Giselle Gonzales MSc

The course

Why did you choose to study at the University of Edinburgh Business School (UEBS)?

I was attracted to the unique international community that Edinburgh offers. The city itself is a massive draw with its rich history and culture, but what really convinced me was meeting the University of Edinburgh Business School's staff. I was impressed by their drive to equip students to learn, innovate, and help shape the world. My decision was made even easier when I realised I could study at one of the best universities in the world, while living in one of the most beautiful cities.

What was it about the degree programme that particularly attracted you?

I liked that the MSc in Entrepreneurship and Innovation had many of the same pillars you get from a classic MBA, but with a focus on topics that equip you to be an entrepreneur within a large organisation or to jumpstart your journey at the start-up level.

I was drawn to the variety of organisations I could work with for the consultancy projects, plus the ability to tailor my classes and research around innovation driving social and environmental impact, ie where profit and purpose meet.

Your career

Can you tell us about your career before and after graduating?

Prior to getting my Masters, I worked for leaders in the travel industry - Adventures by Disney, TCS World Travel, National Geographic - and spent a portion of each year consulting for start-ups and social enterprises.

After experiencing how business can be wielded as a powerful force for good, I returned to school to lean into the business side of my skillset.

After graduating, I 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.

I then moved to the retail side to lead strategic engagements for Amazon’s flagship sustainable shopping programme, Climate Pledge Friendly. I launched 16 new certifications to help customers find more sustainable products on Amazon, which doubled the size of our programme, and trained international teams for global expansion beyond the US and Europe.

Based on more than eight years of work with refugee communities and my research from the University of Edinburgh Business School, I 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, I launched my own start-up.

Today, I am the Founder and CEO of EqualReach, an impact sourcing hub to connect the private sector with vetted teams of tech talent from displaced communities. EqualReach is built to be a fair trade version of a freelancing marketplace, but for team and project-based work ranging from AI training to full-stack web development, marketing, and more. It’s been a joy to build and scale, which I’ve felt equipped to do thanks in large part to my MSc degree.

I’ve been able to build bridges between pressing humanitarian and business needs.

How did your degree prepare you for your career?

Too many ways to count! Not only did it equip me with tactical skills like finance, accounting and business strategy, it also enabled me to dive into topics like design thinking, social enterprises and innovation research.

The dissertation was most impactful for me, because it opened up a whole new field of work that has led to opportunities to apply my research on a monthly (and sometimes daily) basis since graduating.

Masters of Change

What notable changes has your degree enabled you to make in your professional or personal life?

My experience living, studying, and working in Scotland during my Masters programme made me fall in love with the UK and it’s a big reason my husband and I moved back earlier this year. We now live in London and it’s a joy to be on this side of the world again, so close to the friends and professional networks I built during the programme.

What are the changes you have been able to make in your chosen field, of which you are most proud?

I am most proud of my work to weave social innovation into a Fortune 5 company, by advising and building my own programme to connect refugees and host communities with digital work opportunities at Amazon. My dissertation (which explored the emergence of digital work among refugees) and the network that came from that research process directly informed the way I piloted and then scaled this work.

It also informed what I’m now creating with my own start-up, EqualReach, to build 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.

The highlight of my career so far has been to build bridges like these between pressing humanitarian and business needs because I am convinced that, if wielded well, each can impact the other for good.

How did your studies at the Business School help you to make those changes?

The professors and advisors I had at the University of Edinburgh Business School played a huge role in my experience. They inspired me to bring my curiosity and passion to the business world, and step into new leadership opportunities along the way.

I still think of the quips of wisdom my advisor Winston Kwon, would say during our dissertation meetings, and I’m grateful for the support of the Student Development team in helping me make the most of the programme and the resources the University offers.

What key things that you learnt at the Business School do you still rely on today?

Beyond the practical learnings from my classes and dissertation, the Business School gave me fresh eyes to see just how interconnected our world is and how business is a bridge that can uniquely cross nearly every country and culture.

I am a better leader, innovator, and builder because of my time at the University of Edinburgh Business School and I’ll forever be grateful for how that experience shaped me!

Course highlights and advice

What are your best memories on the programme?

One of the most memorable moments of the programme was meeting HRH Princess Anne and gifting her a product my team and I had developed during the Dragons Glen start-up competition. We had five months to build a business and 5x our seed investment to raise money for the Scottish charity, Children’s 1st.

Outside of the Business School, one of my favourite memories was from Edinburgh’s Hogmanay (New Year’s Eve), including the torch lighting experience down the Royal Mile, ceilidhs, and the NYE event beneath the castle. They were such unique and truly Scottish experiences — and a ton of fun to share with friends from my programme’s cohort.

What one piece of advice would you give to current students and recent graduates?

When you see something in the world that isn’t how you think it ought to be, lean in with curiosity. Ask questions like, “Why is it like that? Why has no one changed it? Is it because there’s a real blocker or because no one thought it could be different? What stakeholders are involved? Whose partnership and wisdom do you need to drive change? What can you develop to fill the gap you see?” Get curious, stay curious, and go build.