Blake Giffin

Blake Giffin, Fellowship Program Associate
Blake@echoinggreen.org

After graduating from UCLA with a B.A. in English and minor in Business, Blake started her career as an analyst with J.P. Morgan Securities in San Francisco. After two years of a very rough work schedule Blake decided to pack it in and run for the border. Literally.  She moved to Seville, Spain where she earned her TESL certification and spent the next year teaching ESL to both children and adults.  After a year of tapas, sangria and siestas, Blake returned to the states and began her acclimation back into the “real world.”   Having enjoyed the teaching but missing the strategy and analytics side of things, Blake ventured into a perfect opportunity to work with BTS.  She moved to New York City and became a consultant with BTS; providing strategy and financial consulting, as well as developing and leading executive training courses.  However after four years in consulting, Blake found herself looking for a more fulfilling way to use her skills and fortunately found her way to Echoing Green!  She recently earned her certification in Fundraising and Philanthropy with NYU’s Heyman’s Center, is a volunteer with Pro Mujer and is a member of Step-Up Women’s Network.

What drew you to work at Echoing Green?

While I found my previous work as a consultant interesting in that I love to solve problems,  I began to feel uninspired by the problems I was being asked to solve. I had recently been on a trip to Lagos, Nigeria to help a major beverage client with a sales strategy.  When I arrived and saw Lagos – the incredible poverty around me – I couldn’t believe  that my purpose in coming to this country was to help a multinational company sell more stuff!  I realized I wanted to be making a difference in the world, not by helping corporations become more profitable but by helping people in the world who have no voice, and who have few choices for a better life.  I was so excited when I came upon Echoing Green because this was a place that was enabling peopl  to do just that and I wanted to be part of it!

What  book are you currently Reading?

“The Last Great Dance on Earth”  by Sandra Gulland.  It’s the third book in a trilogy about the life of Josephine Bonaparte and her life before, with and after her marriage to Napoleon.  It’s historical fiction which is my favorite!  For professional reading I have also started  “The Power of Unreasonable People,” by John Elkington and Pamela Hartigan, which is absolutely amazingly insightful.

What do you do for fun in your free time?

I like to cook  and experiment with new recipes (I rarely repeat recipes so never really get good at anything!)  I am a big reader and love a chance to snuggle up and read a whole book in one day.  

When was your last Be Bold moment?

I think ditching my last job and joining the forces for good here at Echoing Green!

In the next month, I plan to…

Start running!  Now that I am not travelling all the time and living in hotels I can, should and plan to take better care of myself. I have signed up for a 5K race in 2 months for extra motivation!

Any pets?

No – I am a dog person but right now I am just struggling to keep our 2 plants alive!