What’s In My Pocket with Natalie Ebel, Director of Marketing at Pencils of Promise
Our What’s In My Pocket series offers an inside look at the interesting people who use Pocket to elevate their work and life. Know someone who fits the mold? Let us know at stories@getpocket.com. Next up, we talk to Director of Marketing at Pencils of Promise, Natalie Ebel.
At Pocket we believe in the power of literacy and how it empowers people from around the world to read, engage, and build great things. That’s why we are proud partners with Pencils of Promise for International Literacy Day to raise awareness of the 250 million children around the world who don’t have basic reading or writing skills. You can get involved here!
Name: Natalie Ebel
Bio: Director of Marketing at Pencils of Promise.
Location: New York, New York
Little-Known Fact: I have a basset hound (#winstonebel) and take hip-hop dance classes at Broadway Dance Center.
Twitter Handle: @Natalieebel @pencilsofpromis
Can you tell us about your background and work?
I am the Director of Marketing at Pencils of Promise (PoP), a for-purpose organization working to provide quality education to primary school aged students in underserved communities in the developing world. I came to PoP from the book publishing industry; I’ve always been drawn to great storytelling.
We’re really excited to be partnering with Pencils of Promise. Can you tell us more about the mission, how you got involved, and what International Literacy Day is all about?
Adam (our founder), the rest of the PoP team, and I have been super avid Pocket users for quite a while. On any given day you can find several articles being passed around Team PoP via Pocket.
Pocket is a dream partner for PoP for International Literacy Day. PoP’s mission is to empower primary aged students with access to quality education and we are currently working to do so in Ghana, Guatemala and Laos.
Over 250M kids lack basic reading and writing skills worldwide. Everyday, Pocket users are able to consume all of the world’s information at their fingertips across devices. International Literacy Day is a chance for all of us to step back and be thankful for the education we’ve received, which unlocks all of that learning and entertainment we access via Pocket daily. On International Literacy Day, we’re thinking about how we can ensure that all children have access to the basic right of education, regardless of geography or circumstance, which organizations like PoP are working every day to provide.
What is a typical day like for you, and how does Pocket fit into your life?
I would say that I interact with Pocket more than any other app on my phone — it’s changed the way I consume information.
My day usually starts with a walk for my dog, Winston. Winston is a bassett hound and his ‘walks’ usually involve just sitting on the stoop outside. This is great built-in reading time in the morning.
Living in NYC also means a fair bit of time spent each day on the train. Pocket helps me pass the time while commuting. I also use Pocket at work, whether I’m researching a certain topic or sharing articles with my team, Pocket’s web browser extension is a life saver.
In the evening I often take dance class at Broadway Dance Center. The classes fill up quickly, so getting there early is necessary, but I don’t mind because I’ve always got my Pocket full of interesting reading.
What kinds of stories (publishers, authors, subject matter, videos) have you been reading and watching in Pocket lately?
I have a pretty large variety of go-to sources for news and entertainment. My trick is a carefully curated Feedly stream, from which I save whatever looks interesting to read later on Pocket. I would say my list always includes: NYTimes, Atlantic, NPR, TechCrunch, FastCo, HBR, Medium and First Round Review. There’s also at least one article each week in Pocket’s weekly roundup that I somehow overlooked. The PoP Medium channel is particularly good, too. Check it out here.
Do you have any favorite stories – articles or videos that have stood out – that you’ve either read / watched or recommended to others through Pocket in the last year?
I usually enjoy everything that comes out of First Round Review. Their pieces are always thorough, thoughtful and relevant for a young and growing organization like Pencils of Promise. One recent article from First Round Review was on the Netflix brand architecture. It was a great refresher and a big hit with the PoP marketing team.
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Do you have a Pocket story? Whether you use Pocket to inspire your work, get organized, plan your next adventure, or read on your commute, we’d love to hear from you. Drop us a line at stories@getpocket.com, and you could be featured in the next installment of What’s In My Pocket.
