Kellogg Board Fellows Program: Driver Of Social Change

Kellogg’s Board Fellows program offered Sanat Daga the chance to participate in real-time decision-making. He believes that its value lies in the way it’s structured — the academic and practical components that allow students to learn the ins and outs of working on a board, as well as be part of a supportive community.

“This program was a great way to apply what I learned at Kellogg, continue to grow as a social impact leader, and bring it back to either city government or nonprofits in my next role,” Daga says. “It helped me prepare to sit on a board and learn how to create nonprofit plans using skills like finance, operations, and strategy.”

Henry says that although not everyone in the program wants to work for a nonprofit, school, or government, students can still engage in their community in meaningful ways through business. “My hope is that the Board Fellows program can build students’ confidence and skill set, and help them see that even when they don’t have the answers, they can ask the right questions to get to those answers,” she says.

HOUSING JUSTICE IN CHICAGO

A mandatory part of the Board Fellows program is a social impact project; Each fellow is assigned a board mentor and works in close collaboration with the executive director or CEO of a nonprofit organization throughout the duration of their board service.

Daga worked at an organization called La Casa Norte, which is a housing nonprofit in Chicago. He worked on a tiny home primer, looking at sustainable housing solutions and advocacy, developing marketing campaigns, and refreshing the organization’s strategy. “My job was to take stock of what was working, what could be improved upon, and how we could aspire to not only serve the directives, but elevate the stories of the communities we’re serving to create sustainable policy change that can lead to more housing justice in Chicago,” says Daga.

Daga credits some of his success in the Board Fellows program to the mentorship that was provided. Each month, he spoke with his mentor who worked in the local government. “Getting his perspective on not only the project, but also careers in general, was valuable.”

Aside from his time spent in Board Fellows, Daga also spent two quarters gaining practical experience with Chicago Public Schools and in the Chicago mayor’s office. Long-term, his goal is to work in city government. “My theory of change is that most of the biggest impact is scaled by the government. A lot of innovation happens here, and that’s the most democratic form of impact,” he says.

HOW AN MBA CAN ELEVATE BUSINESS LEADERS

Daga strongly believes that going to business school is a great start to pursuing a career in social impact. “I chose an MBA for my master’s because it’s so versatile. This degree gives a lot of opportunities to create impact across different sectors,” he says.

Drawn to Kellogg for the Board Fellows program, he also wanted to be part of a social impact-focused culture. Daga chose to specialize in Kellogg’s Social Impact Pathway, a cross-functional series of more than 34 courses — seven of which center on real-world experiential projects — that help students define social value and learn how to influence social change in many different sectors. These courses cover a range of social impact-related topics, such as sustainability, impact finance, nonprofit organizations, global health, public health, global development, and corporate responsibility. “The Social Impact Pathway was a phenomenal experience for me; I love how the faculty was constantly challenging my beliefs on impact,” he says.

Now, Daga is a Youn Impact Scholar along with 80 other alumni who are recognized for their passion and drive to create social change. Following graduation from Kellogg in June 2021, Daga has continued on with La Casa Norte in a full-time role as a Chief Strategy Officer. “Everyone has the ability to make an impact. When you recognize your own impact — whether positive or negative — you’re able to make change,” he says.

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