Meet-A-FLiP: Scott Overdyke

Our resident DC FLiP Julie Fagnani sat down with Scott Overdyke of Razoo.com, an online community of people changing the world one passion at a time.

Future Leaders in Philanthropy (FLiP): Tell us a little about yourself - where  you went to school, what you majored in, and the interests that led you to a job in philanthropy.

Scott Overdyke (SO): I’m from Louisiana and grew up in Texas. For undergrad I attended Vanderbilt University, majored in Economics and Political Science, and graduated in 2003. After college, I worked in New Zealand for a few months for an oil service company.

I did the Peace Corps for 2 ½ years in Panama as an agriculture business volunteer. After that I came back to the States, moved to DC and started working for Razoo (where I have been working for a year).

FLiP: Describe your role at your current job.

SO: My job is to talk to nonprofits, spread the Razoo.com network and community, expand business and keep up on trends in philanthropy.

My current role here is to help grow and strengthen the Razoo community by identifying the people and organizations most relevant to the website, providing practical incentives for membership, and finally just serving the needs of our existing users. 

So part of the job is passive - you have to be intimately familiar with your audience and your environment, which entails loads of research.  And the other part is active - seeking out new members, organizations, student groups, companies, and schools with whom we might work or partner.

FLiP: What are some parts of the job you like? What do you dislike?

SO: I like working for a start-up company and enjoy connecting people to philanthropy through the web. There are a ton of new experiences and problems to solve.  However, there’s no road map - you make a ton of mistakes but ultimately learn from them.  It’s one of the biggest challenges of working for a start-up, climbing up that learning curve.

FLiP: Who have been your biggest supporters?

SO: In addition to friends, my brother is a huge supporter. He chose an “unorthodox path” out of college and encouraged me and made it easier for me to take a similar path.  Honestly, living in DC has been a hugely motivating experience - just being surrounded by all the idealism and entrepreneurialism here is enough to light a fire under anyone.  I’ve never seen another city like this.

FLiP: Is there anyone you look to for professional guidance?

SO: The CEO of Razoo and my boss, Sebastian Traeger. Sebastian has the unique ability to look at just about any issue, break it into its component parts, put it all in a comprehensive framework and offer a menu of solutions.  I’ve never seen problem-solving applied so ruthlessly and so effectively.

FLiP: What is a day or week like for you?

SO: It varies. Typically, I review analytics to see what members are/aren’t doing and check out site activity. I also do some basic marketing, working to bring new members to the site. In addition I develop strategy and talk to different organizations thinking through potential marketing campaigns with possible partners. I spend quite a bit of time researching what’s going on in the world to keep abreast of possible partnerships and opportunities as well as what competitors are offering.  And of course I spend a lot of time on Razoo.com!

FLiP: Any fun facts about you that you’d like to share?

SO: I’m the best foosball player…EVER

FLiP: How has your education helped prepare you for your current roles?

SO: While in the Peace Corps, I was teaching people basic skills that would lead them to obtainable successes. I most appreciated the Western education in general during that experience. I guess it actually turns out that some of the coursework I least valued turned out to be extremely useful (Spanish in Panama, statistics and number crunching in my current position). With regards to Razoo, basic analytic skills and problem-solving have been helpful when judging performance and growth of a website.

FLiP: Where do you see yourself professionally in 10 years?  In 25 years?

SO: No idea. Perhaps back to Peace Corps? At the very least I know I will definitely be engaged in something in international development, hopefully living and working abroad in the developing world.

FLiP: Do you have any advice you would give to FLiPs looking at a career in philanthropy? 

SO: Speaking to my experiences, applying relevant skills to service. Service is so much broader than just nonprofits. You don’t have to work full time in service, volunteerism, or advocacy - you can take your desire to affect positive change in the world and apply it just about anywhere.  I wouldn’t necessarily advocate more people getting involved in professional philanthropy, but rather that more people would engage in their personal and professional affairs philanthropically.  That said, it’s incredibly rewarding to give yourself to a cause, to do something beyond yourself.  And to get paid for it, well, I think that’s about the best you could ask for.

FLiP: In your opinion, what are some issues within the sector that may be relevant to Future Leaders in Philanthropy?

SO: Personally I’m pretty interested in all the noise we hear today around social enterprise and sustainable business - good done well, so to speak.  Different players are entering the ring of international development and transforming the way we think about economic and social empowerment.  The internet is still in its infancy in terms of its potential for affecting positive change in the world.  I can’t think of a more exciting time to be working in philanthropy!

FLiP: Anything else to add?

SO: Rebecca would kill me if I didn’t make a quick plug for Razoo’s latest campaign – We will spend the next two months promoting sustainable travel.  In addition to hosting information and organizations promoting “good travels,” we’re offering a service-tourism trip for two anywhere in the world along with other prizes for active members of the website.  Find out more at http://beta.razoo.com/good_travels.

Comments

[Ryan]

Scott is a stud. I once saw him levitate. He will be a major player in the philanthropy world in 10 years.