That’s the number of people who have gained access to clean and safe water thanks to our brand partners. We are incredibly grateful for this community of like-minded brands and their ability to raise awareness for the water crisis in powerful and creative ways.
To celebrate their work and inspire new collaborations, we hosted our third annual Brand Partnership X Summit at Canoe Studios in NYC! This year, we were joined by over 65 brands for a day of insightful conversations. We focused on innovation and what it means for our work at charity: water, in partnerships, and in the world around us. From groundbreaking sensor technology and the launch of The Pool to jewelry crafted from meteorites and sprinkle-filled rainbow cakes, we left feeling inspired to keep creating and pushing the boundaries.
Check out the highlights from this year’s event:
We are so grateful to everyone who joined us. The Summit would not have been possible without our speakers who generously gave their time to help us see how purposeful innovation can drive change. A very special thank you to:
Professor, author, and entrepreneur Scott Galloway, for showing us the importance of having a meaningful career and helping us understand our life strategies, not just business strategies.
Kristin De Simone and Sylvia Hartley, Partners at Thrive Market, for sharing the story of how Thrive Market decided to partner with charity: water and for reimagining what giving means for their brand and customers.
Simon Sinek, optimist and bestselling author, for teaching us what it means to feel fulfilled and reminding us that we need to build the future together.
Artist and designer Monique Péan, for sharing her story and inspiring us with her incredible craft and unwavering commitment to sustainability and support of local communities.
Paull Young, Partner at Facebook, for showing us what being a true partner really means and encouraging the importance of working in tandem to create change.
Amirah Kassem, baker and entrepreneur, for urging us to be our true selves and demonstrating how working hard and inspiring joy can go hand-in-hand!
Another special thank you to Canoe Studios for the beautiful space and delicious catering; Taylor Creative for the comfortable and stylish furnishings; Badger Mountain Vineyard and Sunday Beer Co for providing the wine and beer for cocktail hour; Thrive Market and Scott Galloway for helping us fill our swag bags; C2 Imaging for printing and installing the stunning branding elements; Dear Bayard for the beautiful greenery; The Spaniard for hosting our pre-event cocktail party; and all of the volunteers who worked tirelessly and joyfully to ensure the day went off without a hitch.
Meet our incredible Spring 2019 interns! As you’ll soon see, they’re a pretty fun group. We’ll miss having them around the office everyday, but thanks to their hard work and dedication, the impact they’ve had will continue to be felt long after their internships end.
MEET THE TEAM:
Erin Taylor
Water Programs Intern From: Westerville, Ohio School: The Fashion Institute of Technology Studying: Entrepreneurship
What do you like the most about your internship at charity: water and our culture? I like the freedom to move about the office and work wherever! I also really like that it’s encouraged to get to know people outside of your department.
What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned while interning at charity: water? I learned a lot about grant implementation and the importance of clean data.
Zach Fembleaux
Rev Ops Intern From: Kinnelon, New Jersey School: Northeastern University Studying: Global Health and Development with a concentration in Sub-Saharan Africa
What do you like the most about your internship at charity: water and our culture? The thing I like the most about the internship is the fact that we are truly treated as team members. The best part of charity: water culture is transparency. It is what sets us apart from most charities.
What do you like most about the internship program? I love the amount of opportunities to learn through brown bags, meetings, town halls, and 1:1 meetings with team members.
Nihar Bhagat
Water Programs Intern From: Mumbai, India School: Pace University Studying: Information Systems
What do you like most about the internship program? Freedom to learn anything you have the curiosity for.
Lily Kim
Graphic Design Intern From: China School: Pratt Institute Studying: Graphic Design
Ellie Tillotson
Key Relationships WPS Intern From: Seattle, Washington School: San Diego State University Studying: Health Communication
What do you like the most about your internship at charity: water and our culture? This is my third internship. charity: water is something special. I look forward to coming into the office not only because the work I’m doing matters, but because the people surrounding me lift me up everyday. No question is dumb; everyone is continually learning and growing—professionally and personally—together.
