The Gig Is On

If you had a choice between doing an internship at one of the most prestigious financial news outlets in New York or working at a bakery operated by a social enterprise in Chicago, which would you choose? The answer for entrepreneur Francesca Chia was not as simple as the two experiences shaped her into the person she is today. While studying in the US, Chia recounts one particularly enlightening experience where she wrote her dissertation on how social enterprises can use upskilling as a means to reduce unemployment. She volunteered to work at the Sweet Miss Giving bakery to conduct her research. There she was humbled by the dedication shown by a homeless man who always began his work shift an hour earlier, remaining focused and dedicated to the task at hand.

Her experience at the bakery contrasted with her internship in New York, where she worked behind a help desk and observed