Growing up in New York and enjoying the rich nature of Brazil, Helena D’Alessandro developed a keen interest in sustainability and environmental studies, as well as a passion for travel.
So when she saw an option to make a cooperative in Greece at the Sustainable Development Institute of European organization under public law (EPLO), D’Alessandro seized the opportunity.
“And I’m really, really glad I did,” says D’Alessandro, a promising third-year student at Northeastern University.
She was born in New York but has spent many summers and Christmas holidays in Brazil, where her Italian-Brazilian parents are from. There she developed a love for nature and an interest in the environment, sustainability and social causes. She also realized that she wanted to travel more.
“I’ve always had a close relationship with Brazil since I was little, but that meant we never really traveled anywhere else,” says D’Alessandro.
Since January, D’Alessandro has been living in Greece. She commutes between a village outside of Athens and the city for her job. On other days, she travels the islands of the Aegean Sea.
EPLO is an international organization created in 2007 which brings together and shares knowledge in the field of public law and governance. The organization seeks to improve generations of lawyers and democratic institutions around the world and promotes European values through several institutes and educational programs. EPLO has observer status with the United Nations and works with other EU missions.
THE Institute for Sustainable Development, which hired D’Alessandro for the cooperative, is one of the entities of EPLO. It supports public and private organizations in developed and developing countries in solving problems included in the UN. Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. The 17 goals include, among others, ending poverty and hunger, fighting inequality, fighting climate change and protecting the planet.
D’Alessandro discovered EPLO through the NUworks platform. The cooperative corresponded perfectly to the orientation of his studies (international trade with a concentration in finance, social innovation and entrepreneurship) at the University D’Amore McKim School of Business.
During the co-op, D’Alessandro learned about impact investing, which focuses on investing private capital in ventures that would generate measurable positive social and environmental impact in addition to financial return. She has conducted research on European startups, venture capitalists, incubators and accelerators who might be interested in working with EPLO on sustainability projects. Additionally, she performed financial analysis and also created social media content and newsletters on recent EPLO actions.
“So far it has been very interesting for me,” she says.
Greece lags behind other countries when it comes to participating in sustainable development projects, D’Alessandro says, and it has been helpful for him to see how such initiatives can take off and grow.
The institute is currently working to stimulate the development of southern European technology start-ups with a focus on sustainability. Selected companies will be connected to accelerators and venture capitalists to increase their funding. One of the exciting projects she heard about at the co-op is the first zero waste island in the world, the island of Tilos.
Another is a startup that develops small robots to regenerate coral reefs by replanting small pieces. A third company is a new venture that will use vending machines to collect recyclable plastic containers in exchange for points.
“You can redeem them while shopping or for recreational activities, so it’s a huge incentive for you to recycle and be sustainable,” says D’Alessandro.
She says this co-op has reinforced her desire to combine her passions for business and sustainability and make a career out of it. Impact investing would be one way to achieve this.
She believes that corporations and large corporations whose activities contribute to environmental damage and climate change should invest in sustainable business practices or sustainable startups.
“The Sustainable Development Institute really gives me a better understanding of this field and the impact of startups (on these issues),” says D’Alessandro.
At the same time, it was the work culture in Greece that surprised her the most.
“They really don’t expect you to work 24/7. It’s a very quiet environment,” says D’Alessadro, “and you have to deal with all those opportunities and all those challenges by yourself, which I think makes it rewarding. »
She thinks she was able to build trust with her hosts because she was proactively asking for assignments, showing that she wanted to be involved. She has done research herself which has given her the confidence to share her opinions and have a say in the work of the institute.
This experience of living abroad also taught D’Alessadro to be more comfortable alone, traveling and meeting new people.
“At first, I was a little homesick,” she says. “It was my first solo travel experience.”
That didn’t stop her from exploring Athens, the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, some Greek islands and Barcelona, Spain. She met many people in the hostels and was delighted to hear their stories.
“At the end of my internship, I’ll try to see if I can go somewhere else because I’m already there,” she says.
D’Alessandro says she has gained a lot of self-confidence.
“I feel like I can overcome anything,” she says. “And it makes me want to continue my career and create a social impact even more. »
Alena Kuzub is a reporter for Northeastern Global News. Email him at a.kuzub@northeastern.edu. Follow her on Twitter @AlenaKuzub.
