Social Impact Entrepreneurship Experience in India

It's tough to fully explain what the company can do for you as an individual and also society at large with its broader goals. It is, however, a certainty that you will come away with something positive to say about you experience.
You have a fit, healthy and positive daily routine.
You work with purpose on a project you can be passionate about.
You meet people that you could believe were so kind and intelligent - people you can call a friend or mentor
Your goals, your fears, your inhibitions are the focus of this experience.
If you believe there is something that needs to be built on or even changed completely. This is that opportunity

Interning with Project Everest was such a great experience socially, personally and professionally. It's great to meet like-minded people. Working with Project Everest is the opportunity to do something meaningful and to make an impact. The staff were and other trekkers are a great support system while away from home. I have done little travel in my life, but after trekking in India with Project Everest I look forward to solo travel across the world. I would highly recommend this experience to everyone.

My time in India was quite possibly the hardest thing I’ve done in my life. Adjusting to strict structuring and long work days as well as even living with 20 people in close quarters for a month made for a rocky initial adjustment. But being put to work on a task and having tasks and autonomy to complete them paired with doing good for the world instilled passion in me and this allowed me to not only adapt to this new environment but also thrive.

Coming on project has allowed me to fully upend my approach to my degree. I am coming home with so much more drive and passion due to having a bigger picture perspective on the individual impact that my degree can have on me as well as way more appreciation for being able to attend and learn. The main way I have achieved this is through the discipline that is instilled in us as trekkers. I now have a deeper appreciation for organisation and and structure - something I initially would not have even fathomed me enjoying. My focus has changed from how can I do the bare minimum in order to land a job at the conclusion of university to how can I maximise my experience so I have the most impact on the world around me and build on and utilize my own skills to bring back to my own reality.

Even though I am a Finance and Economics student, I was still able to utilise my analytical skills in order to better understand how systems operate in Country. What I love About Project Everest is that they're a young company with young employees and all the people you are in country with, from the leaders to the team members, are all around the same age. Its a real community feeling. Not only do you get to develop professional skills but you get to develop a lot as a person. My month overseas allowed me to highlighted the things in my life that I wasn't happy with and improve upon them. On top of that you get to actually experience a country for a month, not just doing touristy things but actually integrating and talking with communities about the issues they are facing. It's so easy to get involved and I guarantee you will not regret it.

My experience with PEV has been so rewarding, from the people I have met to the skills I have gained from the projects. Working with a multi-disciplinary team across a social enterprise business ensured I was in a truly collaborative space, sharing and learning skills from every team member. The workshops conducted through the month also helped build on both personal and profession skills such as public speaking and pitching, empathy and lean business models. This has by far been my most rewarding travel/internship experience thus far, and I highly recommend PEV to anyone looking for a rewarding, yet challenging experience overseas.

Across the summer months, I have been lucky enough to intern with Project Everest Ventures (PEV) on the Diversity Arrays Technology (DArT) project in Bhubaneswar, India. While on project I lived and breathed India! I was based in a small village 35 minutes out of Bhubaneswar, ate traditional Indian meals every night (chicken dopiza and samosa’s were a stable!), experienced the craziness of Indian public transport and was able to explore what makes India so special and unique on the weekends.

Each day of project varied drastically day to day; however throughout the month I was able to experience empathising with farmers in the local communities, developing my business skills and knowledge by running workshops, building my soft skills by increasing my EQ and integrating knowledge from my university degrees back into the project.

My internship with PEV has been a once in a lifetime opportunity where I have been fortunate enough to develop my leadership abilities in an environment that is supportive and stimulating. My month interning with PEV was inspiring, challenging and I’ve never met a group of individuals as wholesome and committed to long-term and positive change as the team at PEV. I can safely say that my involvement with PEV is hands down the best decision I’ve ever made as a university student.

Overall a great cultural experience. I went to India and learnt a lot about the culture and how to start a social enterprise in a developing space. Workshops were conducted which taught me how to act in a professional workspace. However, in terms of professional development, I did not learn a new technical skill that I can apply in future jobs. The project I was working on had not been fully developed yet (no product as of yet). Data and market research questions were standardised across various countries which made it difficult to draw conclusions for India specifically.

My month with Project Everest in India has been an incredible experience that has helped me develop so much personally and professionally. As an engineering/science student, I really appreciate the opportunity to learn so much about business from a social enterprise point of view - and how innovative technology can help drive social change. The opportunities for developing your professional soft skills are really well designed and executed. Would highly recommend if you are keen to experience living in a foreign country, elevate your professional skills and trek with a bunch of other amazing people!