This summer, I got to work at The Wardrobe, a local Philadelphia non-profit organization that aims to provide affordable professional clothing to women. The first time I got connected with them was through an event that Wharton Women had organized, and ever since, I was in awe of this organization. Their mission lies at the intersection of three things I am passionate about – fashion, women empowerment, and creating a level playing field. I applied for this grant, hoping to get a chance to make a small difference in the lives of women seeking a pathway to economic independence.
The Wharton Philadelphia Summer Internship Award gave me the opportunity to pursue an unpaid internship with The Wardrobe, and I am grateful for my experiences. I worked as a finance and marketing intern for them, and helped them in their growth and outreach department. Having interned at corporations before, I learned the differences between working at a non-profit and a company. I also learned different ways in which non-profit organizations can raise funding, get sponsorships, and create a dense network of professional women around the state. Along with my team, we also thought more about their existing customers and the ways in which they could expand to become a national organization. This involved conducting market research as well as a marketing campaign to help them achieve this goal.
I got to work with a set of wonderfully diverse people, who were very different from me. This helped push me to think in ways I had never thought before. I loved combining the creative aspects of my internship with the more theoretical aspects that I had learned in school at Wharton. I also really liked living in Philly over the summer, and working in an extremely positive and collaborative environment. Even though my internship ended in August, I am still in touch with the organization, and would love to pursue an experience similar to this if I ever get the opportunity. I believe that this summer gave me a new perspective on life in Philadelphia and the experience of working at a non-profit organization. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in this sector.