Brett Rosenblum (Widener and Radford ’15) dedicated much of his life to service-oriented organizations that help people in need. From his service in the Peace Corps to his current role at Water by Women, Brett’s focus has been helping others.
As Chief Development Officer at Water By Women, Brett directs the organization’s efforts to raise funds and deliver water filters into the hands of women across the globe and train them to use and maintain it. Despite modern water delivery solutions, nearly 1,000 children are still dying every day from dirty water. The organization also supports domestic needs when communities are stricken by disasters like hurricanes and flooding that can compromise water systems.
A path to service
In college Brett had a life changing event that motivated him to serve others. He said, “When I was at Widener studying abroad, I learned that I had cancer.” He was moved and inspired when his Pilam brothers rallied around him. “They really had my back. The chapter supported me and the cause by raising money for cancer research and wearing ‘Live Strong’ bracelets with my initials on them.”
He said the experience changed his perspective, “After my cancer diagnosis, I really wanted to work outside to be in nature, not confined by walls. I loved experiential, hands-on education.” He made good on this when he committed two and a half years of service in the Peace Corps where he was stationed in the Kingdom of Swaziland (now Eswatini) in southwest Africa. And helping the people of an impoverished nation without a lot of infrastructure really opened his eyes.
After his service in the Peace Corps, Brett bounced around for a few years working in logistics, finance, and on political campaigns, but he was always drawn back to philanthropy.
