Jennifer Namoura (Lebanon, Fall 2025): Connecting Purpose and Structure in Operations

Over the past six years, my work in project management within the NGO sector has been centered around community impact and collaboration, through entrepreneurship, youth empowerment and economic development initiatives. The Professional Fellows Program has taken that foundation and expanded it by giving me the opportunity to see how purpose and structure come together in the corporate operations’ world.

Serving as the Operations Manager with my host company, Ripple Impact in Washington D.C., was a defining experience. During my four-week fellowship, I led the development of a resource management plan, an operations bandwidth plan, and clarified standard operating procedures  that improved efficiency and communication across teams. In the process, I discovered that I truly enjoy being at the heart of how things run — building systems, connecting people, and turning ideas into sustainable results. It was a moment of clarity that helped me see myself not just as a project manager, but as a potential operations leader.

What made this journey even more meaningful were the friendships and professional bonds built with other members of the PFP cohort. These MENA regional connections go beyond this program — they form a lifelong network of collaboration, support, and shared vision. I know these relationships will continue to inspire new initiatives and partnerships in the years ahead.

The PFP experience has been more than a professional milestone — it’s been a personal transformation. I’m returning home with stronger leadership instincts, a deeper operational mindset, and the confidence to take on greater responsibilities that create long-term, strategic impact.