What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned while interning at charity: water? You should never settle. This workplace makes me realize that there is an environment where you can have it all. A place where I can ask my questions, share my ideas, and continually grow while building relationships that matter and working towards the shared, attainable goal of clean water for everyone. The charity: water environment is unlike any other. It’s hard to find the words for how empowered you feel entering this space every day.
Jonathan Lesser
Water Programs Intern From: East Hampton, New York School: Columbia University Studying: Environmental Science and Policy
What do you like the most about your internship at charity: water and our culture? I love the feeling of coming into the office. The whole place exudes a sense of steady purpose. Everyone here accepts charity: water’s mission as their own, so even when people are not trying to share their values and inspirations, they wind up inspiring me.
What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned while interning at charity: water? The BIGGEST thing is probably the scale of the water crisis, and the most amazing thing is probably its solvability, despite the scale. On an organizational level, it has been an eye opening experience to try to wrap my head around all the moving parts at charity: water, and I am grateful for the insight this internship has given me into how an innovative and successful charity can operate.
Marisol Santana
Accounting Intern
From: Altadena, California School: The King’s College Studying: Finance
What do you like the most about your internship at charity: water and our culture? I like that I’ve been able to apply everything I learned in the classroom to my tasks at charity: water. I also enjoyed getting out of my comfort zone and learning from kind professionals in finance and accounting. I appreciate how willing and open everyone is to have conversations, give me advice, and answer my questions.
Ann Marie Carlson
Brand Partnerships Intern From Greensboro, North Carolina School: The King’s College Studying: Finance
Madeline Marona
Key Relationships Intern From: Los Angeles, California School: The King’s College Studying: Politics, Philosophy, and Economics with minors in International Affairs and Theology
What do you like the most about your internship at charity: water and our culture? I loved the atmosphere at charity: water. Everyone is on the same page when it comes to positivity and hard work. But kindness and generosity are still weaved into everyone’s interactions so I never felt any pressure to be perfect.
What do you like most about the internship program? The flexibility, and the ability to learn from everyone in the office. I never felt limited to just Key Relationships and helped out a lot in other departments.
Rachel Bass
The Well Intern From: Raleigh, North Carolina School: The King’s College Studying: Politics, Philosophy, and Economics
What do you like the most about your internship at charity: water and our culture? I love charity: water’s focus on transparency and collaboration!
What do you like most about the internship program? I enjoy having a range of assigned projects. Whether I am sending out birthday gifts or updating spreadsheets, I love doing meaningful work for the organization that helps solve the water crisis!
Jennifer Chan
Donor Research Intern From: Westchester, New York School: New York University Studying: Finance, Computing, and Data Science with a minor in Psychology
What do you like the most about your internship at charity: water and our culture? The welcoming and positive atmosphere. Everyone is willing to take effort and time to get to know you as a person and offer help and support. I loved learning practical life lessons from so many different awesome people at charity: water.
What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned while interning at charity: water? It is essential to cultivate meaningful relationships, both personally and professionally. Awesome to learn how charity: water can bring people together from all over the world across so many different industries under the same mission.
Lydia Van Der Swaagh
Key Relationships Intern From: Manhattan, NY School: Columbia University Studying: Art History and Classics
Jimmy Cheung
Creative Intern From: Hong Kong, China School: School of Visual Arts Studying: Photo and Video
What do you like the most about your internship at charity: water and our culture? I like how everyone shares the same headspace and works toward the same goal. It’s something that’s not easily observed from my previous experiences.
What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned while interning at charity: water? So many things. Transparency, brand, content, storytelling, relationships with supporters/donors/corporations….
(P.S. Jimmy captured and created all of the videos in this post! Thanks, Jimmy!)
