Everything You Need to Know about the Inspiring Capital MBA Impact Fellowship
By: Inspiring Capital
Tags: Professional Development, Social Impact, Social Enterprise, Fellowship, Mba

The Inspiring Capital MBA Impact Fellowship is a professional development opportunity that provides knowledge, tools, and community for MBAs committed to using their business education as a force for good seeking to grow purposefully into a high-impact professional. Topics covered include latest thinking and practice in social and environmental impact, as well as the skills and personal development tools required to navigate a successful purpose-driven career. The program is fully virtual, designed to complement any summer internship, regardless of location, industry, or project assignment.

Today we are interviewing Komal Shah, a 2019 Inspiring Capital MBA Impact Fellowship alumni. She walks us through her transformative summer with Inspiring Capital and shares important advice for MBA candidates considering this professional development opportunity.

Tell us about yourself! What is your name, university and program that you attended, your IC Impact Fellowship year and your professional career?

My name is Komal Shah, and I received my MBA from USC and graduated in May 2020. I went through the Inspiring Capital Impact Fellowship during the summer of 2019. Prior to my MBA, I was a teacher for five years and I was teaching sixth and seventh grade math. I just launched my own education consulting service, so I’m now taking the entrepreneurship pathway.

How would you describe the IC Impact Fellowship?

The IC Impact Fellowship impacts you for the rest of your life. It is a purposeful internship for purposeful people.

I believe you come out of it with more clarity and understanding of how you want to make an impact in the world. You also realize that each and every person, no matter the industry or role they are in, has a purpose and can make sure they create a new and better economy for the world.

What was the application and interview process like?

I first heard about Inspiring Capital and met some of the recruiters at a Net Impact Conference. I applied through an online portal and then had a phone and video interview. There was also a homework assignment I had to complete and a final group interview.

Funny enough, I actually received my acceptance when I was in Bali! I got a call at 2:00 AM, oddly enough, I had randomly turned on my phone that night (it was off for most of my trip) before I got my offer. I feel like my intuition was telling me I was going to get an important phone call and I am so glad I listened to it!

What were your favorite seminars/speakers and why did you find them impactful?

The first speaker that stood out to me was Sloan Leo, Founder of Flox Studio, previously working for The Trust for Public Land. She spoke to us about her company and how they use design to address climate change as a social justice issue. Their ultimate goal is to make sure every human being has access to parks and green space in their neighborhoods. The work they were doing was so impactful to me, and it really made us think about what it would look like for us to bring some of that impact into our own communities.

Another speaker that I found impactful was Alexandra Hanken from Salesforce. She did a great design thinking workshop with us. She first started with a small workshop and then applied it to something that impacts our own lives and our own purposeful paths. I learned how to really integrate design thinking in general and then how to take that to make an impact in an organization.

What does a week in the life of an IC Fellow look like?

I would characterize a typical week in two words: “Learning” and “Connection.” On the “Learning” side, you usually have a course and a few modules that you complete every week. These are created by the Inspiring Capital team, and every week encompasses a different topic. We covered a wide range of different topics from impact metrics to social impact theory to social enterprises. The module is typically an article you have to read and then reflect about. Finally, you have a webinar every week, where you get to connect with other Fellows within your cohort. Sometimes you have a guest speaker and you get to learn from their specific industry expertise. There are also many opportunities for peer learning and discussion with your cohort.

I also use the word “Connection” to characterize a typical week because you end up developing amazing relationships with the other Fellows in your cohort. We had multiple happy hours where we were able to hear about each other’s’ experiences and internships.

What is one tip you would give interested candidates on maintaining a healthy work-life balance if chosen for this IC Fellowship?

Definitely focus on why you are going through the Fellowship. When you are doing another internship it can feel like the Fellowship is an added weight.

I actually think if you flip it around and think of the IC Impact Fellowship as a foundation to the work you are doing on a daily basis, it allows you to switch this mindset.

Definitely set aside those 2–3 hours a week to dig in to the Fellowship. The amount of work you put in is how much you’re going to get out of it. It is definitely doable as long as you’re recognizing it as a value-add instead of something you have to do.

Overall, what was your favorite memory of your MBA Impact Fellowship experience?

We had a day where we visited a few B-corporations. We went to Stone Barn Farms, Eileen Fischer and Greyston Bakery.

It was great to see how these companies were using their business for good, while still being profitable.

Seeing this live was probably the most impactful moment of my summer. To this day, the work those companies do resonates with me very deeply. We were able to really see what we were learning in action.

At the end of the Fellowship we also had an end of the summer celebration. It was great to reflect on where we had started and how much better of an understanding we had of our own purpose, and the incredible work that is happening that is actually business for good. Being able to reflect on that as a cohort was definitely a phenomenal experience.

Final words of wisdom: What advice would you give a graduate student interested in Inspiring Capital MBA Impact Fellowship?

Business school can be isolating for someone who cares about social impact and cares about utilizing business for good. We’re not always surrounded by people who are like-minded in this space.

If you are seeking a community of people who are also in business school and are looking to utilize their skills to do some good in the world, then this Fellowship is for you.

It will definitely give you the learning tools to navigate that during your pursuit of an MBA.