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Brianna Harriman
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Entrepeneur
, International Non-Profit
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Rome, ME,
United States
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Motivated professional and MBA graduate with over 10 years of work experience, 5 in international project development. 1 year of community assessment in rural Zambia and 4 in project management in State Government. Non-profit volunteer and grant writer with a passion for helping others. Founder of Build a School, a non-profit dedicated to education and health needs in rural Zambia. |
 Contact Brianna Harriman
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Area of Expertise: |
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Administration, Management, Finance/Accounting, Procurement
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Capacity Building, Training, Advocacy
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Director, CEO, COP, President
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Fundraising, Business Development, Grants Writer
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Private Sector, Social Enterprise, Corporate Social Responsibility
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Professional Experience: |
I am the founder of an NGO called ‘Build a School’ which aims to help children in Zambia gain access to education and improve health outcomes. I founded this organization after serving in the US Peace Corps from 2012-2013. In June of 2015, after having raised the funds to complete a two-room schoolhouse, ‘Build a School’ became a registered 501(c)(3) organization. The organization continues to fundraise for the completion of a teacher’s house that would allow a certified teacher to live on site. From this project I’ve gained experience with the work and dedication it takes to find, encourage, and update supporters on a donor-funded project.
In 2012 I entered the Peace Corps as a Community Health Improvement Officer in Zambia. In this capacity, I underwent cultural, health, and language training. I learned the struggles of living in a thatched roof hut in a rural African village, with no electricity and little clean water. I worked hard to become a community member and to learn the forces affecting people in the region. I learned that due to economic disparities, social norms and health needs, girls were more likely to miss school or drop out altogether. They in turn had lower literacy rates, lower test scores and high rates of sexually transmitted diseases, unplanned pregnancy and early marriages. Two of my proudest moments as a volunteer were participating in camp GLOW “Girls Leading Our World” and holding an Amaka Abanakashi “Girl Power” day in my community. Camp GLOW was a female empowerment camp for girls in grades 8 and 9 where many topics relating to pre-adolescents were covered. Girls and their mentors attended the weeklong camp with sessions focused on peer pressure, future planning, health issues, leadership skills, and how to form a girls’ club at their school. It was rewarding to see the rise in confidence from the beginning to the end of the week. Back in my community, Amaka Abanakashi was a daylong event with both women and men discussing sensitive topics such as gender roles, family planning, and financial responsibility. A primary focus of this event was to help men understand that female empowerment was not male disempowerment. We discussed how making sure the entire family was healthy, educated and financially responsible helped the entire family and the next generation. One of Build a School’s main goals, ensuring that more girls have access to education, stems from these experiences.
I am an avid volunteer and board member for a local NGO, working closely with the Director to research and write grant proposals. I’ve completed several grants geared towards need and income-based projects such as home builds and renovations. As a board member, I participate in the Community Relations Committee, working to support fundraising efforts by strengthening the organization’s presence and impact in the community.
I have worked in both the private and State Government sectors developing skills in databases, revenue tracking and procedur
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Education: |
I earned my undergraduate degree in Architecture from the University of Maine at Augusta. There, I focused on sustainable design, believing that people should make as little impact on our environment as possible. This degree has enabled me to find creative solutions to complex problems. Key coursework included Web Applications and Digital Imaging, enabling me to create a website and logo for Build a School, the non-profit organization I founded in 2015. Presentation software skills learned from those courses enabled me to educate the public about my experiences as a US Peace Corps volunteer. I took courses in 2-D Design and Drawing, giving me the tools necessary to create engaging flip charts for lessons in Zambia where current technology wasn’t available. I also used the skills I developed in these courses to create an interactive banner thanking Build a School’s first major donor, an elementary school in central Maine. Courses in Interpersonal Communication helped me to engage such diverse audiences as HIV support groups, elementary schools, public universities, and rural African villages. My Architecture degree culminated in a yearlong thesis project where I conducted extensive research regarding sustainable design. I interviewed professionals in the fields of climate change, engineering and interior design, giving me the foundation to begin designing my own project using AutoCAD software, 3D models, and hand drawn renderings. This project ended with a presentation and critique in front of professors and professional architects. Additionally, I obtained a minor in Behavioral Sciences, taking classes such as Psychology, Sociology, Medical Anthropology, and Childhood and Society. It was through these classes that I gained an interest in humanitarian work.
I earned my MBA degree from Thomas College in Waterville, Maine, graduating Summa Cum Laude in 2010. My coursework focused on accounting, marketing, and research. One key project asked me to “start my own business,” going through the steps of financing and marketing. This project gave me the tools necessary to strategically plan a course forward for Build a School, leading to the idea of purchasing hand-made goods at fair prices from Zambian artisans and re-selling them, using the proceeds to help fund future building projects. In Financial Accounting, I learned how to read financial statements to gauge the health of an organization, deciding whether it was a good investment opportunity. My Train the Trainer course gave me the tools necessary to creatively get a message across. This was very useful in Zambia, where language could be a barrier. I used the groundwork this course gave me to develop skits and dramas to teach lessons in Malaria and HIV prevention.
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Affiliations and Achievements: |
Maine State Government Department of Administrative and Financial Services - Employee of the Month November 2017
American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages - Intermediate Mid-Level Score, Bemba Language (Zambia)
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Available for: |
- Job opportunities
- Internships / Fellowships
- Being headhunted – make me an offer
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