Wendy Kopp featured in the Corner Office of The New York Times

We were thrilled to see 1991 Echoing Green Fellow Wendy Kopp, founder and chief executive of Teach for America was featured in the Corner Office column in this Sunday’s Business section of The New York Times. Adam Bryant spoke to Wendy about her experiences in the not-for-profit sector and views on a variety of related issues. The interview offers highlights from discussions about leadership and management with influential leaders and executives.

Wendy begins by offering insightful advice on goal setting and the value of making mistakes. When asked how she created a sense of mission for Teach for America, Wendy explains how she first defined the organization’s priorities and then developed a measurement of success. Rather than establishing key strategies, Wendy describes the emergence of her organization’s mission as a “ground-up inclusive process that just got everyone aligned with our priorities and goals.”

Wendy’s final thoughts address graduating students who may be interested in social change, but are held back by their lack of experience. She argues that being inexperienced is a strength, not a weakness, for it empowers individuals to  breakaway from traditional framework and to set goals that more experienced individuals may think are not feasible.

Want to hear more words of wisdom from Echoing Green alum Wendy Kopp? Check out the full interview at The New York Times.