We’ve got an incredible lineup of interns this quarter, and we can’t wait to introduce you! Here are our leading ladies…
Victoria Bevill
Office Experience Intern Working under Joy Caroline: Office Coordinator
School: The King’s College Major: Religious and Theological Studies Graduating May 2019
What are you most proud of working on while at charity: water? Scott Harrison, the CEO of charity: water wrote a book that came out in October (https://www.charitywater.org/thirst). I was given the opportunity to assist the staff planning the book launch event. As well as aiding in prepping the food, decor, and flow of the night I was put in charge of creating the floral arrangements. For the first time in my years of internships I got to use a hobby of mine in the workplace! Overall the launch was a success and everyone LOVED the floral arrangements.
Izzy Paxton
Water Programs Intern Working under Hannah Matthews: Water Programs
School: University of California, Los Angeles Major: Global Studies Graduated June 2018
What are you most proud of working on while at charity: water? As a member of the water programs team, I am so proud that I get to be a part of the work that executes charity: water’s mission in the field. It’s incredibly fulfilling to be able to work with our grants and partners to further the vision of a world where everyone has clean water!
Ann Marie Carlson
Accounting Intern Working under Yohanny Vargas: Accounting
School: The King’s College Major: Business- Concentration in Finance Graduating May 2019
What is your favorite aspect of your charity: water internship? I have absolutely loved my internship at charity: water because of the people, culture, and how willing they are to teach you. Everyone here really wants to see you learn and grow. Pizza on Friday and bagels on Monday are also a plus!
Paris Welker-Widell
Productions and Events Intern Working under Christina Lutters: Productions Team
School: The King’s College Major: Business Management, minor in economics Graduating May 2020
What is your favorite aspect of your charity: water internship? After completing the Accounting Internship in the fall, I was eager to continue my time at charity: water working for a new team to see how the organization is run from a different department. As the Production and Events Intern, I help assist the production team with various projects concerning donor reporting, the Thirst book launch, and the charity: ball gala. After six months interning here, I greatly value charity: water’s unique office environment and great attention to detail - two key aspects of the organization that I know I will miss when my internship ends.
Carin Leong
Water Project Sponsor Donor Reporting and Revenue Operations Intern Working under Shirley: Key Relationships
School: New York University Major: Film and Business Graduating May 2020
What is the best thing you’ve done while interning for charity: water? As a WPS intern, I work with major donors before and after their donations come in. My job includes sending project updates to past donors, organizing large incoming donations into our system, and working on pitching projects to potential donors. At the intersection of working with our past, present and future supporters, updating both donation and beneficiary numbers, I get to see large-scale fundraising at work and watch that translate materially into the water projects and lives we impact all around the world.
Irene Kwon
Key Relationships - The Well Intern Working under Rachel Sapire: Key Relationships
School: University of Michigan Major: Public Policy Graduated April 2018
What is the best thing you’ve done while interning for charity: water? Hunting for the perfect birthday gifts for our awesome Well members :)
Viktoriia Chubikra
Key Relationships Intern Working under Brady Essmann: Key Relationships
School: Baruch College Major: Public Administration Graduating December 2018
What has surprised you the most about charity: water? Great office culture, the willingness of everyone to help. Coffee dates with staff and intern brown bags with senior staff.
Kitty Park
Brand Partnership Intern Working under Galila Gray: Brand Partnerships
School: New York University Major: Social and Political Philosophy Graduating May 2020
What has surprised you the most about charity: water? I am constantly surprised by how charity: water functions in a way that is so different from other nonprofits. It’s true when they say they operate more like a startup!
This summer, charity: water has 13 excited and dedicated interns working to support our staff in incredible ways. They help us run the office, work with our supporters, and so much more. Needless to say, they’re a crucial part of the charity: water team. Meet our phenomenal summer interns!
Jordan Goldberg
School: The University of Texas at Austin Team: People and Culture Hometown: Houston, Texas
Why did you want to intern at charity: water? I wanted to be immersed in an environment where I knew everyone was passionate about what they were doing and actually wanted to come to work every day. The first time I interviewed with charity: water, I could tell that it was filled with young, creative, and inspiring individuals and that I would be lucky to learn from them. charity: water’s mission keeps me aware of the water crisis and makes me hopeful that there is a solution to this problem. I know that the individuals at charity: water will be a huge part of the solution.
