Rachael Carson, Social Entrepreneur in Residence
While attending Union College in New York, Rachael discovered her fascination with the language, culture and geopolitical ties of China and Southeast Asia. She spent her term abroad immersed in the street food and ancient culture of Shanghai and Beijing, while also conducting research on the rising public health concerns of the country.
After completing a senior thesis comparing the West vs. East’s approach to foreign aid in African development, Rachael learned China’s business approach to development provides more sustainable opportunities for growth than traditional forms of charity and western aid. Building on an interest in using business principles for social development, Rachael was awarded a Social Entrepreneurship Fellowship from Union College to work on a capital investment project in central Vietnam.
The postgraduate fellowship led Rachael to be charmed by the beauty and cultural heritage of Hue, Vietnam, while the opportunity to build Fashion4Freedom (F4F), a socially minded design house, is why after four years she still calls Vietnam her home. As a founding member of Fashion4Freedom, Rachael merged her interests in social entrepreneurship, cultural heritage and sustainability to help create an organization that aims to reinvent ancient art for the modern market and build an ethical supply chain for manufacturing in Vietnam. Rachael currently serves as the Country Director of F4F and is based full time in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
After completing a senior thesis comparing the West vs. East’s approach to foreign aid in African development, Rachael learned China’s business approach to development provides more sustainable opportunities for growth than traditional forms of charity and western aid. Building on an interest in using business principles for social development, Rachael was awarded a Social Entrepreneurship Fellowship from Union College to work on a capital investment project in central Vietnam.
The postgraduate fellowship led Rachael to be charmed by the beauty and cultural heritage of Hue, Vietnam, while the opportunity to build Fashion4Freedom (F4F), a socially minded design house, is why after four years she still calls Vietnam her home. As a founding member of Fashion4Freedom, Rachael merged her interests in social entrepreneurship, cultural heritage and sustainability to help create an organization that aims to reinvent ancient art for the modern market and build an ethical supply chain for manufacturing in Vietnam. Rachael currently serves as the Country Director of F4F and is based full time in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.