Have You Voted Yet for Our Alumna Becky Straw? She and Her Nonprofit Are Up for DVF Award

Have you voted yet for alumna Becky Straw (MSW’07)? She and the co-founder of her nonprofit, The Adventure Project, have been nominated for a DVF Award in the category of The People’s Voice.

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD BY VOTING NOW AT DVF AWARDS (#2).

The Adventure Project supports “ventures” that “add” something positive to the world by creating jobs that directly benefit communities in developing countries. After years working in international aid, consulting for UNICEF and helping to launch charity: water, and with an Master’s in Social Work from our School in International Social Welfare, Straw became determined to empower people with the tools and education to become entrepreneurs and serve their own communities with improved health, decreased hunger, a safer environment and clean water. She and another social entrepreneur, Jody Landers, joined forces to launch The Adventure Project. Both of them believe that people want the opportunity to thrive—not with a handout, but through dignified work.

In four years, with only three full-time employees and a dozen interns, the organization has employed 745 entrepreneurs in India, Haiti, Kenya, and Uganda, which include well mechanics, healthcare workers, farmers and stove masons. Together they serve over one million people each day.

The DVF Awards were created in 2010 by Diane von Furstenberg and the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation to honor and support extraordinary women who have had the courage to fight, the power to survive and the leadership to inspire—who have transformed the lives of others through their commitment, resources and visibility. The People’s Voice Award is chosen by popular vote from four nominees based in the United States. Voting is open to the public and the award is granted to the woman who receives the most votes.

The winner will receive $50,000 from the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation to further her work at the organization with which she is affiliated, and will be recognized at an awards ceremony on Thursday, April 23, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, to help mark the occasion of the Sixth Annual Women in the World Summit.

Becky and Jody declare on their site: “Please vote for The Adventure Project so we can empower more women around the world with good jobs.”

So, have you voted yet? If not, time to go to DVF AWARDS (#2).