PHIMC thanks Rachel Schwartz and Yoselyn Ovalle, New Sector Alliance’s Resident in Social Enterprise (RISE) Fellows, for their service over the last year and sends them off with well wishes. Rachel and Yoselyn contributed significantly to innovation initiatives and the Community Reentry Project and their dedication and commitment to PHIMC will be missed. Learn more about their roles and experiences below.

As Innovations and Strategy RISE Fellow, Rachel supported organizational growth and development by exploring billing and reimbursement strategies for partners and integrating other innovative strategies and practices into PHIMC’s infrastructure. Prior to joining PHIMC, Rachel worked on social entrepreneurship in Latin America where she led marketing and training efforts for an internship program and conducted ethnographic research with Hispanic communities. When asked about her time here, Rachel said, “PHIMC has provided me with highly valuable and unique insights into the inner workings of both the non-profit and public health worlds, as well as valuable hands-on learning experiences. The experience I’ve gained in such a short amount of time is foundational for my learning and will be useful in my future career positions” Rachel is pursuing opportunities to work for a social enterprise incubator or accelerator with a focus on strengthening communities.

As Community Reentry RISE Fellow, Yoselyn supported the programmatic and administrative portions of the Community Reentry Project. She also explored opportunities to further expand the program by surveying the Illinois Sheriff Association regarding HIV services available in county jails. Before PHIMC, Yoselyn was an AmeriCorps VOCAL Member serving as a communications assistant for Chicago Citywide Literacy Coalition where she built and implemented a communications plan for the organization. “During my time at PHIMC, I learned a great deal about the public health field and the reentry population in Chicago and throughout Illinois. [PHIMC] has facilitated professional growth and a work ethic that will continue to flourish throughout my career,” Yoselyn said. Yoselyn plans to maintain her position on the board of directors at Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health and pursue a career in communications within the social or for-profit sector.