- Name: Kendra Thorogood
- Age: 26
- Current location: Istanbul, Turkey
- Home town: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Education: Bachelor of International Business, Concentration in International Investment, Banking, and Finance
- Current position: Portfolio Manager, Eastern Europe and Central Asia - Kiva
- Organization description: Kiva Microfunds is a 501 non-profit organization that allows people to lend money via the Internet to low-income entrepreneurs and students in over 80 countries. Kiva's mission is “to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty."
- Bio: Kendra is passionate about providing equal access to opportunity for all. As the Portfolio Manager for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at Kiva, Kendra manages relationships with field partners located in 11 countries and assists them in leveraging crowdfunding to better serve those most in need. Her passion for Central Asia stems from her experience in Tajikistan, where she secured debt financing for The First MicroFinance Bank through the Aga Khan Foundation Canada’s International Microfinance Fellowship. She has also worked at the Grameen Bank and Grameen Trust in Bangladesh, contributed to a successful grant proposal for the Ottawa Community Loan Fund’s Microloans for New Canadian's program, and researched impact investing in real assets at the Carleton Centre for Community Innovation. Kendra holds a bachelor’s degree in International Business and Finance from Carleton University in Canada.
- Countries I've worked in: Bangladesh, Tajikistan, Turkey
- Sector / subsectors: International business, microfinance, international development
- Areas of expertise: Financial inclusion and microcredit
- Country: Turkey
- Region: Europe, Asia, Central Asia
- Sector: Business, Finance & Banking
- Degree subject: Business & commerce
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Tell us about Kiva, and what you do there.
Kendra takes us inside Kiva, a crowdfunding platform which enables people from around the world to make life-changing loans to small entrepreneurs in developing countries.
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Can you expand on what types of partner organizations you manage?
Kendra describes working with local partner organizations such as universities, microfinance institutions, solar companies and others to reach more people with access to loans and financial products.
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How did you get to where you are, what has been your career trajectory?
From business school in Canada to studying abroad in Chile, and internships in Bangladesh and Tajikistan, Kendra has talks about how she matched her skills in finance with a passion for social causes.
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Can you tell us more about the Students for Development Program?
Kendra got her foot in the door in microfinance through a government of Canada funded-program, getting her first internship experience abroad in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
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What have you enjoyed most about working abroad both personally and professionally?
Being an outsider in other cultures has helped Kendra develop humility and empathy for new immigrants to Canada. She also gets an intimate look at how small businesses run around the world - and is often invited to sample the goods!
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What are the challenges of working abroad?
From losing the subtlety of language helpful in managing sensitive relationships, to attempts by colleagues to marry her off, Kendra shares some of the challenges of international work - and how to overcome them.
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What abilities and qualities do you think it takes to succeed in international work?
Kendra's job safeguarding Kiva's investments depends on being able to read between the lines and pick up on subtle cues.
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How much of your sector expertise can you attribute to your international finance degree?
Kendra learned most of what she uses in her work at Kiva while on the job and through internships abroad, but her finance degree gives her a competitive edge.
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What kind of job opportunities are there for new or recent graduates in your field?
Take advantage of internship and fellowship opportunities to gain the practical experience needed to break into the industry.
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Do you need a business degree or other specific educational qualifications to get hired?
Kendra's colleagues range from former social workers to investment bankers. The degree isn't what counts, it's the technical expertise that sets you apart.
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Are there any other advantages that business graduates have in international development?
Unlike most other programs, business students are trained to network. This can be a major advantage to getting your foot in the door.
Tags: business networking -
What sort of tangible steps could someone take to break into this field?
Kendra shares her practical tips to navigate your networks and communicate to potential employers with passion and precision.
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How can business students position themselves to break into international development?
Kendra had to do a bit of work to frame her business skills to appeal to the international development sector.