What is your favorite part of interning at charity: water? I love the strong culture at charity: water. Everyone genuinely wants to meet you and learn more about you. charity: water promotes respect, openness, and fun while also keeping you motivated to work hard. I see that everyday in the office.
Fun Fact: I love to travel. I just spent 2 weeks in India, visiting cities like Bangalore, Agra, Udaipur, and Jaipur. I hope to visit Switzerland or Iceland next!
Adrian Voysey
School: University of Miami Team: Key Relationships Hometown: Weehawken, NJ
Why did you want to intern at charity: water? When I started researching charity: water it became apparent that it operated with a significantly different business model than the typical non-profit. I couldn’t get it out of my mind and watched just about every single Youtube video on charity: water I could find. I was inspired not only by the work charity: water was doing but how they were doing it, and I knew I wanted to be a part of it.
What does a typical day in the office look like for you? I’m consistently updating donor data and organizing donor lists by whatever criteria our UK managing director wants to search for, but I can also be found doing anything from shipping gifts to researching the philanthropic culture in Germany.
Fun Fact: When I’m not at the office, I love shooting and editing videos.
Keelin Moran
School: The College of New Jersey Team: Brand Partnerships Hometown: Montvale, New Jersey
Why did you want to intern at charity: water? I first learned about charity: water after a life-changing mission trip to Nicaragua where I witnessed the water crisis firsthand. I was in awe of the organization’s 100% model and its different approach to charity, so I decided to get involved and donate my 21st birthday to clean water. Since then, it has been a dream of mine to work at charity: water, and I am thrilled to be interning with the Brand Partnerships team this summer!
What is your favorite part of interning at charity: water? The best part of interning at charity: water is being surrounded by people that truly embody the mission and values of the organization. There is a palpable energy that you feel when you walk into the office, and you know that the work you are doing everyday is changing the lives of people around the world.
Fun Fact: Outside of work, I love anything related to interior design! I am a certified paint color specialist and am always looking for my next DIY home project.
Jenny Poon
School: Yale School of Management Team: Finance Hometown: New York City
Why did you want to intern at charity: water? To put it simply, I wanted to intern at charity: water because of its mission. I was drawn to not only charity: water’s amazing work around world to bring clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations but also to its 100% model and its commitment to transparency. I thought that this was a great opportunity for me to learn more about the nonprofit sector.
What does a typical day in the office look like for you? I am working on two projects for the Finance team. This involves data crunching and research. I am also in meetings with different people to learn more about how charity: water functions and about resources I can use to solve questions I am given this summer.
Fun Fact: I won the Top Chef competition at my school with my team, and I made over 200 oolong tea-infused madeleine cookies.
Jed Starr
School: Tufts University Team: Key Relationships Hometown: New York, NY
Why did you want to intern at charity: water? I learned about charity: water through a program at my university, and I was taken by the idea of spending the summer working for the public good. I have also always been interested in our relationship with water as a species – it’s something we can’t live without, of course, but also a resource that we consistently abuse. Working to solve the water crisis satisfies this interest very well.
What is your favorite part of interning at charity: water? The donors! They’re the people who allow us bring clean water to so many communities around the globe, and their stories never cease to amaze me. The passion, creativity, and diversity of our supporters is incredible.
Fun Fact: I’m a certified SCUBA diver and an avid rock climber!
John Willis
School: Missouri State University Team: Water Programs Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri
Why did you want to intern at charity: water? I wanted to intern at charity: water because I’m sold on its mission and vision for both the nonprofit sector and the world at large. I’m amazed and inspired by the combination of creativity, hope, passion, and innovation that exists in charity: water’s everyday operations, and I wanted to be a part of a team that championed all of those values for an amazing cause.
What does a typical day in the office look like for you? I have a little bit of background in computer science, so I spend some of my time writing code that can help our team organize data in useful and efficient ways. I also spend time doing research on various aspects of our programs, projects, and partners in the field, and I help review photos from completed projects for charity: water’s website.
