Introducing 2012 ProInspire Fellow: Nick Hamlin
Name: Nick Hamlin
Hometown: Ipswich, MA
Previous Employer: PTC
Current Organization: GlobalGiving
What inspired you to make the switch into the nonprofit sector?
Engineers naturally gravitate towards elegant solutions to complex problems. For me, the fact that a simple, well-executed idea, like using deworming medication to increase school attendance, can carry major benefits for those most in need makes non-profit work in international development extremely compelling. With this in mind, after founding the University of Rochester chapter of Engineers Without Borders and working closely with the Cameroon Football Development Program, a Pittsburgh startup NGO, I wanted to formally transition into the sector.
What is your current position, and a typical day like?
I’m a member of the Operations team at Globalgiving, an online marketplace that connects donors with grassroots development projects around the world. Since our staff is so small, we all wear many hats. As a result, there is no “typical day” in my schedule. On any given day I might be helping our partners with their disbursement questions, writing new tools to help detect questionable donations, extracting and analysing information from our databases, or even fixing the sink.
Where did you work prior to making the switch?
Previously, I served as a reliability consulting engineer on the Global Services team at PTC, the leading engineering software firm. I worked with major engineering companies and Fortune 500 firms to design and implement reliability programs, including failure modes and effects analyses and failure reporting, analysis, and corrective action systems.
What is your professional background and areas of expertise?
While my degrees are in mechanical engineering and european history, much of my professional experience has been in reliability and quality. Along these lines, I’ve also worked in enterprise-level data analysis. I’m at my best when I’m solving problems.
What are you involved in outside of work?
I love playing, producing, and listening to music, especially with a global flavor. I’ve started a street performing act singing and playing guitar on the national mall on sunny weekends, and it’s a great opportunity to meet new people and generate some extra income on an activity I would have been doing anyway at home. When I’m in the mood to play something less mainstream, I’ll bring my digeridoo to the Meridian Hill park drum circle.
Tell us about your past leadership experiences and how they are helping you in your current role.
My time at PTC was crucial for learning about what challenges organizations face in designing, implementing, and using technical systems. I leverage this experience every day at GlobalGiving, whether working on our disbursement system redesign or helping partners with their issues. As an online portal, user experience is central to smooth operation both externally for project leaders and donors and internally for our own team.
Who do you look to as a leader in your respective field, and why?
I’m really impressed by the work that Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee are doing with randomized controlled trials for international development at the MIT Poverty Action Lab. Monitoring and evaluation is one of the trickiest aspects of global development work, and, while it’s not a silver bullet, their data-driven method to determining what programs are most effective presents a quantifiable and actionable approach.
What blogs or websites do you read on a daily basis?
Beyond the usual news outlets like CNN, Washington Post, and the New York Times, I always like to stay up to date on Lifehacker, which is a fabulous source for diverse tips to make every aspect of life run better. I’m a serial NPR podcast listener, especially Planet Money, This American Life, and Radiolab.
What book are you reading right now or what is your favorite book?
I’m currently in the middle of Jack Weatherford’s Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World.
Where else have you lived?
For at least 3 months or more, in order: Ipswich, MA; Rochester, NY; Bangkok, Thailand; Dalian, China; Greensburg, PA; and now Washington, DC.