are, but I know I want to use a captivating video as my medium. My long-term goal is that this inspires a Pan-African movement that benefits local African communities who need it most.  

As a recent graduate, I am also currently looking for career opportunities in Social Entrepreneurship. My ultimate goal is to work in impact investing  and I know I need to build up my experience so I am applying for work in program management with nonprofit organizations and social impact initiatives. I’m currently interning with  2Scale, an incubator program within the Non-profit IFDC, for inclusive and sustainable agribusiness in Africa.. I’m working on action-research for the program, focusing on partnership theories of change and scaling activities. I’m also helping design and implement the Monitoring & Evaluation framework across West and East African countries.  

NationSwell: How can NationSwell’s ecosystem of social impact leaders and partners help you with your short term and/or long term goals? 

Ericka Kamanou-Tenta: NationSwell’s ecosystem of social impact leaders and partners can help me with my short term and long term goals by connecting me with purpose-oriented professionals with work opportunities in my field of interest. They can also help further my work through engagement, in order to help advance initiatives related to an entrepreneurial focused Pan-African movement.  I’m also happy to be a resource to the ecosystem by helping current and future fellows narrate their personal stories in social impact, and understand their why.  

To learn more about the NationSwell Fellows program, visit our fellowship hub.

For this installment of 5 Minutes With, NationSwell sat down with Monoswita Saha, Global Employee Engagement Leader for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) at Kyndryl, to discuss the launch of the new Kyndryl Foundation, why a young company decided to start a foundation so early in its journey, and the unique ways a career in cybersecurity can drive equity and progress.

Here’s what she had to say.

Anthony Smith, Editor at Large, NationSwell: Congratulations on the launch! What does this moment mean for Kyndryl as an organization?

Monoswita Saha, Global Employee Engagement Leader for CSR + Kyndryl Foundation Adviser, Kyndryl: The Kyndryl Foundation launch means a lot to us. Kyndryl is a new company — we’re barely two years old. It’s a pretty significant endeavor to launch a foundation within such a short period of operation. When we were weighing the decision to launch, it really came down to our commitment to power progress — a kind of progress that extends out to the communities where our employees live and work, allowing us to drive meaningful and systemic impact at scale.

The Kyndryl Foundation announcement comes on the heels of our recent Corporate Citizenship Report release and further expands our purpose-driven work to be at the heart of progress.

Smith, NationSwell: It’s uncommon for a company to launch a foundation so early in its journey. Where did you and your team turn for insights on what to do and what to avoid?

Saha, Kyndryl: We knew that this isn’t something a lot of companies do, and our research confirmed that. As we looked at other successful foundations, we didn’t find many similar reference points or success stories.

The foundation is an extension of Kyndryl’s commitment to improving the world around us. As a purpose-driven company, we made early commitments to operate at the heart of progress, where innovation, environmental stewardship and social impact converge. Even though we’re a young company on a growth journey, we’re also a company that’s really devoted to its people and communities. We want to create a legacy that drives business growth and accountability for long-term societal impact. With the foundation, we took a bold step in that direction.

Smith, NationSwell: What’s exciting to you about the grants you’re looking to make?

Saha, Kyndryl: What’s exciting for me is our focus. I think corporations have a responsibility to foster empowerment, especially economic empowerment. Technology and data have to be protected, and yet we see examples every day of data breaches and technological insecurities. Organizations that are unable to prepare for this growing challenge are especially vulnerable.

It’s no surprise that cybersecurity is growing so rapidly, and no one can question its increasing importance to our day-to-day life. But alongside that growth, it’s also a field that has real career trajectories.

That’s exciting because Kyndryl now gets to play a role in empowering both organizations and individuals.  We hope that the Kyndryl Foundation can make a positive impact as we address the shortage of skilled cybersecurity resources and help organizations protect themselves from cyberattacks.

Smith, NationSwell: A year from now, what are you hoping to be celebrating? What milestones are you looking to cross?

Saha, Kyndryl: At a very basic level, without knowing who the grantees are, if we can see that more trained individuals are entering the cybersecurity space who would not otherwise be, I would call that a marker of success. If we see nonprofits sharing data that they have successfully thwarted cyber-attacks as a result of training they received that was grant-enabled, those are all markers of success.

Ultimately, we want to support and empower individuals and communities who might not have access to this space without some sort of other intervention.

Smith, NationSwell: What’s inspiring you right now?

Saha, Kyndryl: Everyday inspiration is very close to home. I’m inspired by those stories of resilience, especially stories about people who might be invisible or just are not going to make the headlines. To me, that’s really inspiring because that is what makes up the social fabric of everyday life. As a person and as a professional, I feel like my work focuses more on these everyday stories of resilience, optimism, triumph, and overcoming things to fully participate in society and the economy.

My biggest inspiration are figures like my great-grandmother, who would not make a headline but lived through immense political, personal, and geographical upheaval, which you read about in textbooks. Stories like hers are really inspiring because it’s an average person achieving outsized outcomes while living in what we might look at as a very traditionally prescribed role. But when I peel back the layers, I see a very radical person with an incredible journey. That’s very inspiring to me.

