My dream has always been to work in international development, especially through a gender lens. That's what drew me to study international human rights and women's rights in college, and it’s the foundation I hoped to build my career on, ideally as a gender analyst in government or at a civil society organization. I wanted to work on programs and policies that served the communities they were meant to help. After working in local government, where I saw firsthand the impact of legislation, I wanted to understand how effective programs and policies get built in the first place. More than anything, I wanted a job where the mission mattered and where I’d contribute to real change, not just work that looked good on paper.
That’s part of what drew me to Panorama Strategy, a women-owned, women-led social impact consulting firm. Panorama’s values-based approach to strategic thinking and problem solving excited me as I explored how best to drive progress. In my first month, I’ve realized that understanding how programs get designed and funded in the first place is just as important as implementing them.
During my first thirty days as a Program Associate, I’ve worked on projects spanning faith and media, maternal health equity, and philanthropic giving for health research. On one project, I am supporting a landscape analysis of potential funders for large scale convenings, and what stands out most is how deliberate Panorama is — every step is planned with a clear rationale, grounded in evidence and experience. On another, I'm helping plan a two-day summit for 60 attendees, where even details such as venue selection are being decided for a specific reason. Nothing about the process is random, and I think that's exactly what makes it effective. Each project has taught me something different: how to understand a client’s goals, how funders decide where to give, and how an organization’s structure affects what it can do. I expected to spend my first month mostly observing. Instead, I’ve already conducted desk research, drafted deliverables, and joined client calls.
Getting to know the team has also shaped my first month. Panorama works across in-person hybrid and remote arrangements, and I wondered early on how a spread-out team builds real relationships. During my first team meeting, I was pleasantly surprised to see my colleagues share photos of their pets and exchange recommendations for “must-see” spots in Mexico City. But I quickly learned that friendliness and collaboration are the norms here. I’ve had coffee chats with everyone on our 12-person team and even met a few colleagues in person over lunch. I’ve learned about people’s career paths, particularly what drew them to social impact consulting, and the projects they care about most. I now know for a fact that the team has a surprisingly strong dog vs. cat divide. I’ve also seen how much they support one another, not just their clients.
I don’t feel like my career path has changed, but my understanding of it has grown. I still want to work on programs that genuinely serve women and communities well. I’m learning what it takes to build those programs in the first place, from funding to strategy. Looking ahead, I'm excited to keep building a toolbox of transferable skills across different projects and issue areas. But just as important to me is knowing that every project we take on is in service of something good. A month into this role, I’m certain Panorama is just as committed to positive change as I am.
