Annie Makela

Annie Makela is a leading voice in K-12 social entrepreneurship education. Her career in this field began when she joined the founding team of the Middlebury Center for Social Entrepreneurship in her senior year of college. Annie taught second grade at Greenwich Country Day School, running some of their most innovative programs such as TEDxGCDS and a schedule redesign. During her summers, Annie worked at the Aspen Institute in Aspen, Colorado helping to run the Aspen Ideas Festival (where she continues to spend several weeks in the summer). This combination of classroom experience and visionary thinking led Annie back to the start-up culture, launching the Center for Social Impact Learning (CSIL) at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. The majority of the work focused on research in emerging markets in the growing fields of impact investing, social entrepreneurship and social enterprise education. A lifelong believer that K-12 education is the foundation that creates opportunity, dignity and equity for all, Annie began teaching workshops for middle school girls focused on social entrepreneurship and finance. She often proclaimed to friends, this is my dream job! The Scott Center for Social Entrepreneurship at Hillbrook School was launched in 2017 and is the first of its kind, paving the path for integration of this important learning platform locally and globally. Annie loves being at a school with a visionary team that is dedicated to the highest standards of learning, and most importantly an ongoing emphasis on joy, laughter and a love of learning. Annie is especially grateful for the partnership with the Scott Foundation that makes this work possible not only at Hillbrook School but around the world.

What matters most to Annie is using social entrepreneurship education as a tool for long term impact whether you are 4 or 94. Outside of work Annie spends as much time as possible with her pup Louie. She is originally from Louisville, Kentucky and considers it to be the city in the country. Annie is passionate about pickles, Wendell Berry, Big Sur, the Modern Love podcast series and finding the best pet-friendly wineries California has to offer. Talk to her about Fair Trade, Ethical Fashion, Lebanese food, the perfect cross country road trip playlist, and the best (worst) ever imPACT toast she ever gave.