> In 140 Characters:
Social entrepreneur, veteran, MBA, founder of Impact Year™—the first corporate sponsored national service program—transforming top college graduates into socially conscious leaders.
> In 100 Words:
Matt Ronen is the founder of Impact Year™ —the first corporate sponsored national service program—transforming top college graduates into socially conscious leaders. Matt credits the experience of turning down an offer to join an investment bank after college to volunteer in the Israel Defense Forces for inspiring Impact Year™, a project of Service Year™. He later worked in finance at Gerson Lehrman Group and in brand management at Colgate-Palmolive. Matt is a graduate of Colorado College (BA, Honors), where he was President of the Student Government and Campus Marketing Manager for Teach For America, and Cornell University (MBA), where he was Vice President of the Veterans Club. He is from Cleveland, Ohio. Matt loves buffalo wings, skiing, and his new nephew & even newer niece.
> In 300 Words:
Matt Ronen is the founder of Impact Year™—the first corporate sponsored national service program—transforming top college graduates into socially conscious leaders.He graduated with honors from Colorado College, where he was President of the Student Government, Campus Marketing Manager for Teach For America, and one of two men on the Victim Assistance Team all four years. Following graduation, Matt turned down an offer to join an investment bank and a Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarship to study anywhere in the world in order to volunteer in the Israel Defense Forces.After completing his service, Matt returned home and worked in finance at Gerson Lehrman Group. He later attended business school at Cornell University, where he was a Teaching Assistant, Career Coach, and Vice President of the Veterans Club.Following graduation Matt was accepted into the prestigious Global Marketing Development Program (GMDP) at Colgate-Palmolive. While there Matt worked directly with Wal-Mart during a short term assignment in Betonville, Arkansas and helped manage iconic brands trusted by consumers around the world from the NYC headquarters.Matt left Colgate-Palmolive to launch Impact Year™, a project of Service Year™. Matt credits his personal post-college experience of choosing volunteer service over career, and the immense challenges he faced, for inspiring Impact Year. Over the years he has spoken to numerous people who permanently delayed service opportunities due to pressure from the career pathing-process. Time and again they relayed how they are “waiting to give.” Matt’s dream is that one day undergraduates won’t ask each other where they want to work after college, but rather: "Where will you do your Service Year™?"Matt is involved with numerous charitable and community organizations. He co-founded the veterans association for American volunteers in the IDF and proudly sits on the junior boards of several nonprofits. Matt participated in the year-long Anti-Defamation League Glass Leadership Institute on civil and human rights and is an iMentor at the International High School at Lafayette in Brooklyn, NY.Matt is a Echoing Green Semifinalist, PresenTense Fellow, StartingBloc Fellow, Social Venture Network Bridge Project Scholarship Recipient, and a Transformative Action Institute Support Trained Teacher.Matt hails from Cleveland, Ohio. He loves buffalo wings, skiing, and his new nephew & even newer niece.
> On Giving:
There is no best way to give, but there is a best way for you. The most sustainable form of giving is the kind that you love to do. Stop “waiting to give.” Find what you love, give, and give again.