Integrate Health is proud to announce that both of our Co-Founders, Jennifer Schechter, Chief Executive Officer, and Kevin Fiori, Chief Science Officer, have been acknowledged by the National Peace Corps Association on its 40 Under 40 list. It is a list of 40 individuals who “exemplify a new generation of leadership within the Peace Corps community and beyond.”
In 2016, both Jennifer and Kevin were awarded the Sargent Shriver Award for Distinguished Humanitarian Service by the National Peace Corps Association. During their speech to accept the award, Jennifer and Kevin spoke about the ways in which Integrate Health remains true to Peace Corps ideals, most importantly, to lead with humility.
Below is an excerpt of their speech highlighting the ways in which the Peace Corps has deeply influenced their lives and success with Integrate Health:
“Kevin and I are proud Returned Peace Corps Volunteers. Anyone who has worked for us or has, unknowingly, asked us for career advice, has heard our pitch for the Peace Corps. We believe that not only was it an incredible experience for each of us personally, but that serving for two years in a community is the best possible preparation for any career.
Kevin and I learned a lot during our Peace Corps service, but the most important thing we learned was how little we actually knew. We learned that we were most effective when we were quiet, when we observed and listened. While we were at times looked to for advice, we were never the experts. We were guests in a beautiful country with the privileged opportunity to learn from the world’s foremost experts on how to solve their own problems. What we brought was access to resources that we could bring to bear to accomplish the goals set out by our partners.
As an organization, Integrate Health [formerly Hope Through Health] strives to remain true to our Peace Corps ideals, to the fundamental way of viewing the world that we developed as Peace Corps volunteers. What we have learned over the past 12 years, running and growing Integrate Health, is that Peace Corps values are durable. They are a highly effective way to orient an organization for an effective impact on a global scale. And more organizations should be paying attention to the lessons to be learned from the Peace Corps and Peace Corps Volunteers.
The most important of those lessons, in our experience, is to lead with humility. While Kevin and my names are on this award, it is most certainly not we who should be honored. We accept this award on behalf of every member of the Integrate Health and AED-Lidaw team, past and present. We accept this award on behalf of our Togolese government partners who strive to honor their responsibility to deliver healthcare to all of their citizens despite the immense challenges. We accept this award on behalf of our patients who play an active role in working to change their healthcare system for the better every time they decide to seek care for themselves or their children. And finally, we accept this award on behalf of those patients we have lost. Their sacrifices have pushed us to work ever harder, and we strive to always do better in their honor.“
Thank you to the National Peace Corps Association for honoring Jennifer and Kevin on your 40 Under 40 List.