What if there was a place where you could learn how to change the world? Find a cause, a scholarship, an internship or a tsunami victim in need of help? A place that could enable you to hook up with a writer in Cameroon, an artist in Argentina or a student in Mexico, people who share your goals? A place to help you make a difference with the environment, the economy or the fight against AIDs? That place is at the heart of what it's all about for Taking It Global.

In the year 2000, a couple of young twentysomethings had a vision to create a youth led initiative that would change the world. Full of idealism and hope, Jennifer Corriero and Michael Furdyk hoped to get away from drivers like money and competition, and create an organization that would empower youth to become engaged by helping both their local communities and the world around them.

Taking It Global (TIG) was the result of that dream. An international organization led almost entirely by young adults, TIG was created to help enable young adults take action in local and global communities. Recognizing that young adults are one of the most unrecognized talents and resources on the planet, TIG aims to inspire, inform, and involve youth across the globe, and to help young people become one of the most powerful and influential generations in history.

Based in Toronto, TIG has over 65,000 members in over 200 countries and is getting in upwards of 1.4 million webpage hits per day. Working collaboratively with a broad range of youth organizations, TIG hopes to be a connector between the many initiatives faced today and those who can make a difference.

TIG has grown to over 35 employees and volunteers across the globe from Latin America to Africa. Recently, the TIG website was launched in Spanish, French, Arabic and Russian in an effort to reach even more young adults.

The truly remarkable thing about TIG is not only that they've grown in size, are in hundreds of countries, or have thousands of people involved, but they also fundamentally believe that what they are doing is creating a better world around them. As one of the leading initiatives empowering young adults today, this relatively small group of passionate and driven young adults is having a global impact that will assuredly last for years to come.

To learn how you can get involved, visit tigweb.org.

While visiting the TIG headquarters in Toronto, we had a conversation with Jennifer Corriero, TIG's Executive Director and Co-Founder, to learn more about TIG and ask what it's like to lead a global initiative.

BRYAN: Why do you think getting young adults involved in different projects & the community is so important?
JENNIFER: Whether you realize it or not, or whether you're impacted directly or not, you are an interconnected and integral part of the community and it's so important to contribute. Community involvement is such an enriching part of a young person's development and will help them build experiences that they may not have otherwise explored.

BRYAN: One thing I've noticed about TIG is the team atmosphere. Can you touch on some of that...
JENNIFER: We strive to create a space where people feel encouraged to share their ideas, be creative and to really feel a sense of personal connection. Our desks are arranged in pods and we've collectively come up with the designs and room colors. We try to live our values and ideals through the way we work and interact on a daily basis by cultivating a very open team environment where people feel valued.

BRYAN: Tell me some crazy culture shock stories from traveling all over the world. On one hand you're a student, on the other hand you're flying to different countries it seems like every other week.
JENNIFER: One interesting experience was when I went to a zoo in India. I wore shorts and a regular shirt in an area that is very Muslim and most women are generally covered. As I went from cage to cage, I noticed that people were actually following me. It was weird because I felt like one of the zoo attractions. But I didn't feel in any way alienated by that. If anything, people were very welcoming. Another culture shock was during my trip to Ghana, where people make so little that they're practically living on a dollar a day. Even with poverty on so many levels, there is a huge sense of joy. There's a wealth that people in what we call "poor countries" have, that I think is definitely something worth noting and acknowledging.

BRYAN: Do you guys think that you are changing the world, and how?
JENNIFER: We're definitely benefiting the lives of a lot of people individually as well as from a policy standpoint. Young people need to be recognized as learners, developers, contributors and decision makers. Many assume that young people are not capable of more than going to school and learning. If we can help shift perception, that is a success. We're trying to do our part and hopefully it creates a ripple effect.

BRYAN: So would you think that young adults, in general, are underestimated by the rest of the public in terms of their abilities?
JENNIFER: Yes.

BRYAN: Have you encountered any of that in what you're doing as well?
JENNIFER: Absolutely, yeah. A lot of times when you're sharing an idea that you wish could happen, there's a general response, "Well, that's not realistic." Maybe for you it's not realistic, maybe it's not something you see yourself being able to do or achieve, but it motivates me.

BRYAN: Where do you guys get funding to operate TIG and how can you afford to employ and work with so many people?
JENNIFER: There are two things we're doing that we hope will contribute to our budget for next year to secure more core positions. One strategy for fund raising will be a pay-what-you-can membership fee. Another major source of funding has been developing technology solutions in exchange for services. We're not where we want to be yet, but we are optimistic.

BRYAN: You sound a lot like a businessperson there.
JENNIFER: I have to be when I talk about money!

BRYAN: It's interesting because TIG is sort of a business, sort of a nonprofit. What are your views on social entrepreneurship and creating successful businesses while doing good at the same time?
JENNIFER: A lot of our initial drive was to do something that was not about money and not about competition. I find myself coming full circle because so much of this requires me to focus on money. In terms of social entrepreneurship, TIG is kind of a hybrid. I think it's healthy for businesses to operate in a socially responsible way, just as non- profits can gain a lot of value from the business approach.

BRYAN: I'd like to go off on a different topic, less on TIG and more on you. You guys are doing something that is different from what many people do at this age, or ever. What's that like? Do you ever feel different from other people?
JENNIFER: There's no specific formula in life, and no matter what path you choose to take, there will be some factors out of your control. Some days I feel really great, really empowered and really happy about my choices. However, sometimes when I know that I can make a difference and that I could have contributed to a different outcome, I doubt my decisions. When you know that theoretically anything is possible, it's crazy. How do you handle that knowledge? Then there's that feeling of disempowerment, especially when the issues of money and budgets come back to reality. So I feel that being me is both rich and poor, both exciting and devastating, as well as chaotic and structured. Some people describe me as intense.

BRYAN: I think you have a great point in that most people don't have the vision or outlook that anything is possible. Once you realize that anything is possible, you get caught in between this point where you know you can change anything, so you want to change everything and then you realize no matter what you do you can't change everything.
JENNIFER: That's a really good description.

BRYAN: Well you're the one who said it pretty much. One last question before we wrap up. Do you ever feel lonely with what you're doing?
JENNIFER: Yeah, there are certainly days where I feel lonely. I struggle with how much to carry the fundraising burden. Sometimes, I feel that I don't want to worry other people, but it just became clear that if I keep too much on my own shoulders the problem won't get solved. I end up feeling terrible, lonely, and isolated, and that we won't achieve our goals. Then we'll figure out how we can creatively solve the problem. It's good to have those experiences because in some ways they have value. Everyone has their moments, but I've never felt so set back or discouraged that I give up.