2017-2018 Events

At the third annual Nonprofit Board Showcase, the center invited alumni and professionals interested in joining a nonprofit board in efforts to connect them with nonprofits currently seeking members to expand their board. In addition to the Columbia Business School community, the event was opened up to NBC executives. Participants had the chance to meet with 13 nonprofit organizations to find one that best fits their interests. Organizations included Bottom Line NY, Bronx Arts Ensemble, BronxWorks, Classroom, Inc., Fresh Youth Initiatives, Futures and Options, Global Kids, Minds Matter National and NYC Boards, Partnership with Children, Partnership for After School Education (PASE), Playworks, Stanley M. Isaacs Neighborhood Center, and Youth Communication.
Organized by the center; Alison Overseth, ’84BUS, executive director of PASE and center advisory board member; and hosted by Nicolina O’Rorke, ’05BUS, at NBCUniversal.

At the inaugural graduation ceremony, Professor Damon Phillips welcomed MBA instructors and REAP students at Taconic Correctional Facility to commemorate the first graduating class of REAP. 21 students completed one or more of the REAP courses: Financial Empowerment, Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship, and Getting to Yes.
Organized by Hour Children, Resilience Education, and the center.

Center staff gathered at the home of Sandi Wright, ’04TC, to review fiscal year 2018, set goals for the 2018–2019 academic year, discuss measures for success, and plan for ways to deepen and expand center connections. After a day filled with planning and strategizing, advisory board member Tony Tamer joined the staff for a small reception in celebration of another successful year for the center.

Social innovators were selected through Professor Bruce Usher’s Investing in Social Ventures due diligence course to pitch their social venture to the investment board members for consideration for the Tamer Fund for Social Ventures. The board selected to fund three Columbia-affiliated social ventures: Root & Rebound, Supportiv, and MEI Facil. For more information about the Tamer Fund for Social Ventures portfolio, please see Appendix Six.

Yariela Kerr-Donovan, director at Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health Systems discussed the John Hopkins’ “way of doing business,” which encompasses the successful inclusion of returning citizens. Yariela shared how programs such as Hopkinslocal and Be Local promote inclusion of the most distressed residents in the local community. Attendees learned more about how organizations and companies can adopt a similar framework that has proven beneficial to Johns Hopkins and the FIPs they employ.

This workshop brought together leading scholars working on the latest advances in energy and environmental economics. A set of papers was assembled on a variety of topics that examined key policy-oriented energy and environmental issues and relied on concepts or tools from development, industrial organization, public, or urban economics. Participants also had the opportunity to attend a networking dinner at Lido, a local eatery in Harlem, NY. Professor Geoffrey Heal and the center hosted the event.

Over 800 guests, including members of the board of overseers, alumni, corporate sponsors, faculty, students, and friends, participated in a festive evening of support for the School. The dinner raised over $3.5M in critical unrestricted funding, securing resources for student financial aid, faculty research, and curriculum development. This year, the iconic Milstein Hall of Ocean Life at the American Museum of Natural History served as the backdrop for this cherished celebration of impact and community which honored Mark T. Gallogly, ’86BUS, and was chaired by Shaiza Rizavi, ’96BUS.
Organized by the External Relations and Alumni Relations at Columbia Business School.

How can advances in climate science research be used to reduce investment risk and improve returns? What is the most current and useful research on ice sheet and sea level rise trends, and what are the near term implications for coastal property? How will these trends affect returns, creating both risks and opportunities for investors and business leaders? Panels covered the effects of climate change, sea level rise on specific locations, storm surges and extreme climate on coastal property, and real estate implications. Speakers included Amy Farrell of UBS, Robin Bell of Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and American Geophysical Union (AGU), Marco Tedesco of Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Radley Horton of Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Marla Schwartz of Swiss Re, Suzana Camargo of Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Columbia University’s Initiative on Extreme Weather and Climate, Michael M. Samuelian of Trust for Governors Island, Rich Sorkin of Jupiter Intelligence, Michael Wertz of Moody's Investors Service, Peter deMenocal of Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, and Geoffrey Heal, Christopher Mayer, and Bruce Usher of Columbia Business School.
Organized by the center and The Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate at Columbia Business School; and the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University, Earth Institute.

Cross-campus recipients of the Social Enterprise Summer Fellowship program met with Ivy Hatsengate to go over logistics of and preparations for their summer internship.

Students traveled to Brooklyn’s Urban Future Lab (UFL) and BlocPower to visit the offices and learn about career opportunities.
Organized by the GBC.

The Three Cairns Climate Fellowship provides support to MBA/EMBA students who complete semester- or year-long projects at the intersection of climate change and business. The fellowship was established by Lise Strickler, ’86BUS, and Mark Gallogly, ’86BUS. Each fellow presented their project to peers in the program.

