2023-2024 Chapter of the Year
Net Impact is proud to announce the 2023-2024 Chapter of the Year Winners, an award given to one outstanding chapter in each of the following categories: US Undergraduate, US Graduate, US Professional, International Student, and International Professional. This year’s winners are:
- University of Washington, Seattle Undergraduate
- Georgia Institute of Technology - Scheller College of Business Graduate
- Boston Professional
- Delhi University Hybrid
- Lilongwe, Malawi Professional
The Chapter of the Year Award is given to chapters who are dedicated to Net Impact's mission to inspire and equip emerging leaders to build a more just and sustainable world. Each year, Net Impact selects five distinguished chapters from its network of more than 300 global chapters who have gone above and beyond to achieve our mission. Selected finalists submitted videos and reports detailing their accomplishments to a panel of judges from Net Impact’s Board of Directors and advisory council. This year’s winners were chosen based on their leadership, community service and commitment to Net Impact’s values.
These chapters exhibited extraordinary contributions to their communities and Net Impact is honored to highlight their work with you. We hope they inspire you to continue our mission to drive social and environmental action in your community and abroad!
University of Washington, Seattle Undergraduate inspired environmental awareness and action through three pillars: education, activism, and career development. The Chapter worked to advocate for a more sustainable campus, organizing climate actions that challenged their university to divest from fossil fuels and invest in a comprehensive sustainability and climate curriculum. Their efforts directly resulted in the first-ever sustainable finance course. The chapter's advocacy and drive is exemplified through their Climate Solutions Summit which combined a case competition focused on clean energy deployment with a conference featuring climate industry professionals. Their case competition featured 16 student teams focused on accelerating residential decarbonization. Check out their highlight video here.
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Georgia Institute of Technology - Scheller College of Business Graduate sent sixteen of their student members to Austin, Texas to participate in the ClimateCAP conference, the premier learning conference for MBA students invested in the intersection of environmental advocacy and business. This opportunity brought MBA students from across the country together to foster greater understanding for sustainable business practices and contributed to building and strengthening their Net Impact chapter reach. They leveraged this reach by collaborating with Terry College School of Business and Emory University's Goizueta Business School to host a conversation engaging students on the world of sustainability. Their focus on community and advocacy propelled them to invite speakers from across Atlanta government and nonprofits to speak about institutional and structural impediments to equity in their community and encouraged students to examine their place in dismantling those systems. They then hosted a Climate Innovation Tech Panel with the Tech Club where industry leaders working in energy VC, Microsoft, carbon accounting, and food recovery spoke to students about their experience. Check out their highlight video here.
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Boston Professional launched a Career Profile Series on their Net Impact Boston blog, interviewing professionals in the environmental and social impact field. They also hosted a number of career workshops, panels, networking events, informal discussions and knowledge sharing events to help equip members to find a purposeful and meaningful career within the larger environmental and social impact field. Some of the panels included a Landing Your First Impact Job event, Racial Equity and Justice Learning Group discussions, and Sustainability Breakfasts. Check out their highlight video here.
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Delhi University Undergraduate focused their efforts on bridging gaps in awareness, accessibility, and resources for environmental and social justice in their campus and local community. They created strategic partnerships with other student & philanthropic institutions such as Deepalaya, Enactucs, Relinns Technologies, Soch, and the Utkrishta Foundation, which allowed them to play a pivotal role in fostering collective growth and solidarity within their university community and beyond. Delhi University Chapter was able to engage over 1,000 students and community members through more than 17 events ranging from online skill building sessions to in person youth engagement projects. They excelled in their flagship Internship program recruiting 30 interns and over 40 volunteers. Check out their highlight video here.
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Lilongwe, Malawi Professional impacted over 1,500 community members across two different regions in 2022 and 2023. They have accomplished this reach by conducting outreach site competitions, engaging community members with accessible experiential education programs, and partnering with organizations like Sustainable Solutions for Life and the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural resources. They have been extremely effective in their educational outreach, most notably by applying a participatory learning approach that has allowed them to reach and capacity build with a range of people - including setting up a demonstration plot as a sustainable agriculture learning platform through doing and observation in a community that is 60% illiterate. Check out their highlight video here.
Congratulations to all of our global Chapters on an amazing year of impact!
To learn more about Net Impact and find out how to join a Chapter, visit netimpact.org.
