Build The Hill

This past year, it has been an honor and pleasure to act as Co-President of Build The Hill alongside Benny Lispector and the rest of our incredible executive team. What our organization has accomplished since August is nothing short of incredible! Build the Hill develops communities by offering interest-free loans to startups and smaller businesses across the NC Triangle area. We've worked hard to raise funds and provide hands-on experience for our members to display the benefits of small business development. Special thanks to the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise for their meaningful presence in Build the Hill's operations this semester.

We are excited to announce that Anirudh Soni is our Build the Hill Analyst of the Month for March! Ani has shown great enthusiasm toward Build the Hill, and did a great job in our fundraising projects, as well as in our interview with Tiffany Ruiz from the Raleigh Tamales business. Thank you, Ani, and keep up your enthusiasm for the rest of the semester!

We are excited to announce that Alejandro Villa Palacios is our Build the Hill Analyst of the Month for January! Alejandro has had a consistent attendance throughout the month, and has been bringing lots of energy and positivity to our discussions and activities. He has also done a great job both in our fundraising and business data analytics divisions by coming up with insightful ideas, which shows his determination to help Build the Hill achieve its goals in multiple spheres. Thank you, Alejandro, we can’t wait to see what else you can bring for the club this semester!

We are excited to announce that Temidayo M. is our Build the Hill Analyst of the Month for November! Temi has had great attendance throughout the semester, and she is always very active in discussions and activities within the Education Group. She also did a fantastic job in a presentation about the fundamentals of credit to our peers, and in our interview with Lashanda DeBerry from the Pur Bella Naturals business. Thank you, Temi, for all you’ve done for the club this semester!

Last Wednesday, we had the honor of receiving Kristina S. Schwartz, Assistant General Counsel at Kiva, as a guest speaker for one of our general body meetings. At Build the Hill, we are dedicated to empowering entrepreneurs and communities through microfinance, and having the opportunity to listen to someone of Kristina's caliber has reinforced our commitment to this mission. Our members were thrilled to hear Kristina speak about the inner workings and impact of the Kiva organization in the US and abroad, as well as her insights and advice about careers in the fields of microfinance, human rights, and nonprofits more broadly. We look forward to incorporating her lessons into our strategies, as we continue our journey to build a stronger foundation for those seeking financial independence.

We are excited to announce that Alex Ruble is our Build the Hill Analyst of the Month for October! Alex has been incredibly committed to Build the Hill this semester, contributing by not only reaching out and engaging with local Chapel Hill businesses in need, but also by being proactive with ideas for fundraising and interacting with the community more broadly. One of such ideas was to collaborate with local small thrift markets. Congrats and keep up the amazing job and commitment, Alex!

Come join us at our first interest meeting this Wednesday at 7 pm in Gardner 209. We cannot wait to meet you all !! #buildthehill

Come check us out at Small Fest tomorrow from 1:00-2:30pm! We're so excited to share all about Build the Hill and see new and familiar faces!