Evan Greenfield oversees ESG strategy at S&P Global, which entails organic growth, acquisition, and investment in ESG opportunities. Evan’s presentation covered investing with ESG consideration across public securities, impact investing, and private equity.
Organized by the GBC.

In efforts to expand the criminal justice and reentry community at Columbia, the center invited graduate students to a networking breakfast to build connections with students across Columbia University and Barnard working with incarcerated persons.

What is sustainability reporting? Why do companies offer these voluntary disclosures? Who is this information for? What impact does it have? Attendees heard from expert panelists about the key factors and motivations that guide a company’s reporting strategy, reporting methods, frameworks, standards, and trends in CSR and sustainability reporting as a way to help companies address environmental, social, and governance issues—achieving both impact and performance. Panelists included Daniel L. Goelzer, senior counsel/retired partner, Baker & McKenzie, LLP; William G. Russell, principal, Transitioning to Green; Judy Sandford, senior strategist and managing director, sustainability and CSR, Addison; and moderated by Bruce Kahn, portfolio manager, Sustainable Insight Capital Management.
Organized by Columbia Business School’s Alumni Club of New York.

Mentors, EDs, and students in the NBLP celebrated the year’s accomplishments and student projects at the home of Shari Levine, ’87BUS. Attendees shared stories about their projects and experiences with the nonprofit boards while networking with peers. Professor Bruce Usher shared insights on the importance of nonprofit board service.

NBLP mentees presented their projects to the center and student leadership board.

Club members met with Manal Kahi, ’15SIPA, to take a tour of Eat Offbeat and enjoy a tasting of the authentic ethnic food made by the company’s chefs, who are refugees in New York.
Organized by the SEC and Gourmet Club.

The annual retreat provided an invaluable opportunity for members in leadership roles from the GBC, SEC—including Pangea Advisors, Microlumbia, and NBLP—and center staff and faculty to engage in open discussions and brainstorming to address challenges and set goals for the upcoming academic year.

More than 200 Columbia Business School alumni and friends gathered for the third annual Tamer Center for Social Enterprise Awards Breakfast, which raised over $500K in support of the center’s curriculum and initiatives. The 2018 Horton Award for Excellence in Social Enterprise was presented to Paul B. Guenther, ’64BUS, for his longtime support of social enterprise at Columbia Business School, including the Loan Assistance Program, which encourages students to take leadership roles in the public and nonprofit sectors. Paul has also dedicated significant time and resources to arts and healthcare organizations in the greater New York City area. Launching this year, the Carson Family Changemaker Awards were presented to Imani Gooden, ’18BUS, Natasha Korgaonkar, ’18BUS, and Kathryn Spradley, ’18BUS. The Carson Family Changemaker Award recognizes current students who have demonstrated leadership in the field of social enterprise.

Kevin Eckerle, director at NYU Stern’s Center for Sustainable Business and prior sustainability strategy consultant, gave a lecture on the circular economy, addressing consulting in this space and how to engage in more sustainable practices.
Organized by the GBC.

Members gathered together for a club community building dinner.
Organized by the SEC.

Club members enjoyed a dinner at P.S. Kitchen to learn more about their vegan, organic, and social impact based business practices. P.S. Kitchen’s owner, April Tam Smith ’10BUS, gave a presentation on the business, it’s social mission, and how her restaurant is disrupting the poverty cycle by creating jobs for those often marginalized in New York.
Organized by the GBC.

Club members tabled in Uris Hall lobby to bring awareness to people’s individual carbon footprint. Focused topics included transportation, food, and apparel.
Organized by the GBC.

Recipients of the Scholarship for Displaced Persons met with Professor Bruce Usher, Ivy Hatsengate, and Elena Piercy, and connected with each other to reflect on their first academic year at the University. Advisory board members Mimi Boublik, ’90BUS, and Mona Sinha, ’93BUS, were also in attendance.

Microlumbia students, alumni, and community members in the impact investing and financial inclusion sector gathered at the Robin Hood Foundation Office to commemorate the 10th year of the program. Attendees heard remarks from founding members Katie Leonberger, ’08BUS, president and CEO of Community Resource Exchange, and David del Ser, ’08BUS, director of inclusive fintech at BFA Global; current co-presidents, Spencer Duhaime, ’18BUS, and Kate Whitelaw, ’18BUS; and a keynote address by Anna-Marie Washer, CEO and founder of Flat World Partners, on her impact-focused investment advisory firm and the impact investing sector. The event raised almost $3,000 for investments and programming.
Organized by Microlumbia, within the SEC.

