Olga Lew-Kiedrowska

Tell me a bit about yourself and why you joined LEND.

I am a freshman in McCormick majoring in Applied Math, and also part of the Mathematical Methods in Social Sciences (MMSS) program, as well as a Murphy Scholar. I was born and raised in Warsaw, Poland, but I have lived in New York City suburbs for the past seven years. I joined LEND because I think it is an incredible opportunity to help people in the Evanston community who might be struggling, especially in the current times.

What is your role in LEND and who have you worked with?

I am a junior account manager, so I am still learning the ropes at LEND. I am currently working with Naveena Sharma to get some hands on experience with our Evanston clients including Nargi’s Beauty Spot.

What are you most excited to work on as a member of LEND’s team?

I am very excited to meet all kinds of people around Evanston. The stories I have heard about the small business owners are incredible and inspiring, and I can’t wait to get to hear about their experiences. I’m looking forward to helping however I can and improving my financial skills together with our clients.

Do you have any experience working with small businesses in your hometown?

I don’t have any experience working with small businesses in my hometown, but I do have some experience creating and growing volunteering organizations. I was the founder of a student tutoring program for my high school, and I got the opportunity to work out the organization from scratch and build it over a couple of years.

Do you have a favorite small business in Evanston? If you’re not that familiar with Evanston’s small businesses, what is one you’re looking forward to going to? 

I have heard a lot of great things about C&W Ice Cream Parlor, and while I am sadly still not in Evanston, I can’t wait to go and try some of their amazing ice cream.

How do you spend your free time?

Recently, I spend the majority of my free time on the tennis court. I spent all summer teaching tennis to kids of all different ages (the youngest one was only three years old!), as well as playing a lot. I also really love art, and whenever I do find the time for it, I find it very relaxing to sit and paint for a while.