We at Net Impact Central want to thank and congratulate our Chapter Leaders for the amazing work that they have carried out over the past year. Our network boasts of over 280 chapters, of which almost 40% went above and beyond to reach Gold status! We want to shine the light on some of the exciting initiatives held by the chapters in our network.
Net Impact Central's interdisciplinary Impact Design pilot
Entrepreneurs by Design
BAiD: California College of the Arts, Presidio Graduate School, and the University of San Francisco - School of Management
When asked to be a part of Net Impact Central’s interdisciplinary Impact Design pilot, three chapters in the San Francisco Bay Area rose to the challenge. California College of the Arts, Presidio Graduate School, and the University of San Francisco met at the 2015 Net Impact Conference, and formed a regional collaborative group called Bay Area Impact Design (BAiD). They’ve hosted three events so far, taught design problem-solving processes to over a hundred students, convened speakers from leading design firms, and generated dozens of solution ideas. BAiD truly exemplifies the potential of Net Impact’s network.
Universidad San Francisco de Quito organized the first “B-Day” in Ecuador
Pioneers with Purpose
Universidad San Francisco de Quito
The undergraduate chapter at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito organized the first “B-Day” in Ecuador, introducing the community to the B Corporation framework. The event brought in over 200 attendees, and was hosted in partnership with their university, CAF - Development Bank of Latin America, and Impaqto - the only B Corp in the country so far. The chapter is also making headway in helping with relief efforts for the magnitude-7.8 earthquake that hit Ecuador in April by joining their school’s fundraising efforts and investigating methods of supporting communities severely affected by the earthquake.
Innovation through Education: Specialize in Social Impact
University of California, Los Angeles - Anderson School of Management
The UCLA Anderson chapter hosted its third annual Social Innovation Week with the theme Ignite Impact, bringing together leaders and founders of mission-driven business who explored solutions to the world’s biggest challenges and inspired social change. The week featured design workshops, panels, documentary film screenings, networking mixers, and presentations on various topics of impact. It also demonstrated the high level of interest for UCLA Anderson's new faculty initiative, Impact@Anderson, and led to the approval of a Social Impact Specialization (comparable to an MBA major) the following week.
First Year: Rising Star
Bentley University
Bentley University’s undergraduate chapter launched just six months ago, but has already achieved Gold chapter status for the 2015-2016 year! For their first
Bentley University
major event, they hosted Ben Downing, Senate chairman of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy for Massachusetts, who spoke about the importance of green energy and how students can get involved. After the event, an attendee expressed that the talk had sparked an interest in pursuing a career in the public sector, and had the chance to connect with the senator! In addition, the chapter at Bentley has already established a framework for a Sustainable Careers workshop, which provides an industry overview from a professional in a sustainable field, sustainability career guide, resume review session, and elevator pitch exercise. Go Bentley!
Down-to-Earth: Doing Good in Nature
University of Oregon - Lundquist College of Business
The graduate Net Impact chapter at the University of Oregon supported their local nature-loving culture by volunteering at Mount Pisgah, a 200-acre arboretum that serves as an education center, ecological preservation site, and hosts a network of hiking trails enjoyed by thousands. They commented that many of the people who passed by the trail work stopped to chat and simply say “thank you.” Thanks to our chapter at University of Oregon for keeping these spaces safe and accessible for the public to enjoy!
Rochester's Net Impact Chapter
Career Treks: Exploring Impactful Livelihoods
University of Rochester - Simon Business School
The Simon Business School chapter took 25 students from New York to Washington D.C. on a career trek to visit four companies and to network with over 30 alumni, including former Net Impact members. The trek gave students a unique opportunity to network with professionals who share their passion for positive impact, and served as a great opportunity to demonstrate that it is feasible to incorporate social impact and sustainability into their career and lives.
Enlighten and Empower: Skill-Building for the Next Generation
The professional chapter in the Gambia held a “Leadership, Public Speaking and Campaign Skills Training Workshop”
The Gambia
The professional chapter in the Gambia held a “Leadership, Public Speaking and Campaign Skills Training Workshop” in partnership with Activista, a network of youth campaigners and activists. The workshop gathered over 30 participants including students, teachers, and members of youth organizations to equip them with advocacy and campaigning skills to better promote the advancement of social and environmental issues. The trainers included leadership from both organizations, and a keynote speech was given by Isatou Jeng, a social worker, gender equality activist, and project officer for The Girls’ Agenda.
Timely Topics: Tech and Nonprofits
San Francisco
The San Francisco professional chapter hosted a debate-style event at Salesforce to spark dialogue between the tech and nonprofit sectors. The conversation centered around the question, Are corporations or nonprofit organizations better poised to affect socially impactful change? They invited Nicholas Aster, founder of TriplePundit.com, which is one of the web's leading sources on how business can be used to make the world a better place, and Henk Campher from Allison+Partners, who has worked on some of the coolest award-winning corporate campaigns and developed strategic solutions with companies such Starbucks, Levi’s, and Unilever as Executive VP of Social Impact. The event was hosted by Patrick Ip, Business Innovation Lead at Google, drawing over 70 attendees and creating a huge request for similar events in the future for the SF pro chapter.
UT Austin
Giving for the Greater Good
University of Texas at Austin - McCombs School of Business - Graduate
The chapter at McCombs School of Business partnered with the Graduate Business Council and administrative leaders to launch the Social Impact Internship Fund (SIIF). The SIIF is a student-run initiative for first-year MBAs to help fund their classmates’ social impact internships with organizations that otherwise would not be able to afford MBA salaries. Students were invited to become SIIF Impact Investors by donating the equivalent of one day of their summer internship salary to the SIIF Fund. So far, $11,000 has been collected from more than 25 first year students and $10,000 raised from alumni matching funds!
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