As Associate Director of Strategic Initiatives, Pomai leads experiments and supports the development of tools that enable Beyond100K to test our hypothesis of how to catalyze long-term, systemic change against the grand challenges facing STEM education.

Before joining the Beyond100K team, Pomai was based in southern India where she helped grow IndiVillage, a social enterprise using impact sourcing to bring education and economic opportunity to rural communities. Through her role as Business Development Manager, she oversaw impact and led global business development.

Pomai holds an M.A. in Social Enterprise from American University’s School of International Service and a B.A. in Political Science and B.S. in Economics from Belmont University.

Can you tell us about one important lesson you took from working in a startup environment that’s been important in helping you fulfill Beyond100K’s mission?
Listening is critical. It’s important to take the time to involve and learn from your users at the beginning of the process. Too often we establish assumptions and then ask for feedback. Continue to ask questions, deeply listen, and check your priorities against the user experience.