When Ethan Loufield first learned about Impact Business Leaders program, he remarked, “I thought it had to be too good to be true.” He already had an MBA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University and had 12 years of experience working in various finance roles with organizations including the Peace Corps, General Electric and Wells Fargo.

After having worked across the business, nonprofit and government sectors, he increasingly wanted to do work where he could simultaneously draw upon the relative strengths of all three. As Ethan wrote in his application to IBL, he was seeking a role where he would be “working in tandem with those who are committed to recalibrating the systems in which we live to better align with a more socially and environmentally responsible existence.” He described his aspirations as being driven by “an unrelenting desire to devote the rest of his career to emerging efforts that seek to bring the power of business to bear on society’s biggest problems.”

On his decision to apply for IBL, Ethan reflected, “IBL serves as a springboard for those who share this conviction, and it could not have appeared on my radar at a more opportune time, since I was already well into my search when I learned about the IBL program.” His next step was to attend IBL’s seven day intensive social orientation workshop the University of Virginia, held in partnership with the Batten Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Institute for Business in Society at UVA’s Darden School of Business, as well as the SE@UVA initiative at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. “The workshop instructors and content were top notch, and their active engagement beyond the classroom was a huge distinguishing factor.”

He then took part in IBL’s matching process. Ethan had a sense that his background in commercial and nonprofit finance would translate nicely in an organization focused on financial inclusion or social finance, and he (and his family) were flexible about the location, the role and title, and the type of company he would work with. Thanks to this, Ethan was able to broaden the variety of opportunities being introduced and ultimately interviewed for jobs in financial inclusion, investing and consulting in both urban and rural areas in the United States, East Africa, and Southeast Asia.

At the end of the day, he says, “job leads are where the rubber meets the road. I was introduced to five different opportunities and had two job offers within two months of completing the program. I also had on-demand counsel when needed throughout the process.” Ultimately, Ethan landed a job as Director of Finance with RevolutionCredit, a FinTech startup backed by the former CEO of FICO as well as the former President of Visa, among others.

Asked if he would recommend the IBL program, Ethan is enthusiastic: “I see myself in the early stages of not just a career, but a lifetime dedicated to this evolution. For like-minded people with substantive experience, I would recommend IBL…With IBL, not only did I feel like I was with people who just get it, I knew all along I was also with people who could deliver the goods.”

Interested in exploring a career in social enterprise or impact investing? IBL’s newsletter gives monthly insights on how to advance your career in social enterprise and the latest on IBL’s upcoming programs, including IBL in the USA planned for January 2017 in partnership with UVA in Washington DC.