2022-2023 Chapters of the Year
Net Impact is proud to announce the 2022-2023 Chapter of the Year Winners, an award given to one outstanding Chapter in each of the following categories: Undergraduate, Graduate, International Student, Professional, and International Professional. This year’s winners are: the Net Impact Chapters at the University of California, Los Angeles (Undergraduate Chapter); Northwestern University – Kellogg School of Management (Graduate Chapter); ESMT Berlin; the New York City Professional Chapter; and the Jeddah, Saudia Arabia Professional Chapter.
The Chapter of the Year award showcases Net Impact's objective of challenging local communities to make a positive impact in their community and the world. Each year, Net Impact selects five distinguished chapters from its network of more than 300 global chapters. Finalists submitted videos and reports detailing their accomplishments to a panel of judges from Net Impact’s board and advisory council. This year’s winners were chosen based on their leadership and commitment to Net Impact’s values. These Chapters exhibited extraordinary contributions to their communities.
Net Impact is proud to highlight the work the Chapter of the Year winners have accomplished within their local communities and as an essential part of Net Impact's international community. Highlights of the impact of these Chapters include:
- The University of California, Los Angeles (Undergraduate) demonstrated its impact by tackling nine consulting projects for nonprofits and businesses across the academic year. These projects included optimizing the location for the local LA farmers market and ensuring farmer profitability, recommending sustainable materials for a hydroponic tower company, creating an ESG evaluation framework for a wellness app, and more. Check out their highlight video here.
- The Northwestern University, Kellogg Graduate School of Management (Graduate) Chapter hosted two major social impact events to increase awareness across the entire campus community: a Social Impact Ice Cream Social that engaged over 100 students with Professor Dave Chen, one of the founding members of B-Lab, on what a B Corp is and their impact on consumers; and Social Impact Days, a 2-day event for incoming first years to participate in a micro case competition across four different impact tracks (Education, Health, etc). Check out their highlight video here
- ESMT Berlin (Graduate) Chapter demonstrated its commitment to sustainability and local and global impact by engaging with 3 Berlin-based organizations for a major city cleanup, and developing an SDG-analysis tool for a finance startup with a reach of 15,000+ companies. Check out their highlight video here
- New York City Professional’s flagship volunteer program, ServiceCorps, continues to connect organizations in the tri-state area to professionals for pro-bono services based on fit and skill set to assist these organizations in achieving their strategic business goals. Check out their highlight video here.
- Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Professional impacted more than 21,000 people and established 20 social startups in various fields such as health, education, recycling, and the environment. They hosted ten inspiration meetings to raise the awareness and skills of social entrepreneurs, incubated five social businesses, and ran an accelerator program for 12 social enterprises. Check out their highlight video here.
When asked about winning Net Impact’s Chapter of the Year award, members of the University of California, Los Angeles Chapter stated, “Our chapter is beyond excited to receive this award. We are incredibly grateful to our members, clients, and alumni for making Net Impact at UCLA an overwhelming success this past year. Their creativity, passion, and unwavering dedication will continue to help our club realize its values-driven goals next year and long into the future!” The ESMT Berlin Chapter noted, “Winning the Chapter of the Year international award is a great honor. We see it as a recognition of Net Impact ESMT’s continuous efforts over the years to foster collaboration and support positive change within ESMT, Berlin, and above.”
Congratulations to all of our global Chapters on an amazing year of impact!
2019 Chapters of the Year
2019: Congratulations to Chapters of the Year!
2017-2018 Chapters of the Year
Professional: New York City Professional
International: IIT Kharagpur
Graduate: UCLA Anderson
Undergraduate: Texas State
2016 Chapters of the Year
Congratulations to the Chapters of the Year
Undergraduate: University of Minnesota
Graduate: Kellogg School of Management
Professional: Chicago
International: IIT Kharagpur
2015 Chapters of the Year
Meet Our 2015 Chapters of the Year!
Net Impact Chapters Team
October 05, 2015
With over 250 chapters worldwide, we had our work cut out for us when selecting our 2015 Chapters of the Year. Our chapters are made up of countless innovators, leaders, and passionate do-gooders that make a real impact in their communities and beyond. To say our task was difficult is an understatement!
These four chapters, however, stood out to us as truly exemplifying Net Impact’s mission to drive transformational change in the workplace and the world. We’re excited for you to meet them and see for yourself the outstanding work that they do!
