Living a life of gratitude, guided by technology for social good

First generation college student and Naz alum, Paul Towne ‘97, was inspired by the community service opportunities during new student orientation and his exposure to nonprofit organizations in the Rochester area. His internship at the University of Rochester Mount Hope Family Center, serving kids “living with the most challenging circumstances,” grew within him the desire to give voice to others and support those most in need. The relationships he made with Nazareth faculty - particularly his college advisor and now lifelong friend, Dr. David Page, and his peers, as well as with those in the greater community, empowered him to give back.

After Naz, Paul explored clinical psychology and pursued a master's degree at Loyola University in Baltimore, while serving as a graduate assistant in the Office of New Student Orientation. He moved to Atlanta, and spent three years running Emory University’s new student orientation program. During that time, he was approached by the dean of the business school who suggested that he would be an excellent candidate for the MBA program. Having very little affinity for the inner workings of corporate America, Paul wasn’t initially keen on the idea. He visited a few classes though, and after continued conversations with the dean, he applied and was accepted into the evening MBA program.

At the completion of this degree, Paul was determined to combine his psychology and higher education backgrounds with his new business knowledge to ultimately shift his focus social to good and technology. He sees technology as a “force multiplier, impact[ing] entire systems, so whether that’s...the way data is collected, the way that...communication happens...to change behaviors, for example, all of that is something I can do...on a larger scale.” Paul realized that “technology on its own can only do so much, but if you apply it in the right environment…and you make sure that it is accessible, and that people have access, regardless of which language they speak…regardless of any kind of disabilities they might have, or access to hardware or the internet, there are approaches that can create bigger impact…”

Paul Towne '97 with Rwandan villagers

Almost a decade ago, Paul’s work with CARE USA took him to Rwanda. He traveled to remote villages that suffered the trauma of genocide and AIDS in order to understand the needs of communities and work toward the creation of a financial inclusion project in partnership with VISA. CARE’S Village Savings and Loan methodology is a microsaving program in which a group of community members voluntarily contribute a very small amount of money (by US standards) to a common fund. When a community member needed something they were unable to afford, such as health care, a means of transportation, or a metal roof, the community leaders voted on the loan of funds to that member. Despite the circumstances of the people that Paul interfaced with, they were full of hope and gratitude for all that they had. They were resilient. These attributes made Paul want to work even harder to improve the lives of others.

Using the idea of technology for social good as his “north star,” Paul most recently joined Resilia, a Black woman-led social impact organization that partners with grant-makers to help nonprofits and change-makers build capacity to grow resources and scale impact. Through a SaaS platform, personalized coaching, and a peer-to-peer learned model, Resilia increases the strength and capabilities of non-profit organizations and removes as many burdens as possible from their work to build effectiveness. “Seeing technology as a way to improve impact, to be able to do more with less...I find that really, really rewarding."

One of Paul’s biggest accomplishments has been living a life of gratitude for the experiences he has had and for the incredible people he has met along the way. To learn more about Paul and his work, check him out on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/pauljtowne/.