Ever wonder what it's like to be a venture nomad? Use this post as a viewfinder to answer any questions and to see what it's like to lead the life of a participant at Venture with Impact. Continue reading to find out more about the week in the life of Jesse Olsen.
Monday
Jesse is the founder and CEO of the ed-tech company Jump Rope. He spends the majority of his Monday working for his company on the balcony of his apartment, overlooking Trujillo’s Plaza de Armas.
In the evening, Jesse meets with Alexis, another Venturer, to continue plans for a website they are building for a local women’s collective. The website will be used to sell the women’s products online.
Tuesday
In the morning, Jesse meets up with Emma, the program director for his partner non-profit, Save the Moche. Emma picks Jesse up in her truck and they drive to the valley outside of Trujillo, where most of Save the Moche’s communities are located. Jesse speaks basic Spanish and Emma helps him to speak with the women’s collective he is working with. The women teach him the ways in which the history and culture of their ancestors is integrated into the design of their artisan products.
Wednesday
Jesse spends most of his day working at an outdoor cafe a few blocks from his apartment. He takes a break in the afternoon to wander around Mercado Central with his roommate, Neil. There he picks up some freshly ground Peruvian coffee and a kilo of maracuyá (passion fruit).
Thursday
Today is the weekly Huarique Meetup, which takes place at a local cevichería, a twenty minute walk from Jesse’s apartment. The group chows down on ceviche mixto (mixed seafood ceviche), arroz con mariscos (yellow rice and seafood), and chicharron (deep fried fish pieces). A few members of the community join the group for the dinner, including the executive director of Earth Perú, one of Venture with Impact’s partner organizations.
Friday
After a full day of work, Jesse goes out for a round Pisco Sours (the national beverage of Perú)), with a group of Venturers, locals and a few other expats he has met in the city.
Saturday
Jesse and the Venture group depart early in the morning for a weekend trip to Huamachuco, located in the Andes mountains of Perú. After checking into the hotel on the plaza, the group gathers for a lunch of local cuisine - whole fried trucha (trout), pollo a la brasa (grilled chicken) or cuy (guinea pig). Jesse goes for the cuy.
After lunch is a visit to Marcahuamachuco, an ancient archaeological site that dates back to around 400 AD.
Later in the afternoon there’s time to wander around downtown Huamachuco’s market and downtown area.
