The CariClub Effect: How Board Service is Transforming Professionals and Their Communities

In the bustling financial districts and sleek agency offices across New York City, a quiet revolution is taking place. Rising professionals from companies like KKR, Tiger Global, EY, Deloitte, and Manifest are discovering something their academic degrees and career trajectories didn't prepare them for: the transformative power of nonprofit board service.

Their stories—different in the details but united in impact—reveal the multilayered value of what we might call "The CariClub Effect": the unique transformation that occurs when ambitious professionals connect their career expertise with causes they deeply care about through strategic board service.

Breaking Through the Barrier of Perception

For most of these professionals, board service wasn't initially on their radar. As EY's Michael put it, "While I've been active in various non-profit organizations, it has been hard to identify organizations that openly articulate their associate boards and their mandates."

Deloitte's Rachel Lipski shared a similar misconception: "I had imagined that any type of board position was reserved for someone with inexhaustible qualifications." This perception barrier—that board service is exclusively for seasoned executives or the ultra-connected—kept many from exploring these opportunities.

Stamatis Kakleas of Tiger Global was even more direct: "I simply had no idea associate boards exist. I was under the impression that 'boards' were for more seasoned professionals with bigger networks and leverage."

For Nick Felice at Manifest, it wasn't lack of awareness but decision paralysis: "I was overwhelmed with the amount of nonprofits, the variety of ways to get involved, and what would be expected of me on an associate board. As a busy professional, I wanted to be sure that I was going to be investing my time in the right organization."

These reflections highlight the first critical function CariClub serves: demystifying board service and making it accessible to talented professionals who might otherwise assume such opportunities are beyond their reach or beyond their capacity to evaluate effectively.

Finding the Perfect Match

Each of these professionals found their way to organizations that resonated with their personal histories and core values.

For KKR's Adam Simon, education was the key: "I was very fortunate to grow up with supportive parents who valued education and ensured I had access to best-in-class teachers and tutors from kindergarten through high school... This always seemed inherently unfair to me." This recognition of educational privilege led him to Teach for America-NY, where he could help ensure all students have access to quality education regardless of background.

Stamatis Kakleas found his match in BUILD because of his entrepreneurial background: "I have always been very entrepreneurial. In high school I was part of the Young Entrepreneur Association, participated in a business plan competition in college, pursued a minor in entrepreneurship, and started two businesses while working full-time towards my career in Finance."

For Rachel Lipski, the connection was even more direct—she had participated in the Economics Challenge sponsored by the Council for Economic Education as a high school student. Her board service created a perfect full-circle moment where she could give back to an organization that had shaped her own educational journey.

Michael's commitment to educational equity traced back to his grandfather's experience in the Philippines, where education had been the key to breaking cycles of poverty and creating opportunity across generations.

These personal connections transformed board service from an abstract good deed into a deeply meaningful extension of their identities and values—a crucial element in sustaining commitment amid busy professional lives.

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The Triple Win

Across these stories emerges what CariClub calls "the triple win" of board service: business impact through enhanced leadership skills, professional growth through real-world governance experience, and personal fulfillment through meaningful community involvement.

Professional Growth Beyond the Office

For these professionals, board service provides opportunities to develop skills and experiences often unavailable in their day-to-day roles.

As Nick Felice noted, "My favorite aspect of being on BUILD's associate board is to see the impact that the organization continues to make on the students within the program. I'm also grateful to be working alongside some of the smartest, motivated, and likeminded professionals in New York City to whom I'm constantly learning from each day."

Rachel Lipski highlighted the agency that board service provides: "You are given the resources and empowerment to mobilize. As a member of a new associate board, each meeting revolves around goals and events for fundraising or ways that the associate board can further deepen its involvement."

This combination of learning from peers while exercising leadership creates a uniquely valuable professional development environment. The skills developed—strategic planning, stakeholder management, collaboration across sectors—complement and enhance their professional capabilities.

Personal Fulfillment Through Meaningful Impact

Beyond career benefits, these professionals consistently mentioned the personal fulfillment that comes from seeing tangible impact.

Adam Simon described it eloquently: "It all comes together when we receive thank you letters and photos from the teachers and their students or when we go visit them and watch them make a difference in the classroom."

