Battling Food Insecurity: How Founding a Non-Profit Helped Me Stand Out in Business School.

Jasmine Ren is a former Porte mentee. She is the co-founder of GoGivers - a student nonprofit aimed to provide monthly care packages with seasonal necessities for those in need. To date, GoGivers has involved 880+ members, distributed 34,282+ care packages, and raised $19,850+ through our campaigns. Jasmineis currently a sophomore studying at the Cornell Dyson School of Business.

"Tell us about yourself in high school. What type of person were you? Did you always know you wanted to start an organization?"

People knew me as the girl who was part of every club at school. From volunteering events to student council meetings, I was everywhere. Despite being so active, I couldn’t shake the feeling of being directionless. Each activity was fulfilling in its way, but none of them felt like they were truly mine. I felt like I was always following someone else’s lead, never quite forming my own path.

It took me a while, but I eventually realized: I didn’t want to just participate. I wanted to form my own opinions and think independently. This was a turning point for me – instead of spreading myself thin across numerous activities, I decided to grow one project from the ground up. That’s how I settled on the idea of starting my own organization. GoGivers was born out of a need to create something meaningful and lasting—a commitment I could truly call my own.

"GoGivers now involves 800+ members in Vancouver and has fundraised over $23,000 CAD to address food insecurity. That's an incredible achievement. Looking back, what were the challenges to get GoGivers up and running? Did you ever envision it could grow into what it is now?"

I worked at McDonald’s throughout high school. One day, a family walked in, their kids excited for Happy Meals. As I took their order, I saw the parents' faces fall – they were short a few dollars. My heart sank. I immediately asked my manager to see if I could buy a meal for them. “You can’t do that,” he said. “If we buy one meal for one hungry person, we would have to buy meals for every person.” I was shocked. At that moment, I knew I needed to make a difference.

GoGivers began with a team of 4 - myself and 3 friends - who met every weekend to hand out chips and juice boxes to those in need. We had no resources. We funded everything straight from our own pockets. It felt like we were treading water and we were unsure if we could scale our efforts.

Despite obstacles, we pressed on. We organized fundraisers and monthly events, slowly gaining momentum. Our team of four grew to ten, then twenty students who would gather in my kitchen to pack sandwiches and drinks. With more hands, leadership became the real challenge. I treated my team like friends, making it hard to set clear expectations. GoGivers went through two iterations before seeing long-term success. I learned how to set boundaries and delegate tasks, transforming our small efforts into a well-oiled machine.

Seeing what GoGivers has grown into today is incredible. What started as a small effort has become a thriving organization that makes a real difference for people facing food insecurity in Vancouver. To date, it is one of my proudest projects. I couldn’t be happier of what we’ve achieved together.

"How did GoGivers prepare you for business school and the academically rigorous lifestyle at Cornell?"

When I entered Cornell’s Dyson School for Business, I thought business was all about entrepreneurship, consulting, and investment banking. What surprised me was that many of my peers had non-profit backgrounds.

GoGivers made it that much easier to stand out on campus. Running a non-profit taught me to speak and pitch confidently, making me more social and proactive with peers, upperclassmen, and even the administration, which opened up many opportunities.

While Cornell is academically rigorous, only about 30% of my time is spent on academics. The other 70% goes to extracurriculars, events, and professional clubs. Through GoGivers, I became so much more goal-oriented and impact-driven, and this is a mindset I readily apply at business school. Learning how much I enjoyed interacting with people through GoGivers helped me pinpoint what I want from my college experience.

"What would be a single piece of advice you would give to a younger student who wants to start their own impact project?"

Take advantage of your networks. The biggest lesson that I have learned is that there are so many people out there who are willing to support your cause. All it takes is an introduction.

My Porte mentors were the first people to help me understand the power of networks. One of the biggest issues my team ran into was supplying food. As our volunteer pool expanded, we struggled to fundraise to purchase enough breads, meats, granola bars, etc. for our distributions.

Then, my mentor introduced me to Kwaku - the founder of Global Access Foundation - who helps distribute food to low income and racialized communities in Vancouver. Kwaku was so sympathetic to our cause. GoGivers became a partner distributor to the foundation. All of a sudden, we no longer had to worry about funding for food, letting us focus on scaling.

Without my Porte mentors' guidance and connections, GoGivers might never have grown beyond a small volunteer effort. Their support and introductions were crucial in overcoming obstacles and achieving our goals. Seek out and leverage the support around you; it's often the key to your success.