nShine Brighter: A Conversation with Velo van Houden
by Dawn Smith
IMPACTability is thrilled to welcome Velo van Houden to serve as our Vice President of Development and newest Board Member! Velo is an attorney who also loves creating art. He is on a mission to make a positive impact. I had the pleasure of asking him a few questions about his life and his goals.
DS: What drew you to nonprofit development work?
VVH: When I was in high school, I started turning my interests into service projects. I organized fundraising bake sales and coordinated donations of hand-knit baby clothes for new mothers.
I received a scholarship stipend to attend UC Berkeley, which was really life-changing for me. I want future generations of students to have the opportunity for that same excitement.
I continued to explore my interests, and built additional skills through Harvard Law School’s clinical programs and my law firm’s Legal Aid Society fundraiser. Now, I hope to leverage all that experience to help students.
DS: What sparked your interest in disability employment advocacy?
VVH: I’ve felt the difference a supportive environment can make, and I want to create a world where everyone’s unique strengths can shine. If we listen to each other, everyone benefits.
DS: What do you hope to accomplish in your role as VP of Development for IMPACTability?
VVH: I’d like to bring in more partnerships, more funding, and increased programming to help support students through their career journeys.
I want every student to have professional clothing that inspires confidence in interviews and the workplace. I also believe students deserve an opportunity to learn from the best and have access to a strong professional network. To meet those goals, I hope to successfully launch new strategies for fundraising and engaging with industry leaders for mentorship.
DS: Have you had any meaningful experiences working with the team so far?
VVH: Yes, I’ve really enjoyed the dream big sessions at our board meetings. It’s fun to be in such a collaborative environment, and I’m excited for the future with IMPACTability.
DS: Do you have any advice for the students participating in the CareerReady! program?
VVH: If you think something is interesting, pursue it. Don’t worry if it will look good on a resume or transcript. Sign up for that club. Take that class. You can build transferable skills from almost anything, and you should take advantage of everything on campus while you can.
If you have a question, ask it. I think going with a classmate to your professors’ office hours is a great way to set yourself up for learning something new, gaining a supportive mentor, or securing a potential recommendation letter.
DS: What drew you to nonprofit development work?
VVH: When I was in high school, I started turning my interests into service projects. I organized fundraising bake sales and coordinated donations of hand-knit baby clothes for new mothers.
I received a scholarship stipend to attend UC Berkeley, which was really life-changing for me. I want future generations of students to have the opportunity for that same excitement.
I continued to explore my interests, and built additional skills through Harvard Law School’s clinical programs and my law firm’s Legal Aid Society fundraiser. Now, I hope to leverage all that experience to help students.
DS: What sparked your interest in disability employment advocacy?
VVH: I’ve felt the difference a supportive environment can make, and I want to create a world where everyone’s unique strengths can shine. If we listen to each other, everyone benefits.
DS: What do you hope to accomplish in your role as VP of Development for IMPACTability?
VVH: I’d like to bring in more partnerships, more funding, and increased programming to help support students through their career journeys.
I want every student to have professional clothing that inspires confidence in interviews and the workplace. I also believe students deserve an opportunity to learn from the best and have access to a strong professional network. To meet those goals, I hope to successfully launch new strategies for fundraising and engaging with industry leaders for mentorship.
DS: Have you had any meaningful experiences working with the team so far?
VVH: Yes, I’ve really enjoyed the dream big sessions at our board meetings. It’s fun to be in such a collaborative environment, and I’m excited for the future with IMPACTability.
DS: Do you have any advice for the students participating in the CareerReady! program?
VVH: If you think something is interesting, pursue it. Don’t worry if it will look good on a resume or transcript. Sign up for that club. Take that class. You can build transferable skills from almost anything, and you should take advantage of everything on campus while you can.
If you have a question, ask it. I think going with a classmate to your professors’ office hours is a great way to set yourself up for learning something new, gaining a supportive mentor, or securing a potential recommendation letter.
