Throughout her career, Becky Straw has seen the impact stable employment can have on individuals and their families. A self-described “advocate for the unsexy,” Becky has repeatedly gotten involved with causes that foster entrepreneurship and job creation in developing communities around the world.

Shortly after graduating from college with a degree in political science, Chris Bessenecker enlisted in the Peace Corps. Alone and with minimal resources, Chris learned first-hand the power of human-centered design in development work, and went on to apply those learnings to building a unique innovation program at Project Concern International.

Carla Fernandez is a social entrepreneur and cofounder of The Dinner Party, an innovative nonprofit organization on a mission to transform life after loss from an isolating experience into one marked by community support, candid conversation, and forward movement using the age old practice of breaking bread. Carla joins Cause & Purpose to share her founding story and lessons learned from a life spent pursuing positive social impact.