Just two months into their four-year degree, all Business School undergraduate students have the opportunity to attend the annual Jubilee Lecture, an integral part of their Global Challenges for Business course. Each year an alumni speaker is selected who can share their story of how they are tackling one of today’s big challenges.
This year was no exception with Tara Morrison (Senior Teaching Fellow in Business Education) interviewing Giselle Gonzales, who graduated in 2019 with her MSc in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, who shared how her work is supporting refugee communities.
Giselle is Founder and CEO of EqualReach, an impact sourcing hub where vetted, trained, and dedicated teams of tech talent from displaced communities can access digital work opportunities from across the private sector.
Driven to create change
Giselle began her career post-undergrad in the travel industry - including with TCS World Travel, National Geographic and Disney – and spent part of each year as a freelancer for non-profits and social enterprises during her off-seasons.
It was whilst working as a writer for a non-profit in 2015-16, that she travelled to Lesvos and joined refugees on their journey as they headed north through Europe, from Greece to Germany. Through listening to their stories, she built a greater understanding of their plight and came to realise that none of them wanted to be on that journey and would have chosen to stay at home with their families if that had been an option.
Wanting to support similar displaced groups and use technology and business as a conduit for change, she was drawn to studying for the MSc in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Business School, due to the social impact element it offered and because she had always been entrepreneurial.
“Even as a teenager, I was entrepreneurial-minded, starting with an online book-reselling business that I ran from the spare room in my family’s house” she told the students.
I’ve always loved the act of creating. Business is a unique way to see a gap and an opportunity to think creatively and think differently from others. I believe that the spark of creativity is in all of us - whether you want to be an entrepreneur or an intrapreneur within an organisation.Giselle Gonzales
Following her MSc studies, Giselle worked for AWS Startups to drive process and technical improvements for a programme that funded over $1 billion in annual credits to start-ups around the world.
She then moved to the retail side to lead strategic engagements for Amazon’s flagship sustainable shopping programme, Climate Pledge Friendly.
Supporting refugee communities
Based on more than eight years of work with refugee communities and her research during her MSc, she developed the company’s first impact sourcing solution to connect digital work opportunities to refugees.
After seeing the proven social and business impact of this model, and the opportunity to scale it across other enterprises, small and mid-size businesses, and start-ups, she launched her own start-up.
“I’ve built EqualReach to be a fair-trade version of a freelancing marketplace, but for team and project-based work ranging from marketing to AI or web development.
“EqualReach works directly with trusted international NGOs and local partners around the world, enabling us to funnel opportunities from the private sector to refugee communities.
“There are currently over 120 million people displaced around the world. Our focus for now is working with teams in east Africa, the Middle East and Europe, but we plan to expand to more regions where displaced communities need support, connecting them with businesses in the UK, EU and the US.
“When you are building something you care about, you find the right partners and customers because that passion really does come through. While certainly never easy, EqualReach is a joy to build and scale.”
Advice for students
Giselle encouraged the students not to underestimate the power they have to change things.
“Think about the things you see in the world that aren’t the way they ought to be, whether it’s an environmental or social injustice. Channel your anger to do something about it. Don’t be silenced about what you see that’s wrong in the world. You don’t need to just work for a not-for-profit to make a difference. You can make a difference right where you are.”
In particular, she also stressed the importance of working with others.
It’s not a sign of strength to go at it alone so leverage your community as much as you can and ask for advice.Giselle Gonzales
“By forming partnerships through EqualReach, we have been able to combine the strength of experienced experts across a range of skill domains with our access and experience in the private sector. Our local partners are at the heart of what we do, as they have the hyper-local knowledge and networks – that I alone would not – to drive the greatest impact.
“If working in an organisation, find ways of being an ally to others. Don’t just say what’s wrong but propose a change and offer to lead a pilot. Even one degree of change can make a difference and create a ripple effect.”
For those keen to create their own company, she reminded them to do their research first.
“Look at what already exists and decide if the market needs another version of something or look to work alongside those already working in that area. Use your energy well and make sure you do your research before diving into something that doesn’t need to be replicated.
“It took me about seven years before I started EqualReach. There was so much I needed to know before I stepped in to create something and I knew from the start that it was important that I wasn’t a competitor to the organisations I admired most. Instead, I wanted to support and work with them to amplify their missions.”
Following the lecture, some of the students took advantage of the opportunity to join Giselle over lunch to learn more from her and ask questions in a more relaxed setting.
Giselle then generously dedicated her afternoon to meeting with current MSc in Entrepreneurship and Innovation students, together with the Programme Director Hajar Mozaffar. Having competed in the Dragon’s Glen competition whilst a student, she also met with this year’s group to share her learnings and tips.
Learn more about Giselle’s journey since graduating with her MSc.
The Jubilee Lecture
The annual Jubilee Lecture celebrates the connections between the University of Edinburgh and the world of business. The first student to study business entered the University of Edinburgh in 1919 and the Jubilee Lecture was created in the late 1960s to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary. It takes place in the Global Challenges for Business course, attended by first year business undergraduates at a time where they have just transitioned from high school to university.