When my involvement with FLIA first began in Summer 2015, the organization was just a baby with four brand new partner organizations and a 501(c)(3) application in limbo. It was the startup of a startup. Kirsten did outreach, Kirsten did applicant screening & hiring, Kirsten did training and retreat planning, and Kirsten did all fellow communication, management and evaluations. She was a genuine one-woman show: recruitment, management, HR, marketing - all in one (with the occasional guidance of experienced loved ones and a small but growing Board of Directors).

Fast forward to just one year later, Summer 2016 - The organization is growing, along with its reach into new areas of youth-focused work and its need for additional support.

Enter (stage Portland): a Fellowship and Online Content Coordinator!

As the Fellowship and Online Content Coordinator, I am able to support Kirsten in engaging current fellows throughout their fellowship term as well as sustaining alumni and stakeholder relationships. I maintain the organization’s online presence through various social media platforms along with website design and blog curation.

I am drawn to working with FLIA beyond the fact that I had a great fellowship experience during the pilot year or that startups are trending right now. Simply put, I am committed to the mission of cultivating leaders through supporting youth and strengthening nonprofits in capacity building roles. I strongly believe that our mission can be leveraged as a resource for often underrepresented groups of emerging leaders,

for young people who rarely identify with or see themselves reflected in leadership positions, or for those who might not otherwise consider themselves "Leadership Material."

It can also be a springboard for any young person who wishes to enter the social sector and gain valuable nonprofit experience.

I feel honored to have been in the pilot cohort of fellows and to now have the privilege of supporting subsequent cohorts as a staff member. I cannot think of a better seat to witness further organizational growth than from here as the second ever employee!

Follow us on Instagram (@futureleadersinaction) for daily, behind-the-scenes peeks of the work our fellows are doing.