Today we’d like to introduce you to Sima Parekh.
Hi Sima, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Our nonprofit 48in48 was founded in 2015 by Jeff Hilimire and Adam Walker, The goal was to provide meaningful opportunities for skilled volunteers. 48in48 is a local nonprofit organization that provides free website design and development services to small nonprofit organizations. In 48 hours, we build 48 websites that are making a global difference. The organization was created with an onsite hack-a-thon mindset. 300 volunteers would come together in one location to build these websites to support nonprofits in their community. As the organization grew, our events grew with the addition of events in different cities along the East Coast. These websites provided small nonprofits access to professionals who would improve their digital footprint and provide capacity building for them.
By 2019, we were hosting 11 onsite events, 10 in the US and one in the UK. When the 2020 Covid 19 Pandemic hit, we made the decision to move all our work online. We pivoted to 100% virtual events and put the technology in place to allow volunteers from anywhere in the world to participate. We also moved from city-based events to three initiative-based events – Women’s Build Event, Social Justice Event, and Global Event.
In March, the Women’s Build Event focuses on showcasing the talent of women while serving nonprofits that are run by women and support women. We aim to bring more women into the digital marketing and technology space through these events and allow them the opportunity to network and learn from like-minded women. All the website team members for this event are women. Men can support on ancillary teams.
The Social Justice event, at the end of June, supports all BIPOC-led nonprofits. The goal is to focus on nonprofits that serve DEI, Social Justice, and Civil Rights issues. Anyone can participate in this event.
Our last event of the year is our Global Event. This event pulls people from all over the world to volunteer on teams that will be websites for any nonprofit anywhere in the world.
We pivoted once more at the end of 2022 to hybrid events, so volunteers can now join us online or onsite as we continue our mission.
I have been involved with 48 for the past nine years and held many different roles. After nine years of work, 48in48 is proud to share that our 7000 volunteers have built 1300+ websites and provided services that total $32M+ over 32 events. Our small but mighty team is extremely proud of this community giveback. We are all working to make this world a better place for everyone.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We thought we knew it all until 2020. We were running our events, had enough funding and make changes as needed. Then, the pandemic smashed our world. No more onsite events. No meeting in person. No events. 75% of our funding was cut. We lost our largest sponsor, Delta Air Lines. We went from hosting 11 onsite events, 10 in the US and one in the UK to 0 in a matter of days.
We developed a strategy to pivot to 100% virtual events and put the technology in place to allow volunteers from anywhere in the world to participate. We also moved from city-based events to three initiative-based events – Women’s Build Event, Social Justice Event, and Global Event. Although we were fortunate to retain some of our partners and sponsors, it was a struggle to get back on our feet.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My career has spanned the technology arena, working in Operations and Strategy roles. I am successful at building programs, plans, and the relationships needed to make all the parts work together. My unique abilities and skillset have allowed me to deliver on goals in many different industries. I am passionate about doing what it takes to deliver against all odds.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Technology is a risk. Communication is a risk. Relationships are a risk. If I know in my gut I can get something done, I will take the risks to make it work. The risks must be calculated, and there should always be a backup plan in case something doesn’t go as planned. If we stay in one place, we will not grow, learn, or make an impact. That is a huge risk.
Contact Info:
- Website: 48in48.org
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/48in48
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/48in48org
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/48in48
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@48in48
