Develop for Good Is Pairing Ivy League Students with Nonprofits

Oct 4, 2021

Mary Zhu, co-founder and executive director of Develop for Good, shares her inspiring journey from an immigrant background to leading a nonprofit that connects tech students with organizations in need. She discusses how her early experiences with nonprofits propelled her to bridge technology and social impact. Listeners learn about the significance of digital transformation for nonprofits, the unique challenges they faced during the pandemic, and the potential for students to gain valuable experience while making a difference.

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Intro

00:00 • 5min

Baking a Path: From Immigrant Challenges to Nonprofit Dreams

04:58 • 5min

Navigating Career Choices in Social Impact

10:14 • 11min

Navigating Nonprofit Growth During a Pandemic

20:58 • 6min

Empowering Nonprofits Through Digital Innovation

26:29 • 12min

Connecting Students with Nonprofits for Impact

38:57 • 3min

Develop for Good pairs students with nonprofits to use tech to make a difference. The founder of the organization, Mary Zhu, is no stranger to the experiences of underserved communities. She’s the daughter of two Chinese immigrants and her cultural background was a huge driving force in helping see disparities in marginalized communities… and how to bridge those gaps. In high school, Mary even founded her first nonprofit organization — which aimed to sponsor children in underserved communities by selling cakes to the community. After spending four years at Stanford University, Mary noticed that technology and innovation weren’t intersecting with nonprofit spaces — so she decided to change this on her own.

Now, she’s the co-founder and executive director of Develop for Good, a nonprofit program that “pairs, trains and supports student volunteers as they develop technical product solutions for nonprofits.” Students who are pros at technology are able to gain hands-on experience doing innovative and world-changing work for nonprofits. And nonprofits are able to take their work to the next level through technology.

In this episode, Mary talks about how her childhood experiences impacted the work she does now, the value of social work, and the unique nature of her nonprofit — one that affords young people the chance to work in the tech industry without the financial burden Mary is so familiar with.

Guest: Mary Zhu, co-founder and executive director of Develop for Good
Visit Develop for Good’s website, developforgood.org

Sponsor: For purpose-driven brands and organizations looking for an agency specializing in collaborative problem solving and expert craftsmanship — learn more about Moon March moonmarch.com.
Sponsor: Listen to the podcast Breaking Glass at breakingglasspodcast.com/good.

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