Introducing our 2015 Chapters of the Year:
Georgetown University
Graduate Chapter
“We hope our efforts can turn the concept of ‘promoting positive change through business’ into a deeply rooted value.”
What they do: This year, Georgetown focused in on three main initiatives: Sustainability, Partnership, and Innovation. As one of the largest and most active impact clubs on campus, their partners, students, and alumni have worked with social organizations spanning across five continents! We’re impressed by the strong connections and partnerships they continue to build across the student body, in their local community, and beyond.
Impact moment: Looking for areas to improve sustainability on campus, they replaced the disposable cups used at MBA events with reusable cups. This seemingly small switch will save over 6,000 plastic cups annually!
Their mission: This chapter wants to show that social values can be incorporated into any business plan -- as both a guide for existing businesses and a driving force behind new ventures.
New York City
Professional Chapter
“Being part of our chapter means that you automatically have a 2,000+ strong network of smart, curious, fun and passionate people in NYC alone.”
What they do: This chapter boasts 100+ members who volunteer their time and skills for pro bono consulting work. Their membership consists of socially conscious professionals who are using their skills to do good in the world. When they aren’t organizing panel discussions and speed networking events, they’re volunteering at local nonprofits (each member has given over 50 hours of their time this year alone!).
Impact moment: This year, they’ve invested time and energy into making their chapter operationally and financially sustainable. By creating an advisory council, revamping their online presence, developing new transition/training literature, and working on new methods for keeping track of finances, they’ve built a solid foundation for years to come -- as they put it, “there’s no need to reinvent the wheel!”
Their mission: This chapter is always looking for opportunities to connect, learn, and apply their skill sets to make an even greater impact in the world.
University of Toronto – Rotman School of Management
International Chapter
“From the time a student joins Net Impact . . . they have a voice in what the chapter should focus on and feel a sense of ownership in what gets accomplished.”
What they do: This chapter is focused on raising awareness for social entrepreneurship and sustainability as a means of improving the “triple-bottom line.” They have a passion for environmental impact and connecting MBA students with careers where they can make a difference. Their membership continues to grow and diversify -- this year, they’ve exceeded 100 members with an executive team consisting of six different nationalities!
Impact moment: They launched the Hult Prize @ University of Toronto case competition, and among the 20 teams present, Team Attollo advanced to the Hult Prize finals! They also successfully lobbied for a new Sustainability major at Rotman, as well as additional courses in sustainability.
Their mission: This chapter continues to grow their membership while connecting more meaningfully to the Toronto business community to have a greater environmental and social impact.
Pennsylvania State University – Smeal College of Business
Undergraduate Chapter
“We encourage our members to step up and lead new initiatives . . . and [we] provide a platform for our members to thrive.”
What they do: As the fastest growing student organization in the Smeal College of Business, this chapter embodies sustainable principles by engaging members and companies in service and volunteerism, as well as through competitions and consulting projects. This year they wanted to foster a deeper understanding of sustainability among the student body and beyond. Through these efforts, Smeal College of Business is nationally recognized for its sustainability efforts.
Impact moment: They decreased waste and increased energy efficiency on their campus through their Blue Chip Bistro sustainability consulting initiative, which led to cost-savings and effective waste management. They also organized the Smeal Corporate Citizenship Conference, which engaged more than 2,000 students and 11 companies, and featured Lord Dr. Michael Hastings - Global Director of Citizenship for KPMG and member of Great Britain’s House of Lords - as their keynote speaker.
Their mission: This chapter makes an impact by advocating for sustainable practices for the benefit of businesses, people, and the planet as a whole.
Whether it’s organizing events, building partnerships, or empowering their communities, these chapters are an undeniable force for good – and we couldn’t be more proud.
Congratulations to all of our fantastic chapters for everything they've accomplished this year!
2014 Chapters of the Year
Celebrating Our 2014 Chapters of the Year
Megan Kim
August 14, 2014Our chapters make Net Impact’s mission a reality by empowering their members to pursue and create social and environmental change. Each year, we highlight three chapters that go above and beyond through their events, partnerships, and other accomplishments. We're proud to announce the 2014 Chapter of the Year winners:
Undergraduate winner: Net Impact Yale University
Graduate winner: Net Impact University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business
Professional winner: Net Impact Boston
See what makes their impact stand out.