For Michael, board service provides "energy and passion" that becomes a "source of renewal to fuel my own beliefs and actions." This renewal effect is particularly valuable for professionals in demanding careers where burnout is a real risk.

Stamatis Kakleas framed his board service as "paying it forward," continuing a cycle of mentorship that had benefited him throughout his career. This connection to personal values provides a sense of purpose that balances the profit-focused nature of many corporate roles.

Organizational Impact: Fresh Perspectives and Expanded Networks

Though focused on their personal experiences, these professionals also recognized the value they bring to their nonprofit partners.

Rachel Lipski noted that "these organizations benefit greatly from leveraging a professional's enthusiasm and network." Nick Felice emphasized that associate board members aren't "just volunteering, you're a part of the operational engine that keeps an organization moving and helps spread awareness of its cause."

This mutual benefit—developing professionals while strengthening nonprofit capacity—creates sustainable engagement that serves both sectors.

Managing the Commitment

A common concern for prospective board members is the time and financial commitment. Here too, these professionals offer reassuring perspective.

Adam Simon acknowledged he "didn't have a great grasp on the financial or time commitment prior to joining," but found it manageable and "am happy to give both when I can!"

Nick Felice offered perhaps the most insightful observation: "I quickly found out that if you have a passion for something, finding time for it is easy." This perspective shift—from viewing board service as another obligation to seeing it as an expression of passion—transforms the experience from something that takes time to something that gives energy.

Rachel Lipski provided practical advice: "Definitely ask about the commitments prior to agreeing to join an associate board. While the time and financial factors vary across organizations, across the board the principle, 'you get what you put in,' applies."

Balancing Professional Demands with Board Service

These professionals have all developed strategies for managing the demands of high-powered careers alongside their board commitments.

Rachel Lipski recommends "physical reminders for calmness and positivity when work gets stressful," including awareness of facial expressions and using standing desks to manage anxious energy.

Nick Felice maintains perspective with three reminders: "I'm doing something that I truly enjoy and I should never take that for granted. Things could be much worse. Stress is a temporary feeling and the more I spend focusing on how much it's inhibiting me, the less I'm doing to get rid of it. No one is dying on the table. This is not a life or death business so let's all take a step back and assess the correct path forward."

These practical approaches to stress management support sustained engagement in both professional and board roles.

The Unexpected Gift: Community

Beyond the expected benefits of skill development and community impact, many board members highlighted an unanticipated reward: the community of like-minded peers they joined.

Michael described the "energy and passion that my co-board members bring to the table" as a source of renewal. Nick Felice valued "working alongside some of the smartest, motivated, and likeminded professionals in New York City."

This peer community—ambitious professionals who share values and commitment—becomes a meaningful network that extends beyond the boardroom.

The CariClub Difference

Across these stories, CariClub emerges as the crucial bridge connecting talented professionals with board opportunities aligned with their values and interests.

For Nick Felice, "CariClub made it very easy to manage expectations. Most of the AB postings had detailed specs and obligations. I knew what I was signing up for and purposely sought out an organization that not only aligned with my interests, but also had room for growth and opportunity to add real value."

Stamatis Kakleas credited CariClub with "opening a door into the world of associate boards" he hadn't known existed. Rachel Lipski's research through CariClub revealed dimensions of the Council for Economic Education's work she hadn't previously been aware of.

This matchmaking function—helping professionals find the right organizational fit while setting clear expectations—increases the likelihood of successful, sustainable board service.

The Compounding Returns of Board Service

What begins as exploratory board service often leads to deeper commitment and expanded impact. Adam Simon's experience as a substitute teacher during the recession reveals how board service can maintain connection to alternative career interests. Stamatis Kakleas's culinary training alongside his finance career demonstrates how board service can integrate diverse aspects of one's identity and interests.

For rising professionals, board service provides a platform for developing and demonstrating leadership capabilities that might take years to access in traditional career paths. For established professionals, it offers renewal and perspective that can prevent burnout and reinvigorate professional purpose.

In a professional landscape where meaning and impact are increasingly prioritized alongside advancement and compensation, board service through CariClub offers a uniquely powerful opportunity to integrate career success with personal values and community impact.

The stories of these professionals—from different companies, backgrounds, and sectors—converge on a single truth: when talent meets purpose through the right board service opportunity, everyone wins.

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