Ladies We Love: Heidi Krauel
November 4, 2009 at 12:11 pm , by Sonia Harmon
In 2008 Heidi Krauel left her job, steady salary and home in San Francisco to embark on a 10-month journey to New Delhi, India. As a 2009 Acumen Fund Fellow, equipped with degrees from Princeton and Stanford as well as experience on Wall Street, she worked in India with a company called D.Light Design to provide LED technology to people in New Delhi still using kerosene lanterns at night. Cameras followed the experiences of Heidi and two other Acumen fellows for The New Recruits, a new documentary that offers insight into how capitalism can bring social change to developing countries. Whether or not you agree with the film’s message, you’ll agree that Heidi’s eagerness to gain a better understanding of how to serve the poor through sustainable business is something to admire.
What makes me a lady: I surround myself with people that challenge me to be my best self at work and at home, and I know that there’s no bad day that can’t be made better by donning a fantastic pair of heels, some NARS lip gloss and enjoying a great glass of wine with friends.
Favorite guilty pleasure: A three hour Sunday brunch with lots of sparkling rosé followed by a Gossip Girl marathon on TiVo.
Three things on my life list: 1. Trekking in Bhutan. 2. Writing a book of short stories to recount my ridiculous life, love, and travel (mis)adventures. 3. Creating ways for people to invest in businesses that serve the poor as easily as they pick a stock or buy a CD.
If I could have a superpower, it would be: Insta-Empathy. I would love the ability to make people understand each other’s values and perspectives instantly, so that cultural divides could be crossed and great ideas for effective partnerships could start to flow from the very start.
Ladies I admire: Ariane de Bonvoisin (CEO, First 30 Days), Jacqueline Novogratz (Founder, Acumen Fund), Penelope Douglas (President, Pacific Community Ventures) and Julia Child—women leaders that not only break through boundaries with their work, but also nurture a rich personal and spiritual life.
Is there a lady who you think deserves some of the spotlight? Tell us about her at ladieslounge@lhj.com and she could be featured in a future post!
Categories: Ladies' Lounge | Tags: Ladies We Love, Life List, The New Recruits | 2 Comments
2 Responses to “Ladies We Love: Heidi Krauel”
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Written on June 15, 2010 at 1:56 pm, by A Lady We Love on PBS Tonight! | The Ladies' Lounge
[...] year we featured Heidi Krauel on the blog as a lady we love—we admired the work she did as a 2009 Acumen fellow in India. She focused on bringing LED [...]
Written on September 17, 2012 at 2:01 am, by icon downloads
I join. And I have faced it.
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