Fun Fact: I can do the splits, though I require adequate time for stretching if a demonstration is required.
Paris Welker-Widell
School: The King’s College, NYC Team: Finance Hometown: Vero Beach, Florida
Why did you want to intern at charity: water? Since watching Scott Harrison’s TED Talk in high school, I have had a passion for the water crisis and was excited to contribute to an organization that is dedicated to transparency and accurate reporting through the 100% model.
What is your favorite part of interning at charity: water? My favorite part about interning at charity: water is the people. I love the office environment and the fact that you can see how passionate every employee at charity: water is about taking steps to solve the water crisis. Even though the work I do on the finance team is tedious, the fact that it’s benefiting a charity I believe in is what makes this internship enjoyable.
Fun Fact: I’ve hiked almost 90 miles of the Appalachian Trail.
Lindsay Hoyle
School: Wake Forest University Team: Key Relationships Hometown: Durham, NC
Why did you want to intern at charity: water? Once I heard the story behind the founding of charity: water, I knew I wanted to be a part of the amazing work charity: water does everyday. I loved charity: water’s concept of reinventing charity. I have a passion for helping others and charity: water is an amazing place to learn from and work with others with the same passion.
What does a typical day in the office look like for you? No one day is the same at charity: water. I do various tasks such as donor outreach and prospecting, creating impact reports, sending gifts to donors, collecting and organizing data, writing thank you notes, and hopping in on phone calls with our amazing Water Project Sponsors.
Fun Fact: I have never had a cup of coffee!
Lauren Berman
School: Duke University Team: Key Relationships Hometown: Armonk, NY
Why did you want to intern at charity: water? I remember learning about charity: water in middle school and being amazed by the organization’s immense impact. After seeing the job posting and doing some research, that same sense of wonder came back. Watching videos and exploring the website showed me just how important and good charity: water is. I wanted to do my part in moving the mission forward.
What is your favorite part of interning at charity: water? I love learning about charity: water and sharing that information with people. Whenever anyone asks me about charity: water, I tell them all about the water crisis, water projects, transparency, and the 100% model. Most people are very impressed by charity: water, and I’m proud to be a part of such a great organization.
Fun Fact: I went to sleepaway camp for nine years.
Why did you want to intern at charity: water? I heard about charity: water a couple of years ago through friends who interned here. I was so impressed by the 100% model and the way they portray the people they’ve helped in such a beautiful, hopeful way. I’ve been interested in nonprofits that aid in economic development, fundraising, and donor relations. The Key Relationships internship was a perfect fit for the fundraising & donor relationship experience I was looking to gain!
What does a typical day in the office look like for you? I always head to grab a cup of coffee first to get the caffeine flowing. I check in with my manager and with my basecamp to-do lists for tasks for the day. My projects range from donor research, making updates in our donor database, helping organize and curate event invite lists, writing birthday cards to our donors, and really whatever my boss needs help with! I’ve gotten to help assist with some really awesome events outside the office as well with the rest of the KR team.
Fun Fact: Outside of work and school, I love going to concerts at any of the amazing venues in NYC– I’ve been to over 50 in the past couple years. (starting to lose count!)
Jake Weronski
School: The King’s College, NYC Team: Supporter Experience Hometown: Buffalo, NY
Why did you want to intern at charity: water? I’ve been a huge supporter of clean water charities since I was twelve. I have a friend who interned at charity: water a few years ago and she loved the experience, so I knew I had to intern here. I immediately fell in love with the amazing work each team devotes themselves to each day.
What is your favorite part of interning at charity: water? The people that work in this office are some of the most passionate, warm-hearted individuals I’ve ever met. They truly care about connecting with all the interns, about doing their job well, and they know how to have fun in between! I have so much respect for every person that works here, and I feel like I’ve already learned so much by being here. I also love hearing people’s stories, so talking on the phone with our supporters about their passion for charity: water is something I’ll never get tired of.
