GWSB alumnus Francesco Paganini, M.P.A. ‘03, tells us about his time at GW, career journey, and current professional role. As Chief Impact Officer of Greater Good Charities, Francesco is constantly navigating exciting challenges and working to make the world a better place.
“I am the Chief Impact Officer of Greater Good Charities. I like this role because we do a large amount of different things, and I'm constantly learning new programmatic approaches and how to navigate different challenges.”
Francesco Paganini
M.P.A. ‘03
Where did you grow up, and how has your background influenced you today?
I grew up primarily in New York, as my family moved there when I was about 8 years old. Before that, however, I lived in Italy, Tanzania and Senegal. I believe that combination of nomadic early years and stable youth had a major impact on me, sparking a love for travel while also giving me an appreciation for stability. As a consequence, I spent a large part of my time as a young man travelling and experiencing new places.
Tell us about your current professional role and how it excites you.
I am the Chief Impact Officer of Greater Good Charities. I like this role because we do a large amount of different things, and I'm constantly learning new programmatic approaches and how to navigate different challenges. I've grown a lot in this position and wake up each day wondering what challenge I am going to address today!
What accomplishment are you most proud of personally or professionally, and why?
Last year, I was among the USAID staff impacted by the shutdown of the agency. During that time, I set myself certain objectives. These included ensuring that I was able to walk away from a chaotic experience with my head held high, maintaining stability for my children, and finding another way to express my professional and faith desire to help those in need. Thanks to a combination of good luck and my own efforts, I feel like I achieved those goals. With Greater Good Charities, I am still making the world a better place.
Professionally, I am proud of how I manned my post at USAID and helped set up colleagues who would carry some of our programs into the State Department. I also provided a stable transition for my children and modelled a certain level of resilience. I'm not saying I was perfect, but I was fortunate to have good support and good luck. With those elements, I was able to meet my professional and personal duties during a highly chaotic time.
What is your only-at-GW moment? In other words, what is an experience/opportunity you believe GW provided you access to?
When I was in my twenties, I remember being placed in a group for a class project based on our Myers-Briggs type. In talking with my group members, I said something along the lines of, “If what I’m saying is true, it doesn’t matter how I say it, right?” and was essentially laughed out of the room! This was very formative for me in terms of learning how to move from a childish approach to a more nuanced, mature one, especially when it comes to relating to co-workers. I still have road to travel, but that experience of learning from my classmates was a mile marker on my way to being a better manager and better person overall!
Did you receive a scholarship at GW? How did it help you succeed?
As a graduate student, I was selected for an Academic Assistantship. This was critical for me, as I don't know that I could’ve afforded to live in D.C. and cover tuition without it! Additionally, it gave me the opportunity to get to know some of my professors, Dr. Adam and Dr. Newcomer, more closely. That experience was formative for me.
What is a piece of advice you would offer to students seeking to pursue your field of work?
Don't be overly prescriptive in the path you want to take. Instead, have a general set of principles that function as a north star and roll with the punches. It can be fun!
How do you give back to the GW community?
I participate in Alumni events when possible and have donated in the past.
What is a fun fact about yourself that you’d like to share?
I played rugby for 3 different schools during my academic career: University of Arizona, George Washington University, and University of Alaska Fairbanks!