Meet Annie Davis | Founder of Venture with Impact

We had the good fortune of connecting with Annie Davis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Annie, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
After teaching in public schools in New Orleans and New York City for four years, I realized that I had the desire to pursue my interest in international development. On a whim I found a nonprofit organization located in Trujillo, Peru online, I donated and sold most of my possessions, and I moved abroad.

While working with the nonprofit, I was able to delve deep into the local culture, and form relationships with Peruvians. I couldn’t rely on my savings for too much longer, so while volunteering to create curriculum for their English program, I started to work part-time for a paid position online. That’s where the idea for Venture with Impact came about. What if professionals didn’t need to give up their financial stability to travel and give back?

We launched our first pilot program in January and February of 2017 in Trujillo, Peru, with 14 professionals. We organized their accommodation, workspace, and planned cultural activities, such as weekly meetups at local restaurants where they met with members of the community, trips to the archaeological sites, and a group surfing class. Each of the participants worked with a local nonprofit organization using their skills to give back.

When moving to Peru, I didn’t know what my next steps would be, and although I had many thoughts of finding a more secure, stable full-time job back in the U.S., starting a social enterprise was a much more exciting endeavor!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Having traveled the world while working full-time jobs, we understand the internal struggle of wanting to maintain a professional career, while at the same time nurturing our adventurous and humanitarian identities. The mission of Venture with Impact is to expose professionals to new cultures, people and ideas so that they may be more informed and empathetic world citizens, and in the process, provide a positive social impact.

Venture with Impact is a 4-week coworking retreat that provides professionals with the opportunity to continue their career remotely (or just take a break from it all) while giving back through skills-based volunteer projects. We organize accommodation, co-working space, and cultural events and activities, so that Venturers can dig deeper into the local culture, while comfortable working remotely for their jobs back home. Additionally, each Venturer is matched to volunteer with a local non-profit organization on a skills-based volunteer project based on the needs of our organizations as well as the skills and interests of each participant. Venturers have the opportunity to develop professionally while making an impact locally.

We have overcome many challenges since the start of VWI over six years ago. Initially, we worked hard to find great locations that allowed for participants to easily work remotely, but also have a unique cultural experience. We started in Peru; however, the town was too remote, and after we ended up expanding to Medellin, Colombia; Lisbon, Portugal; Chiang Mai Thailand; and now Mexico City, Mexico. When opening a new location it takes a while to form local connections and build relationships with non-profits. Understanding the needs of the non-profits and how they function internally takes time. That being said, Venturers have contributed to over 130 pro-bono projects over the last six years, from assisting with marketing strategy, building robotic prosthetics, creating fund-raising campaigns, designing social media graphics, providing workshops on communication and public relations, and the list goes on and on.

Through these small projects Venturers have learned more about themselves and the world, and have become more empathetic, global citizens.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live in Mexico City, which is one of the Venture with Impact program locations. I am in LOVE with Mexico, and I could blab on and on about my recommendations, but I will share some of my favorites.

Day 1: El Centro – Visit the Zocalo (CDMX’s main plaza) and a few museums. There is always something happening in the Zocalo (book fairs, concerts, etc.)! Mexico City has over 140 museums, and some of the best are in the city center. Check out El Museo del Templo Mayor to see the Aztec temples that the Spanish buried and built their own cathedral and church on top of. Then visit El Museo de Arte Popular to see the detailed handicrafts from regions throughout the country.

For an incredible view, grab dinner at Balcon del Zocalo.

Day 2. El Centro – Promenade through the Alameda, a park square in the center, and visit El Museo de Bellas Artes, which includes murals from Mexican painters such as Orozco and Rivera. Grab a drink and snacks at La Azotea, a rooftop bar and when you hike up the stairs, pop into the shops within the building and admire the art deco architecture.

Head to Torre Latinoamericana for sunset drinks in the Miralto bar.

Day 3: Visit Chapultepec park and soak in the friendly family atmosphere. History is my jam, so I highly recommend Chapultepec Castle History Museum, and The Museum of Anthropology. The modern art museum also has incredible temporary exhibitions.

Day 4: Go down south to the colonias of Coyoacan and San Angel. San Angel has an artisan market every Saturday, where I have purchased some loved paintings and prints for my apartment. Coyoacan is home to Frida Kahlo’s Casa Azul, but I recommend the lesser known Leon Trotsky museum. Cerveceria Jupiter is one of my favorite spots to grab a bite.

Day 5. Arrange a trip to the Teotihuacan Pyramids outside of the city, for some of the most impressive pyramids in the Americas, and the world.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My shoutout goes to all of the Venturers that have joined one of our Venture with Impact programs. For their bravery in traveling on their own to a new country for a month, for their curiosity and open-mindedness when meeting new people and learning about a new culture and for their generosity and patience when dedicating their skills to a local nonprofit organization.

Website: www.venturewithimpact.org

Instagram: @venturewithimpact

Linkedin: linkedin.com/venturewithimpact

Twitter: @venturewithoimpact

Facebook: www.facebook.com/venturewithimpact

Youtube: youtube.com/venturewithimpact

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