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Basics

Describe yourself briefly.

I'm co-founder and Managing Partner at ReWork, a social enterprise that helps talented professionals find work opportunities at companies that have a positive social or environmental impact.

Before ReWork, I consulted for a series of social enterprises in Pittsburgh that aim to address local environmental issues (urban ecology, stormwater management, energy efficiency), specializing in business strategy and proposal writing. Before that, I worked on community development projects in Honduras (rural water systems mapping) and Tanzania (ecological wastewater treatment).

I have a Master's in Strategic Leadership toward Sustainability from the Blekinge Tekniska Högskola in Sweden, and a BA in Global Human Impact Studies from the University of Vermont. I'm a proud member of the StartingBloc community (BOS'10!).

Describe your Unreasonable Venture in 100 words or less.

ReWork connects talented professionals with paid work opportunities (both full-time short-term) at companies that have positive social or environmental impact. These include for-impact startups, nonprofits and social enterprises, triple-bottom-line brands, and CSR departments at larger companies.

ReWork finds exceptional professionals, from an array of backgrounds and domains, who are dedicated to building meaningful, high-impact careers. These professionals are invited to apply to the ReWork talent pool, a competitive process that involves resume and reference checks, writing samples, video interview, and a 10-hr trial project that involves working alongside a ReWork project manager.

Once accepted to the talent pool, professionals are matched to job opportunities from companies in the ReWork client pool. Opportunities are paid, and range from full-time positions to consulting projects. Common projects include fundraising, business development, strategy development, and research.

Acceptance to the ReWork talent pool entails a lifelong membership and access to the ReWork community.

Follow us: @ReWorkJobs

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Team

Describe your relevant experience (especially entrepreneurial).

I’ve been studying and working in the field of sustainability and social enterprise for the last seven years. In 2009, I co-founded EcoCents, which publishes Pittsburgh’s local guide to green living. EcoCents provides coupons to local and organic restaurants, alternative health clinics, bike shops, and other small businesses that are supporting regional sustainability. To date, EcoCents has delivered over $3,500,000 in savings to mindful Pittsburgh consumers.

Why is your team uniquely qualified to run this venture?

Our entire team has experienced the difficulty in figuring out how to build a career that is meaningful and successful. Though we've taken different paths, all of us felt the deep frustration that comes with not knowing how to find work that makes the world a better place AND pays the bills.

Abe Taleb, Co-Founder & Managing Partner of Operations, is an industrial engineer trained at the Rochester Institute of Technology. He has a background in sustainable product design and experience leading teams in the private, government, and nonprofit sectors.

Evan Walden, Co-Founder & Managing Partner of Business Development, studied business at the University of Vermont, and spent two years in corporate sales at Dow Chemical, managing a territory in southern California.

Shane Rasnak, Talent & Systems Manager, studied Applied Economics and Management at Cornell, and began his career working for One Degree Solar, a solar products producer dedicated to eliminating energy poverty in Africa.

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Venture

What is the urgent social or environmental need you're addressing?

For every social entrepreneur, there are thousands of talented professionals who are eager to use their skills to make the world a better place. Unfortunately, the difficulty in building meaningful, high-impact careers means that almost all of them will eventually settle for work that doesn't inspire them, in order to pay the bills.

No one should have to choose between making money and making a difference in the world. We envision a world where everyone has work that makes them feel alive, every day.

What is your solution to this need? Describe your business strategy.

ReWork connects talented people with roles and projects at awesome, high-impact companies, thus giving them the necessary experiences to build a meaningful career.

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Milestones

Convince us it will work. What milestones have you achieved?

In the last eight months we have:
- Bootstrapped from 2 FT to 4 FT staff
- Established a regional presence in the Rocky Mountain area
- Launched our national talent pool and welcomed 180+ professionals into our screening and on-boarding process.
- Begun the build-out of our national client pool, which is underway now...

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