Estee Chaikin

Hometown: Manalapan, NJ

Current Location: London, England

Creating a business plan for a Caribbean-themed restaurant and cooking a 3 course meal for friends in SHA’s commercial kitchen.
Planning large concerts, a fashion show, and Back Bay Ball with Programming Council. Being the first to live in the Buick Street dormitories. Creating the BUnited campaign in honor of 9/11. Arranging SHA Diner’s Club outings to check out new restaurants and meet interesting chefs across Boston.

What was your first full-time job? How did you end up in your current position?

Client Relationship Manager at Colpitts World Travel in Dedham, MA. Thanks to the SHA internship requirement I was able to get full-time employment once I decided to jump into starting my career.

I wanted to work in sustainability and an opportunity arose to work in a solar installation startup as a Marketing Manager. This helped me understand how to launch a new product for a good cause plus change people’s behavior with energy in the home. Currently I built the first permanent full solar installation service area throughout 18 IKEA stores in the UK and will continue to roll-out the first ever retail solar service in Europe.

Please describe your current role. How did your SHA education impact your career?
I head up marketing and new country service rollout for Hanergy Solar. Hanergy works in collaboration with IKEA to create a permanent solar installation service in European countries. In just 10 months, all 18 IKEA stores across the UK now have solar shops where 4 Solar Advisors educate 40 million visitors each year about the benefits of solar. The new solar service will enable solar to become mainstream.

SHA helped provide a framework for service design with a real focus on how to recruit and manage the people. One of the most interesting courses I found was Human Resource Management where we studied hospitality leaders and their approach to management. I feel quite confident in how to execute new service design for any type of business because of these learnings.

Any advice for current and prospective students?

Define your purpose throughout your time at school and as you progress in your career. Really question why you have decided to join the SHA program and what you want to give to the world.Be Fearless.Network. Network. Network. You are in a social business for a reason. The only way to continue to reach new heights is through your network and those that support you in your career.