Monoswita Saha is part of Kyndryl as the Global Employee Engagement Leader for CSR + Kyndryl Foundation Adviser. Learn more about the Kyndryl Foundation launch.

With support from the American Family Insurance Institute for Corporate and Social Impact, NationSwell Fellowships provide the network, support, and knowledge to help young leaders level up their environmental and social impact. Over the course of ten months, NationSwell Fellows will work to refine an individual social impact project, connect with established leaders in their field, build upon their expertise of environmental and social issues, and co-design the program in its inaugural year.  

In this series, NationSwell is profiling the incredible and inspiring recipients of this fellowship. ​​Each of these young leaders stood out for their immense passion in their environmental and social issue areas of focus, demonstration of leadership in the field, and focus on the importance of intersectionality. As social impact trailblazers, they work on a range of issue areas including climate justice, healthcare access, disability rights in the workplace, racial justice, & more. 

In this installment, we’re interviewing NationSwell Fellow Safiyah Zaidi, a young leader who understands that the best way to reach people is through honest storytelling that invites connection, understanding, and empathy. With her time in the NationSwell Fellows program, Zaidi is developing and producing a podcast centered around stories of abuse within the Muslim community, to amplify and expand the work of Facing Abuse in Community Environments (FACE), which focuses on providing resources and support for protecting vulnerable members of the Muslim community and holding abusers accountable. Here’s what she’s learned, and what she’s teaching us.

NationSwell: Tell us about your personal and professional journey to this work.

Safiyah Zaidi: One of the best pieces of advice I have ever received was when I asked a mentor how they decided what to do with their career. I was told that one way of deciding that is to reflect upon a Japanese concept called ikigai, which, simply put, counsels you to consider what you love, what the world needs, what you can be paid for, and what you’re good at. So to borrow that framework, from a very young age, I discovered that I am someone who finds purpose in empowering others.

I am deeply passionate about gender equity with a specific focus on the empowerment and holistic wellbeing of women and girls. Through various research and fellowship experiences, I have developed subject matter expertise in maternal healthcare in the South and advocacy for survivors of abuse. I hope to continue exploring this issue area and further refine my ability to craft responsible and responsive policy.

Specifically, I find incredible fulfillment in lifting up women and girls and helping them dismantle systems that try to limit their capabilities and opportunity. I believe that this is an urgent need of the world, whether that’s gender equity in healthcare, justice systems, the workforce, or education. As an undergraduate, I sought out opportunities to intern and research social impact, and along the way, discovered that what I’m good at is analysis and storytelling.

I worked as a journalist for Al Jazeera English and reported on a story looking at access to reproductive healthcare for women in detention. I then had the incredible opportunity to participate in an intensive research fellowship focusing on healthcare equity in the South, resulting in the publication of a formal policy analysis. These experiences showed me how to mobilize resources and people in order to come together for a common goal. And after graduating, I discovered that there are career paths that combine business chops and mission-oriented client work.

I currently work as a federal contractor, advising agencies on issues ranging from equity in federal spending to ethics in program administration. This experience has shown me that there are professional paths that are sustainable, meaningful, and equip you with versatile skill sets that can be channeled towards social impact.

NationSwell: What are some of the ways this fellowship has been able to support your work? What have you gotten out of it, and has anything surprised you along the way?

Zaidi: As a NationSwell fellow, I have supplemented my work in federal contracting by learning from the best practices of leaders committed to advance social change. The exposure alone has been invaluable – I have had the opportunity to sit in on collaborative design sessions and observe the day to day work of standing up programs and creating inclusive, smart policy. I’ve loved watching the ideation process in its entirety, going from a set of principles and goals and translating them into measurable steps.

I’ve also been able to use the NationSwell network to connect with advocates dedicated to promoting gender equity, and learn about the landscape of resources and personnel available. Throughout the course of this fellowship, I’ve been struck by the ESG subject matter expertise of NationSwell staff and partners, and how much I have left to learn. Identifying areas of growth is a critical step on the path of professional development, and I’m excited to continue moving forward with NationSwells’ help.

NationSwell: What’s the focus of your work right now? And what’s next for you?

Zaidi: Currently, I am working on an op-ed piece that looks at the relationship between gender and health outcomes. This article is in its beginning stages, but I hope to soon use it as a springboard to delve into other issues. With the support of NationSwell, I am also developing a long term project in the form of a podcast series that explores gender-based violence and abuse. After this fellowship, I plan to apply to law school to become a more skilled, indispensable advocate in this space.

NationSwell: How can NationSwell’s ecosystem of social impact leaders and partners help you with your short term and/or long term goals?

Zaidi: Most immediately, I am refining my ideas for my op-ed piece for publication with NationSwell. If anyone knows of any relevant resources, articles, or people to speak to, I would appreciate those connections.

The next major step in my professional development is applying to law school, and I would appreciate any advice, mentorship, or support NationSwell has on this process! I am always eager to learn from the academic and professional experiences of those who have walked this path before me.

More generally, if anyone is currently active in this space, I would deeply appreciate career advice, getting a sense of the legal landscape, and any career opportunities you feel I should be aware of.

To learn more about the NationSwell Fellows program, visit our fellowship hub.