Andrew Dunckelman
Head of Impact and Insights
Google.org
Washington, DC USA
“You can learn just as much from knowing what you don’t want to do in life as what you do want to do.”
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By Roadtrip NationAndrew Dunckelman
Milestones
My road in life has been direct.
I knew early on that I wanted to have an impact on society—I initially thought I wanted to go into politics and run for office.
I went to college for political science but, as I learned more about running for elected office, I realized that it took a really thick skin that I didn’t have.
This realization allowed me to expand my scope and look at other ways to create impact.
While working for the National 4-H Council, a mentor encouraged me to go into management consulting to learn and gain experience rather than go directly into a nonprofit.
I got a job at the Bridgespan Group, which does management consulting for nonprofit organizations.
I spent three years with the Bridgespan Group and then went back to school for my MBA because I wanted to get more involved with business.
I was applying for more business-oriented positions—including a marketing role at Google—and was contacted by one of Google’s recruiters to work in philanthropy at Google.org instead.
It felt like the fates had aligned, so I took the summer internship position during my MBA, was invited back full-time, and have been at Google.org ever since.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Bachelor
Political Science and Business Administration
Louisiana State University
Political Science and Business Administration
Louisiana State University
Graduate
Public Finance and Nonprofit Management
Indiana University Bloomington
Public Finance and Nonprofit Management
Indiana University Bloomington
Career
Head of Impact and Insights
I make sure Google's philanthropy efforts create the most impact possible.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Business
Non-Profit Organizations
Accomplishing Goals
Day to Day
I spend a lot of time speaking with partner teams at Google to make sure what we're doing at Google.org aligns with what the rest of the company is doing. It's also my job to understand what's happening in the world. I regularly meet with leaders to see how they're tackling the world's challenges. The third part of my job involves managing and working with my team of 10 people. I help them structure and create programs and investments while also involving myself in their growth as people.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for everyone
Networking is a great way to gain entry into a field or job. Don't be afraid to reach out to people because nine times out of 10, they'll be more than willing to help you. It's also important to remember that connections can be made anywhere. Don't assume that the only way to get your foot in the door at a company is to directly reach out to someone in that company. The connections that have helped me the most have actually been completely unexpected.
Recommended Education
My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:
Bachelor
Political Science and Business Administration
Political Science and Business Administration
Graduate
Public Finance and Nonprofit Management
Public Finance and Nonprofit Management
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Myself:
"I don't have what it takes to succeed."
