Kiva is the international nonprofit that connects online lenders to entrepreneurs. Through Kiva, anyone can help a borrower start or grow a business, go to school, access clean energy, and more.  To date, more than 1 billion dollars worth of loans have been funded through the organization. 

We are so excited that Kiva will once again join us at the 2017 Net Impact Conference taking place in Atlanta October 26-28! They will be exhibiting and recruiting onsite at the NI17 Expo, Friday October 27. We interviewed Net Impact's 2012 Conference Logistics Intern and current Manager of Kiva's Fellow and Intern Programs, Emily Mertens, on the organization's past Expo experiences, what they are most excited for from the NI17 Expo, and advice for attendees looking for careers with purpose. 

Please describe your experience at the 2016 Net Impact Conference Expo.

I loved the 2016 Net Impact Conference Expo! The energy of the attendees is infectious. Everyone was so smart, ambitious and committed to making a difference. I left feeling like I had met some incredibly qualified candidates for Kiva’s fellowship and internship programs, but also reinvigorated about Kiva’s mission and my work with volunteers. 

Why did you decide to exhibit again this year?

We can’t get enough of Net Impact! It is one of the only conferences my team goes to each year because it attracts the type of candidates we are looking for - passionate, eager to learn and committed to Kiva and social impact. 

What are you most looking forward to from the 2017 Net Impact Conference Expo?

I’m excited that my team will be meeting the attendees and seeing familiar faces. Attendees are always impressive and it’s fun to think about possibly working with someone you meet at the expo. Every year I’ve been to the expo, I run into former interns and fellows. It’s a great way to catch up offline. We will also be actively recruiting for the 21st class of Kiva Interns and the 34th class of Kiva Fellows while at the conference. It’s always nice when you can point perspective candidates to open positions.

What advice do you have for 2017 Net Impact Conference Expo attendees who are looking for careers with purpose?

Talk to as many people as you can! One of the best parts of the entire Net Impact Conference is that everyone is starting from a place of making impact, so you can take conversations much deeper than you can in other environments. Networking is fun at Net Impact because it doesn’t feel like networking- it feels like in depth conversations about topics you care about with people who are experts. Don’t treat every interaction as a pathway to a job or internship, treat is as a way to learn and discuss what is on the cutting edge of impact today. You’ll build more valuable contacts if you focus on learning. 

It's not too late to register for the 2017 Net Impact Conference to attend the NI17 Expo, network with Kiva , and ultimately fast track your path to impact.