Undergraduate: Yale
Net Impact Yale provides an outlet for student interests in social enterprise and social impact careers, filling a niche that was previously absent on campus.
Consulting hackathon creates dual benefit
Net Impact Yale's consulting team partnered with four local social enterprises throughout the year to provide business-oriented analysis and socially conscious recommendations, bringing social enterprise consulting experience to Yale undergraduates. At the end of the school year, the chapter hosted a CreateAthon, a one-day consulting “hackathon” with past consulting clients and students interested in applying their business savvy to a social mission. The CreateAthon event made an impact on local businesses while helping students hone skills in consulting, client interaction, and creative thinking under pressure.
Students make an impact beyond the Yale campus
Net Impact Yale had a number of breakthrough achievements this past year that connected their members with social impact opportunities beyond campus. The chapter became a Kiva trustee for Kiva Zip and endorsed its first local business -- an aquaponic farm that was in need of a start-up loan. Net Impact Yale’s consulting team took on a number of new clients in industries like sustainable sportswear and socially conscious tourism. The consulting projects provided a framework for their members to engage with local social business while gaining consulting experience. To encourage social impact careers post-graduation, Net Impact Yale hosted the only social sector career fair on campus in a student-led collaboration with Yale’s undergraduate career services. The event welcomed local and international organizations to connect with over 100 students in attendance.
Graduate: UT Austin McCombs
Net Impact McCombs is a community of incredibly diverse backgrounds – from advertising to public education to the food industry – all united by their belief in social and sustainable impact.
A new approach to foster passion and success
Net Impact McCombs built its distinct culture and high member engagement through a strategic effort to create informal social gatherings for their members. Within the first few weeks of the 2013-2014 school year, the chapter organized several casual events at bars, breweries, coffee shops, and restaurants. The chapter’s group identity took form during these events through conversations between members about their career passions, interests, and frustrations in class. The sense of organizational culture and strength of relationships among members facilitated the chapter’s ability to organize successful events. Net Impact McCombs also provided a variety of perspectives on what sustainability and social impact work can look like for MBAs. The chapter's focus on career development has provided a large support system for members and drawn attention from their school administration.
Business for Good Summit quadruples attendance
This year, Net Impact McCombs rebranded its Business for Good Summit to reflect the increasing diversity of member interests. The one-day summit focused on how business executives and entrepreneurs are changing their models and proving false the choice between making money and making a difference. Speakers attended from a spectrum of organizations, including charter schools, Whole Planet Foundation, Goldman Sachs, and a sustainable coffee shop in Austin. The event's success was a culmination of the chapter’s hard work in community outreach, networking, and focus on membership and cultural growth, resulting in four times the attendance of the previous year's summit.
Professional: Boston
Net Impact Boston, spearheaded by a strong leadership team, has more than 900 active professional members that benefit from the chapter’s many opportunities and events.
New membership engagement event pays off
In an experimental effort to increase member engagement, Net Impact Boston organized a new event – the Net Impact Boston Annual Meeting – for members to provide feedback about their expectations and concerns, and offer suggestions for the upcoming year. The event kicked off with a keynote speaker and included breakout sessions on topics like membership, events, partnerships, and marketing. Over 40 new and existing members were in attendance, and their insights left the leadership team with a more complete understanding of member interests and expectations from chapter participation. Many of the great ideas generated from the event were subsequently incorporated into Net Impact Boston’s annual plan for the coming year.
Collaboration on all fronts strengthens the Net Impact community in Boston
Net Impact Boston collaborated with nine of the local Net Impact graduate chapters to host the 2nd Annual Net Impact Boston Career Summit. The event brought together over 130 graduate students, job seekers, and professionals interested in careers with positive social or environmental impact. Through networking opportunities, panel sessions, and a career expo, attendees had the opportunity to learn from and network with local industry professionals representing more than 30 companies and organizations. After a second successful summit, the chapter has validated the need for events of this nature in Boston and built community relationships that they will leverage far beyond the annual career summit.
A shared passion
While success in our chapter network comes in many forms, Net Impact Yale, Net Impact McCombs, and Net Impact Boston all share a passion to transform their communities. We’re so inspired by their accomplishments and hope that these successes will inspire other chapters and members!
