The Social Change Career Podcast Nick Martin: On Never Stop Learning
Show notes for Episode 3 with Nick Martin: Never Stop Learning
“I don’t think we can’t do it alone…especially when we are trying to solve really complex social problems. ”
A result of a professional weaver and a government official, Nick had a very refined and specific passion for 1890-1940s Modern Era poetry. Thinking he was going to be a poetry analyst, Nick later decided that we wanted to help others and work in social change through education. With a recent M.A. title from UPeace University in Costa Rica, Nick had to battle the 2008 economic recession. Unable to get a job, Nick and some of his friends took maters to their own hands and after identifying the huge opportunities between technology and social change created one of the most successful technology education companies: Techchange. Learn how Nick did this in Episode 3 of the Social Change Careers Network.
In this episode we discuss:
- Nick’s love for poetry
- How he changed his focus from poetry to social change through education
- Nick’s Masters years (M.A. Education for Peace and Human Rights in UPeace Costa Rica)
- Nick’s family and early influences
- How Nick couldn’t find a job after completing his Masters degree
- How he taught himself to code and decided to start his own company
- Nick wanted to improve the quality of peacebuilding and development organizations websites
- On looking for employment during the 2008 economic recession
- How Nick saw a huge opportunity in the intersection of technology and social good
- How Techchange leverages the power of online learning for the international development community
- On taking alternative skills courses
- Nick’s story of Techchange early days and Techchange now
- Challenges for the future: the tension between scaling for sustainability and being a social business
- On the importance of teambuilding
- How Nick expanded his network when he started with Techchange
- Nick’s take on failure
- Nick’s three top things to have a career in social change
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