This summer we will be featuring our current Dingman Center staff in a special blog series. Read along and get to know a little more about each member of our team!
Sara Herald, Associate Director for Social Entrepreneurship
Sara Herald came to the Dingman Center from the Center for Social Value Creation in January 2016, bringing social entrepreneurship along with her. Since her arrival, the Dingman Center has sought to create a welcome space for students interested in leveraging venture creation for social impact. She has challenged us to reframe our concept of “entrepreneurship” to be inclusive of students who don’t self-label as “entrepreneur”, and might prefer the term “changemaker” or “problem-solver” instead. Through her landmark Ladies First initiative, we are seeing more female students than ever exploring entrepreneurial pathways at University of Maryland. Sara’s progressive attitude toward entrepreneurship and its role in building a better world are inspiring to both staff and students.
What excites you most about your job?
Working with students who want to make the world a better place. Social entrepreneurship is all about using business skills to solve social problems, and it’s a lot of fun to work with students who want to do just that.
What are your favorite hobbies?
I love to travel. I’m always looking for new places to explore and fun things to do with my family, whether it’s going to a new country or just experiencing something new nearby.
If you could visit one place on earth, where would it be and why?
It’s pretty hard to choose just one, but I’ve always wanted to go to New Zealand and Australia. It would be great to take a long trip down there and explore their natural wonders.
What’s the most interesting thing you have in your office?
My succulent collection. I like small plants and think succulents are really cool. They are also hard to kill, which is a key feature in office plants.
If you could have dinner with one person (dead or alive), who would it be?
Eleanor Roosevelt. I’m sure that surprises zero people who know me or my passion for our Ladies First initiative!
What would your super power be?
The ability to speak every language. Can you imagine being able to communicate with anyone all over the world?