A Passion for the Mission
Hi everyone! My name is Hannah Roberge, and I’m very excited to be an intern for the Women’s Foundation of Boston this summer. Through a long search for summer opportunities, I stumbled upon the WFBoston. The minute I found the foundation, I knew I wanted to become a part of its groundbreaking mission.
I was inspired by the foundation’s tremendous work and shocked to discover the massive philanthropic gap in foundation giving to girls and women serving organizations. I’m fortunate to now play a small part in the foundation’s mission and hope my work will have an impact on Boston’s women and girls.
The Big Moment
I knew I wanted to pursue a career serving women and girls after completing a service trip in Arusha, Tanzania, where I volunteered at the Living Waters Children Center and Yakini School. During my stay, I played with students and helped in the classrooms.
While observing a debate regarding who is stronger, the mother or father? I was shocked to hear the responses of students and teachers discussing how they believed the father was greater in strength and intellect. But what struck me most was one girl who defended the strength of women. Speaking against the opinions of her teachers, she explained the struggles faced by her mother in providing for themselves and their children, showcasing her inner strength.
At that moment, I knew I wanted to be like this little girl: an advocate for women. That’s the instance when I discovered my passion for supporting women and girls, a mission shared by WFBoston.
Flash Forward
As a rising senior at Colby College, I have expanded upon my knowledge of the social and economic troubles, women and girls face. I have studied this topic from a range of fields, from Anthropology to Economics.
One class that struck me was Introduction to Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Throughout the semester, our class engaged in topics concerning the unequal treatment of women. These discussions allowed me to further expand upon my interest in pursuing a career to help women and girls.
In my study of Economics, I learned in greater detail the economic barriers faced by female populations. Continuing to be a topic of great concern, women continue to earn less than men. Even girls and women serving economic initiatives receive less money than those which benefit men. Through my studies, I discovered the best way to uplift women and girls is through economic empowerment while also closing the philanthropic gap; a mission was undertaken by the Women’s Foundation of Boston, one I’m happy to become a part of.
Looking Ahead
I’m inspired by the foundation’s tremendous dedication to its goals: economically empowering women and closing the philanthropic gap. As an intern for BoardHub, one of the foundation’s “side-hustles,” I have worked with partner organizations to realize their Board needs. Through this work, I learn more about the tremendous efforts of the women and girls serving organizations in the Boston area, further proving the importance of the foundation’s goal. Overall, this internship further motivates me to pursue a career serving women and girls.
So far this summer, I have gained invaluable experience and connected with a network of powerhouse women. The lessons and tools I have developed thus far will serve me well in the future, and I’m forever grateful for this experience. I hope to one day come close to the impact that the Women’s Foundation of Boston has on the girls and women of Greater Boston.
Laurie H. Glimcher, MD, was named President and CEO of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in 2016. She is also Director of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center and the Richard and Susan Smith Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Previously, she was the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean and Professor of Medicine of Weill Cornell Medicine and Provost for Medical Affairs of Cornell University. Dr. Glimcher is a distinguished immunologist, widely renowned for her work in one of the most promising areas of cancer research.
Linda Henry is the CEO of the Boston Globe Media Partners. She is a co-founder of HUBweek, a civic collaboration between the Boston Globe, Harvard University, Massachusetts General Hospital, and MIT that explores the future being built at the intersection of art, science and technology. Linda is also an early-stage impact investor, an Emmy-Award winning television producer with two shows currently airing, and a community activist. She serves as a director of the Red Sox Foundation, is a trustee of the Liverpool Football Club Foundation, chair of the Boston Globe Foundation, and chairman of the John W. Henry Family Foundation. In addition, she is a founder of the Boston Public Market, serves on the advisory board of MassChallenge, and is on the board of the Engine at MIT. She earned a BS from Babson College and her MS from MIT.
Bekah Salwasser joined the Red Sox Foundation as the Executive Director in January of 2018. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from Brown University and has extensive experience in philanthropy and both professional and semi-professional sports. After four years working as Community Relations Director for the Boston Celtics, Bekah went on to lead Scholar Athletes as its Executive Director, a program that supports public high school athletes with both their athletic and academic achievements. Earlier in her career, Bekah served as a professional soccer player for the Boston Breakers and as Executive Director of the Charlestown Lacrosse and Learning Center.
Kimberly Fay Boucher is a business executive who has driven high performance organizations in technology, consumer products and social enterprise/nonprofit industries over the past 25 years. She is currently the Technology Commercialization Business Leader for the CTO at Analog Devices, where she is responsible for driving new technologies from incubation stages to successful businesses. Kim is also a Senior Lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management, where she teaches Disciplined Entrepreneurship in the Martin Trust Center. She holds a BS in Management Industrial Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She is a NCAA Academic All-American Women’s Basketball player and has been inducted into the WPI Hall of Fame.
Ami Kuan Danoff (Co-Founder and CFO) is a private investor and the trustee of a foundation. She is a Harvard Quantum Founder and a member of the Harvard FAS Dean’s Council. Ami earned a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University in Visual and Environmental Studies and holds a dual master’s degree in Applied Economics and International Finance from the Sloan School of Management at MIT. She was a portfolio manager in global equities at Putnam Investments and co-manager of the Putnam International New Opportunities Fund, and also worked as an international equities analyst at Fidelity Investments.
Christina Heenan Suh holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania in English and Marketing and a master’s from Columbia University. A former management consultant, her work focused on strategy and implementation projects for Fortune 100 clients. She was also an account executive at Hill+Knowlton (WPP) marketing consumer packaged goods. As an Executive Board Member of the Brookline Education Foundation, which funds professional development in the Brookline Public Schools, Christina led their Grant and Oversight Committees. She currently sits on the board of the Brookline Library Foundation and teaches ESL at Rosie’s Place in Boston.
Christina Gordon (Co-Founder and CEO) holds a dual master’s degree in International Finance and Applied Economics from MIT’s Sloan School of Management. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Boston University and also studied for a joint master’s degree in Women’s Studies and Sociology at Brandeis with a focus on women in the workplace. Christina is a former assistant fund manager and technology industry equity analyst at Wellington Management. She also worked as a stock analyst at Fidelity Investments. She is a trustee of a private foundation, a member of Women Moving Millions and currently sits on the board of Rosie’s Place, a sanctuary for poor and homeless women in Boston.