When Danielle Biggs graduated from North Carolina's Elon University in 2014, she planned to pursue a career in dance.
Instead, she became a senior director at Aon Corp., a role that allowed her "to contribute meaningfully to corporate social responsibility initiatives, blending her professional responsibilities with her commitment to community enhancement," per a press release from Elon.
That community enhancement includes teaching Zumba and dance fitness classes in New York City's East Harlem, promoting health and wellness, and serving on the alumni advisory council and local alumni community organizer.
"My time at Elon instilled in me the importance of community engagement and effective leadership," says Biggs.
"Regardless of where my career has taken me, the focal point has and will always be community development and the strengthening of society."
Biggs, who was born in Ghana and grew up in New York City, says her time at Elon gave her insight into the "business aspect of the arts, the behind-the-scenes foundation that makes all of our access to the arts possible."
After graduating, she entered the nonprofit sector, working at the McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton, NJ, where she developed her fundraising and development skills.
Her previous nonprofit experience allows her to contribute meaningfully to corporate social responsibility initiatives, says Biggs
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For 2014, the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship has recognized 37 individuals for their outstanding work in the field of social enterprise.