Welcome to Students in Free Enterprise at Carnegie Mellon University!

Members of CMU SIFE often joke that "SIFE is life." But as President of the University's SIFE chapter, I can say that this is indeed true! SIFE reminds me every day that many important, life-altering events occur outside the classroom. After all, "A head for business" is nothing without "A heart for the world."

Through commitment to this international non-profit, I have journeyed from Project Member, to Project Leader and Presenter, and now to Chapter President, learning new lessons each step of the way. Being surrounded by Tepper Faculty and Alumni, Project Leaders, and Project Members with an abundance of innovative ideas, it is impossible not to be inspired and motivated to impact the campus and broader community. I assure you that by becoming involved with SIFE, you will be challenged to transform your ideas into realities, through a journey filled with individual growth as well as a supportive community.

Attending our regional and national competitions this past year with our presenting team served to reinforce the idea that CMU SIFE is part of something greater than our 153 members on campus! In fact, SIFE spans over 40 countries and 1,500 universities. Because of the international strength of this organization, there is a high corporate demand for SIFE students, which is particularly evident with recruiters at SIFE job fairs. In addition to the exposure to SIFE job fairs, regional and national competitions gave us a chance to experience other universitiy chapters’ work, which served to further challenge our goals for this year.

Because "SIFE is life," everyone has a place in SIFE. Our 11 projects span a wide array of social, economic, and environmental topics. And because SIFE is a mobile, forward-thinking group, we always consider ideas for new Projects and Project Initiatives!

But don't just take my word for it. Ask other SIFE members around campus about their experiences with SIFE and stop by our recruitment events this Fall. I sincerely hope you have the chance to learn as much from SIFE as I have.

In SIFE spirit always,

Lindsay Kelly
Carnegie Mellon Chapter President

SIFE Project Feature: eLumanate

Skills/Experience Gained: working one-on-one with leaders of Yele and EcoBank, product development, planning for hydroelectric power plant and community bazaar, evaluation of hundreds of business plans, consultation planning for 16 entrepreneurs

Highlights

Congratulations to eLumanate and its Project Leaders Tori Baggio and Paul van der Boor, for successfully completing the first phase of their Project Initiative in Yele, Sierra Leone. Tori and Paul spent a month of their summer working alongside local officials and the rest of their team in Yele. Their goal was to “create sustainable economic perspectives for people in Yele, Sierra Leone.”

To accomplish this goal, they have already refurbished a hydro-electric power plant that fuels a local community bazaar, and aims to provide basic infrastructure such as electricity, cooling, Internet, and clean drinking water to support the growth of small, local businesses. We often take these facilities for granted in our own lives, but they are considered luxuries for many others in the world. Because electricity is scarce in Yele, and demand for it is high, this power plant holds enormous implications and creates huge opportunities for economic growth!

Members of eLumanate and of the local market cooperative applied their business expertise, while evaluating local business proposals, to ensure that the 16 entreprenuers who were allocated space in the bazaar give back social services to the community, such as medical aid. The team estimates that the direct benefits of these 16 entrepreneurs will extend to an estimate of over 150 people.

In Yele, Tori and Paul spent time with business leaders and community members alike. They met with representatives from Ecobank and successfully negotiated a financial support plan to provide for – and maintain – their community bazaar. The two Project Leaders also spent time playing with children in the local community and working with their parents to craft products to be sold in the US. The sales of these products will contribute to the funding of coming phases of their Project Initiative.

eLumanate was named after “Luma”, which translates to the name of the targeted marketplace in Yele; the “e” in eLumanate represents the electricity the team is providing to uplift the community. eLumanate also focuses heavily on sustainability, as eLumanate’s hydro-electric power plant will provide sustainable energy for the next 20 years. In addition to electricity, Tori and Paul have included financial services and coaching services for these entrepreneurs as a part of their plan to empower Yele. Their hopes are that the clean water, medical services, and affordable energy will continue to serve the community for decades to come.

SIFE is very proud of the advancements of eLumanate this year. To learn more about their stories from the summer, visit their official blog at http://projectyele2011.wordpress.com/. For general information about their Project, or to donate to the cause, visit http://www.yele.nl/. Finally, if you are interested in becoming a member of their team, interview at SIFE’s interviews September 17th-18th.