Eric Appesland

Alumnus Eric Appesland (BA ’09) helps Foster get LinkedIn

Using LinkedIn and other social networking sites, Foster alumnus Eric Appesland (BA 2009) and a team of his peers from the University of Washington have been able to build a community around a microfinance program they began in Ghana. Now, Eric has put his social networking skills to work for the Foster School by helping us create our official Foster LinkedIn Group for alumni, faculty and staff.

“I think it is so important that the Foster School reach out electronically to expand its network,” Appesland said. “The more the school is connected, the more opportunities will flow into it.”

Our LinkedIn group is designed to specifically help alumni connect with each other and share professional and business opportunities and contacts. Before launching the group, we researched more than 30 Foster-related groups already in existence and decided to partner with Eric since his group already had a strong membership base.

“I know that as the network continues to develop and improve, it will become an ever more important tool for finding opportunities, meeting people and changing the world in the ways we idealistic youth always dream of,” Eric said.

It’s that kind of dreaming that has lead to the success of Lumana Credit in Ghana. While he’s in Ghana, Eric said, he has used LinkedIn to find donors and technology partners for Lumana as well as to stay connected with family and friends back home. You can read about Lumana and Eric’s team in the recent issue of Foster Business here or visit Lumana’s website.

Thank you Eric, for allowing Foster to enter into this new territory with an established group – it’s proven to be very valuable!

Join Foster’s official LinkedIn group now!  Questions? Contact Laura McCloud Mathers at [email protected].