Katherine Olives
Yesterday, Sophia Sunwoo, CEO/Founder of Water Collective, shared her story with us in an intimate conversation. In 2016, Sunwoo was named a leading force in Social Entrepreneurship on Forbes' 30 Under 30 list for Water Collective's work in developing nations like Cameroon. She spoke about the struggles of social entrepreneurship and the role Millennials play in the world of #socent.
Sunwoo's journey to social entrepreneurship was unique. She started her career in the fashion industry with a startup that created band t-shirts and apparel especially designed for women, worn by celebrity clientele like Miley Cyrus and Katey Perry. After selling the company at the age of 22, Sunwoo moved onto other roles. Soon, she was approached by a friend about a project he wanted to start to bring clean water to the developing world, and Water Collective was born. And while she has accomplished at a young age, none of it came without the hustle of a true entrepreneur.
Sunwoo and her team ran into many challenges when building Water Collective, including unforeseen logistical challenges, like the muddy, unpaved roads in the countries they serve. To Sunwoo, each challenge is part of the price of entrepreneurship, and there's nothing you can really do to prepare for them, except understand your mission. “When it comes to building a startup, it's never going to be a perfect formula. As an entrepreneur, you have the power to mold it. You can decide what your company looks like,” says Sunwoo. She urges entrepreneurs to trust in themselves. “We kept trying all these things that people in our industry said would work, but when it came down to it, they didn't work,” said Sunwoo.
It wasn't only the confidence in herself and her mission that allowed Sunwoo and Water Collective to keep moving. She recalls that when Obama assumed office with his “Change” campaign, the political environment was encouraging for changemakers. Everyone believed that widespread change was possible. “As social entrepreneurs, it's important to build ventures in a political landscape that fosters innovation.” Today, the political landscape is much different, but widespread change couldn't be more critical.
Sunwoo believes that Millennials have an even stronger toolbox for creating change. “Millennials are getting an international education from social media,” said Sunwoo, and because they always know what's going on, they are even more motivated to create change. “Millennials are growing up in an environment where they have access to instant information. That gives me hope.” She also believes that the Millennial career outlook is a beautiful thing for social entrepreneurship. “Millennials are learning to honor the evolution of their careers,” and they're more likely to find a career that is both intellectually stimulating and satisfies their souls. “They think about their careers on a macro level, and how they can help the world,” said Sunwoo, which creates global change.
Water Collective is an international nonprofit that secures life-lasting clean water for rural communities in Africa and India. The organization was founded in 2011 to resolve the shortcomings of clean water access in the developing world, where 40% of water points are not working at any given time. To learn more, visit http://www.thewatercollective.org/