As the first week of my internship comes to a close, I could not be more excited to continue into the rest of the summer with Kikori. In typical startup fashion, my role is not focused on one central theme, but rather a slew of responsibilities ranging to all aspects of business. Every day has brought a new opportunity, side project, or interesting conversation about a topic I have had little or no experience with.
My primary focus the past week has been centered on gaining further understanding of the business model and the space the company operates within. Kikori is working within the Edtech and Saas verticals, as an app designed for educators, facilitators, and parents who want to use experiential and social emotional learning activities to help youth connect to themselves, others, and the planet. As an individual with limited experience within the education space, it was somewhat of an eye-opener to further investigate the learning standards and practices teachers are encouraged to incorporate and the challenges that come along with lesson planning and curriculum building. It is entirely understandable to comprehend why teachers are struggling to use Social Emotional Learning and Experiential Education on a daily basis, mainly due to the lack of time, resources, and understanding. It was not challenging to quickly comprehend the purpose of Kikori, but additionally feel genuine excitement in being able to contribute to its growth.
The priorities I have been working towards this week have placed special emphasis towards the further development of the Kikori Handbook, for volunteers and future team members. This has given great insight towards the fundamentals of the business, background, and dream of the company. Another main focus has been towards social media growth within the coming future. This has ranged from content calendars to some early stage graphic design. A personal favorite element has been learning more about the ever-expanding sales funnel along with exploring potential funding routes. This has mainly centered around observing meetings and enthusiastic conversation, however I am extremely excited to uncover more information, especially through supplemental research.
My favorite aspect of Kikori however has been my interaction with Kendra Bostick, the CEO and co-founder. I find her drive and passion to make a positive change in the world incredibly inspiring. Especially in a time like this, it is pivotal to aid the future generation with proper tools and strategies to deal with interactions socially and emotionally in all aspects and subjects. Kendra manages to run a startup and pursue a PhD simultaneously with a smile on her face the entire time, a feat not many could accomplish. Her work ethic is truly admirable and I could not be more keen on following her along.
In the words of Kikori:
- play - connect - reflect - grow-