SEEP 2010 Annual Conference: Diving head first into the world of international development

Shital Shah will be guest blogging during the SEEP 2010 Annual Conference. Learn about Shital’s background and expertise and stay tuned for upcoming conference coverage.

I dove head first into the world of international development following my undergraduate studies by returning to India, the place of my birth, as an Indicorps fellow. In the past few years I have been involved with the Washington Leadership Program, InSPIRE (a summer program for South Asian youth), and internships with Acumen Fund, the UN, Oxfam International, the World Bank, and New Visions for Public Schools. I currently work on microsavings, technology, and mobile banking initiatives in South Asia with ShoreBank International in Washington, DC. I hold an MPA from NYU Wagner and a BA in International Studies and Political Science from Northwestern University.

If you could go back to any place you have visited around the world, where would you go and why?

Cappadocia, Turkey.  It has the most unique landscape and interesting history!

Why is blogging/social media important for international development?

If we don't communicate about what we are working on, then the international development field will learn lessons more slowly, remain unaware of new developments, and will lack the information it needs to continue to innovate. When dealing with social impact and human lives, we can't afford to let that happen. Blogging and social media is a great tool to connect, share, and communicate.

What is an exciting project going on in microenterprise development that not many people know about?

Ayllu is an organization that collects data from BOP social enterprises worldwide, analyzes it, and distributes it via a public directory/map and advisory services for social enterprises and their funders.  Again, we often lack the data or information about what is happening in this space; Ayllu is the place to go when microenterprises want to enter new markets, franchise, scale, or just make better decisions in general.