Write Your Own Success Story - with Pavitra Raja, Program Lead at The World Economic Forum
Updated: Oct 21, 2021
Listen to the full interview podcast here:
🎙 Our guest mentor is Pavitra Raja, Program Lead at The World Economic Forum, Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship.
📻 In this podcast, Pavitra shares her inspiring professional journey transitioning from a career in law to working on social innovation at a large international organization. Tune in to listen to her interesting work in social innovation, her tips on language learnings & skill development as well as her best career advice for students and young professionals.
☁️About Pavitra : Originally from the South of Australia, Pavitra speaks six languages and had an amazing education. Pavitra also leads the program work on social innovation, having launched programmes, initiatives, announcements, and reports at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Sustainable Development Impact Summit in New York, and leads the global launch of the Social Innovators of the Year Awards at the World Economic Forum.
Pavitra has previously consulted with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) on legal affairs, public policy, and communications at the UN HQ in Geneva, Switzerland. She managed several policy advocacy campaigns to promote the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development, including the Sustainable Development Goals.
Pavitra also worked in the private legal sector on cases involving individuals as well as firms in corporate affairs, defamation, intellectual property, and technology law. Pavitra managed legal, policy advocacy, and communications at Music Rights Australia (which works jointly with the Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA) and the Phonographic Performance Company of Australia (PPCA)) designing and implementing national campaigns to preserve copyright laws in Australia to protect the rights of musicians. Pavitra has also worked in digital marketing, media, and fashion industries.
Pavitra holds a Juris Doctor (specialising in Intellectual Property Law and International Law) along with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations, Political Sciences, and Marketing & Communications from the University of Melbourne. In addition, Pavitra has undertaken study abroad programmes at the University of Oxford, Maastricht University, and the School of Business, Economics, and Law at the University of Gothenburg.
Here is a skip time for you:
[00:45] Pavitra's introduction
[02:40] Can you tell us about your career translation from legal professions to this international affairs/development/social innovation space? What triggered the transition?
[08:05] Transitioning from two completely different fields is difficult, how do you leverage those difference to your advantage?
[12:19]What kind of work do you do in facilitating social innovation at the World Economic Forum?
[14:28]what advice would you give someone who is interested in this space?
[19:08] How do you managed to speak 6 languages?
[22:00] You help social enterprises in developing countries to build capacity, what would you say is the recipe for success for a social enterprise?
[24:56] What is the best piece of career advice you would give your younger self?
[26:05]Any final thoughts?
Link for articles mentioned by Pavitra in the interview:
https://apolitical.co/solution-articles/en/dont-let-your-career-path-mystify-you - https://www.forbes.com/sites/worldeconomicforum/2020/11/13/want-to-change-the-world-social-innovators-offer-these-6-lessons/
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