This summer, I was fortunate enough to participate in the Tadler Summer Fellowship Program, offered through SE@UVA. This program is designed to match UVA students with an organization working on social entrepreneurship and/or impact investing in the Appalachian region. This work is especially important because Appalachia has been historically underinvested in and ignored by both the public and private sectors. Social issues in Appalachia have been further exacerbated by COVID and the disease’s effects, meaning this program is more pertinent than ever.

The organization I was matched with is Blueprint Local, an impact investing fund founded by UVA grad Ross Baird. Blueprint specializes in real estate investments, especially in qualified Opportunity Zones, which are zip codes around the US that give investors special tax incentives upon investment. This presents a win-win for everyone involved - underfunded communities receive the investment they desperately need, and investors receive a nice financial return. I was immediately drawn to Blueprint’s innovative business model when it comes to investment and community development.

Currently, Blueprint is working to launch their Virginia Fund, which me and my fellow intern Jack were lucky enough to work on. We spent a lot of time working collaboratively on compiling research about the Virginia impact investing space, particularly potential partners and investors. We were also able to research potential investment projects, which was definitely my favorite part of the internship. Towards the end of the internship I primarily focused on the Food Port project, which Blueprint has been developing along with a number of local Charlottesville partners. The project includes plans for a food processing and distribution facility that prioritizes local farmers and local consumers. I did all sorts of interesting work for this project - I toured warehouses, sifted through city records, traveled to Roanoke for meetings, had hour long conversations with countless farmers, etc. I cannot thank Blueprint enough for giving me the opportunity to do such hands-on, genuinely enjoyable work.

I am so glad I chose to join the Tadler Fellowship Program this summer, and I cannot thank Mr. Richard Tadler enough for making it all possible. I learned so much this summer - everything from real estate finance to the gaps in Appalachia’s more localized food systems. I cannot wait to see how this field develops in the future, and how amazing organizations like Blueprint will transform the region.