IDEA Society: Vice President

The VP role is about making sure the society's plans don't stay as plans. IDEA Society commits to a lot each year — events, projects with IDEAS Globally, the pitch competition, hackathon, networking — and the risk is always that ambition outpaces execution. I want to be the person who closes that gap.

Practically, that means building proper timelines for the year's key deliverables, keeping the committee aligned week to week, and stepping in wherever support is needed — whether that's covering for the Events Officer during exam season or helping Research put together a briefing pack. The VP should be the committee's connective tissue. I bring project management experience and I've operated in deputy roles before, but what matters more is that I understand how IDEA Society works from the inside, I care about its mission in emerging economies, and I'll make sure we deliver on what we promise to members. A society's reputation is built on consistency, not just ambition.

Hi! I'm Helen Meng from Population Health Sciences. I believe I'll be an ideal candidate for VP of IDEAS society. 

I am hugely involved in IDEAS society this year as the current Events Executive by planning and attending the Hackathon for HEADLINE as well as other events regarding the program. 

I also have experiences regarding social enterprises and solving problems in the community- As vice president of Med Access Network (a non profit we founded) in high school, I planned and managed budgets for hygiene workshops- splitting funds across locations, sponsorships, equipment, and printing, while also setting up the workshops themselves and achieved high satisfaction amongst kids. As for finances, I also had a US marketing internship where I negotiated MOQs and pricing with 100+ customers for an accessory manufacturer, so I'm comfortable with numbers and client relations. On top of that, I manage my own investment portfolio across ETFs and commodities, which has taught me how to research, track, and make informed financial decisions.

If elected, I'll be responsible, organized, and focused on making sure the team can flourish, and keep delivering the best experience to our members.

I have a strong passion for creating global social change. UCL IDEAS Society is an incredible society where I'll do just that. I'll be in charge of running events, representing this society, as well as working alongside the president to make sure everything runs smoothly.

I'm a consultant for LSC and a participant at the Global Spark Hack the Globe, meaning I'm developing my problem-solving and teamwork skills by working in a team to solve challenging problems for a greater cause.

I attended the HEADLINE hackathon in January, which I thoroughly enjoyed as it taught me so many skills such as pitching, teamwork and more about social enterprise. I also made so many new friends that I would love to see more often next year.