Fun Fact: I really really love dogs! (Okay, who doesn’t?) My family and I are puppy raisers for Guiding Eyes for the Blind. This means that we take a puppy in at around eight weeks old, train them for a little over a year, and then they are able to become fully-trained guide dogs. It’s a process that takes a lot of patience and care, but is so rewarding in the end! We also have dogs of our own, so in total, I’ve lived with 11 dogs in my lifetime!
Rachel Garofoli
School: Santa Clara University Team: Water Projects Hometown: Darien, CT
Why did you want to intern at charity: water? I wanted to intern at charity: water because I believe that every person on earth deserves the basic opportunities to progress in their lives, and access to clean water is the master key that opens doors to many. It brings a base of good health and time which allows for opportunities such as education, work, and family. In my mind, what charity: water does is extremely important to humanity and that’s why I wanted to be involved.
What is your favorite part of interning at charity: water? I have really loved my time at charity: water so far. However, my favorite part about interning at charity: water is that I feel like it is an environment that brings everyone that touches it joy. My coworkers are enthusiastic to work on projects, visitors seem happy, donors are ecstatic, and the people who receive our water projects are super elated. A lot of good vibes around here!
Fun Fact: I am a DJ on my university’s radio station. My name over the air is DJ Dori$ and I love to play all types of music (except for country and screamo).
Kitty Park
School: New York University Team: Key Relationships Hometown: Wayne, NJ
Why did you want to intern at charity: water? Like most people, I was initially drawn to charity: water because of the mission. I was also intrigued by the 100% model and wanted to learn more about how the organization operates in such a unique way.
What is your favorite part of interning at charity: water? It’s hard to say, but I think my favorite part about interning here is that the organization puts a lot of time and effort towards cultivating a great work culture and it shows. Everyone I’ve met so far is genuinely hardworking, passionate, and happy to be doing what they do.
Fun Fact: I have a very impressive high score on 2048.
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Want to be a part of the next class of interns at charity: water? You’re in luck, fall internships just went live! Apply here today.
We are so grateful to have an incredible brand partnership community at charity: water. Brands so committed to seeing an end to the water crisis that they’ve dedicated their time, talent, and creativity to finding unique and powerful ways to raise awareness through their businesses. To date, they’ve helped us raise $42 million to serve over 1.1 million people around the globe with clean and safe drinking water. It’s an testament to the power of connecting business and purpose.
In 2017, we had the crazy idea to gather our brand partners and friends of the organization at our headquarters in NYC for a day of inspiring presentations and thought-provoking panels. We were so moved by the stories they shared and the innovative ideas in the room that we decided to make it an annual event. This year, 56 brands attended our Brand Partnership X Summit at The Mezzanine in NYC to get an update on charity: water, hear from inspirational business leaders, learn about the power of collaboration, and make new friends.
We were most surprised by the candor and vulnerability in the room. We were encouraged to reflect not just on our business’s purpose but on our personal purpose as well.
This summit would not have been possible without our amazing speakers who generously took time out of their busy schedules to inspire us and teach us how to effectively weave purpose and generosity into our work. A special thanks to:
Brant Cryder, President of Saint Laurent, for sharing his personal connection to the organization, experience in the field, and how that fueled a partnership with charity: water.
Andrea Sullivan (VaynerMedia), Erin Grau (Away), and Karie Brown (Comic Relief US) for giving us fresh ideas on collaborating in the workplace.
Miguel McKelvey, Co-Founder and COO of WeWork, for teaching us how to build a company rooted in culture and community and for reminding us of the immense power of love.
Kyle Guerin from The Smile Generation. To date, this group of dentists has raised more than $4.5 million, and their current fundraising campaign, Together We Give, has raised a whopping $532,000 for clean water projects.
Beth Comstock, change maker and author, for inspiring the group to summon creativity and courage in the midst of change.
Stephen Bruner, Partner at Corkcicle, for sharing what prompted him to get his company involved. (Corkcicle donates 5% from all website sales to charity: water.)