2013 Chapters of the Year
Honoring Our Chapters of the Year
Arlo Malmberg
December 02, 2013Net Impact chapters inspire their local community of students and professionals to make a difference in the world through work. Within this worldwide network is a special group of chapters that exceed expectations to host amazing events, expand their network, or join forces to create something special. Once a year we recognize those chapters and celebrate them as Chapters of the Year.And the winners are... Net Impact University of Maryland Undergrad (SUNI: Smith Undergraduate Net Impact), Net Impact Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and Net Impact Washington D.C. professional chapter. Our hats are off to you and all you've done.
SUNI: Impact Ninjas
Innovative events, new partnerships, and an all-hands-on-deck mentality marked the Net Impact University of Maryland Undergrad chapter's inaugural year.The young guns of SUNI showed off their creativity with diverse events and programming. We held an event, How to be an Impact Ninja about developing specific skills and a social media presence in the social impact world, says Mandy Yard, VP of Events. This year's programming also included a MindSumo mini-case challenge and a Q&A session with Seth Goldman, TeaEO of Honest Tea.That entrepreneurial spirit was the product of an inclusive leadership team that worked to create something entirely new together. SUNI offered leadership opportunities to anyone who was willing and able to take them on. As Kushaan Shah, VP of External Affairs explains, We have a very large leadership team which currently consists of about 25-30 individuals.The foundational year culminated at the Net Impact Conference where SUNI members met other chapters, listened to inspired and accomplished individuals, and even had a reunion with Goldman. As Yard puts it it was great to feel a part of the Net Impact community and realize that the amazing experiences and opportunities will continue to build from here.Read the full Q&A with the SUNI Ninjas!
Net Impact Kellogg: Power in Numbers
To bring together the entire impact community at Kellogg, this Net Impact chapter adopted an umbrella structure to embrace a variety of student organizations. Kellogg's Net Impact Community is made up of 13 social impact-oriented clubs. Our membership includes approximately 75% of the total student body, which means we are a very diverse group, says Justin Wu, President.That diversity is reflected in the programming. Wu explains, Every member has a different experience, but each engages primarily in one of three ways: pursuing careers, learning about social impact or service in our communities.Despite its size and variety of interests, NI Kellogg was able to bring the entire school together for its Net Impact Week. Wu credits his classmates and their passion for keeping him committed through the rigor of grad school. He says I [see] how our programming enriches their Kellogg experience. It's easy to be committed when you know your friends are benefitting.The combination of numbers and engagement makes the Kellogg chapter one of the most active chapters we've seen. Wu estimates that when it comes to Net Impact related activities, Kellogg students spent over 50,000 student hours last year. Indeed, in a business school environment where students come primarily to advance their careers, we find these figures astounding! So do we.Read the full Q&A with Net Impact Kellogg!
Net Impact Washington, D.C. Professionals: Working the Crowd
Net Impact D.C. handled their business like old pros- with enthusiasm, resilience and a desire to help others.In fact, mentorship and collaboration were major goals for this chapter. Drawing upon local resources and their proximity to universities, the D.C. chapter collaborated with fellow Chapter of the Year winners SUNI. The two award-winning chapters co-hosted an event that, in the words of D.C. President Mikael Baker, was a great achievement, as we were able to bring students, professionals, entrepreneurs, and people closely involved in B Corp policy together... and in the process we helped some aspiring entrepreneurs.Organizing such a successful year was not a breeze for the D.C. chapter as the leadership team adjusted to the departure of several board members. It was a growing experience, and the chapter responded by reworking its programming, marketing and partnerships. They also invited talented new people to the leadership team to keep the momentum going. As a result, Net Impact Washington, D.C. is now a stronger, more responsive chapter. Through increased member interaction with the leadership team and the implementation of an annual membership survey, the chapter is able to provide more targeted programming: Our membership is very interested in career-development programming so we try to provide panel discussions in the fields/industries in which our membership has greatest interest. It is this versatility that will ensure the chapter's success through many more transitions, and sets it apart as an exceptional chapter. Read the full Q&A with Net Impact Washington, D.C.!
Next year's winners... You!
To be named Chapter of the Year is to be honored above many other incredible organizations that are changing the world. Every year a different Net Impact chapter innovates and accelerates in an astounding way. We here at Net Impact Central cannot wait to see who stands out above the rest in the coming year.