Venture capital impact investing in emerging markets is growing rapidly, but is still a small part of impact investing and global VC. Many developing markets are thinly capitalized and have unique constraints, which makes venture impact investing in emerging markets a particularly tricky endeavor. Nonetheless, there are opportunities to find innovators in all corners of emerging markets and generate strong impact and financial returns in the process. In this session, Vikas Raj, ’10BUS, focused on the intersection of venture capital and impact investing, and its specific relevance to the fintech revolution that is changing the way the world’s underserved access and engage with financial services.

Admitted students came to campus for a meet and great with Columbia Business School’s centers, programs, and students clubs. The center hosted a table to meet with admitted students interested in social enterprise courses, the Tamer Fund for Social Ventures, the ReEntry Acceleration Program, the Social Enterprise Summer Fellowship program, the Nonprofit Board Leadership Program, events, and much more.
Organized by the Admissions Office at Columbia Business School.

Columbia University’s “Fifth-Annual StartupColumbia Festival” brought together students, faculty, alumni, professionals, and more than 200 Columbia startups for a two-day celebration of Columbia’s culture of entrepreneurship and innovation. The Columbia Venture Competition was held on the first day, where more than 200 Columbia startups competed for $200,000 in cash awards. On Friday, Professor Bruce Usher kicked off the day by announcing the winner of the competition, followed by provocative discussions on blockchain, the NewSpace startups, data ethics, and women inventors. The day closed with Marco Zappacosta, ’07CC, co-founder and CEO of Thumbtack. Columbia Food Founder’s Fare at the festival featured more than 20 Columbia-founded food startups that served lunch.
Organized by Columbia Entrepreneurship and Columbia Organization of Rising Entrepreneurs (CORE) club at Columbia University.

This discussion, on the future of impact investing with a range of practitioners, explored opportunities for MBA students to engage in building the financial infrastructure to grow the field. Investors ranging from individuals to large funds are looking for opportunities to align their capital in ventures that have a commitment to socially and environmentally sustainable products and strategies. Speakers Included Laura Callanan, founding partner, Upstart Co-Lab; Jamie Martin, executive director, Global Sustainable Finance, Morgan Stanley; Omar Mencin, director of investments and information technology, Ben Franklin Technology Partners; and Fran Seegull, executive director, U.S. impact investing alliance at Ford Foundation; moderated by Professor John Wilson.
This event was co-sponsored by the Student Leadership and Ethics Board and Columbia Impact Investing Initiative, part of Leadership and Ethics Week 2018.

Social at Mel’s Burger with members of both GBC and the Energy Club members.
Organized by the GBC and Energy Club.

More than just curriculum, today's students need to build character, perseverance, and leadership to succeed beyond the K-12 classroom. DeansList puts data-driven tools in the hands of school leaders so that they can make informed decisions to impact change. Matt spoke about the success DeansList has in leveraging the power of data for education reform.
Organized by the Eugene Lang Entrepreneurship Center.

The Black Business Students Association brought together students and alumni of the School at the two-day conference to hear from black technologists, entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists, and leaders driving change across media, retail, technology, impact, and finance, among other industries. Speakers included Verdun Perry, senior managing director and co-head of strategic partners at Blackstone; Elliott Robinson, ’12BUS, partner at Microsoft Ventures; Rebecca Allen, ’12BUS, founder and CEO of Rebecca Allen, Inc.; and Donnel Baird, ’13BUS, founder and CEO of BlocPower.
Organized by the Black Business Student Association (BBSA) at Columbia Business School.

Club members and project teams participated in a presentation training led by A.T. Kearney consultants. The training provided tools and techniques to help teams present their findings and recommendations with impact.
Organized by the Small Business Consulting Club; and in partnership with Pangea Advisors, within the SEC.

The Student Leadership and Ethics Board (SLEB) hosted a lunch discussion with Dean Glenn Hubbard and Professor Ray Horton. The event explored the future of work in our ever-evolving society and was moderated by Na'ama Yehezkel, ’19BUS.
Organized by the Bernstein Center for Leadership and Ethics and SLEB.

Large corporations are leveraging the best collaborative innovation technologies to generate billions of dollars in new business. By bringing together thousands of minds from around the world to engage on tactical, strategic, and operational problems, they’re able to identify solutions that would otherwise never see the light of day. George Kyriakopoulos, senior innovation consultant at Brightidea, led a discussion on the fundamental benefits to having a single platform for global open collaboration, the willingness of universities and corporations to pay, and the motive individuals or team members have to commit time to global innovation challenges.
Organized by the Lang Center for Entrepreneurship and the center.

This interactive lunch discussion addressed questions on current initiatives in U.S education, and career trends and opportunities for first- and second-year MBA/EMBA students. Professor Tracy Breslin teaches the Education Leadership course at the School. She has over 17 years of experience in education and nonprofit management. Tracy has served as a talent management consultant since 2011, working with a variety of urban school districts and state departments of education on talent management initiatives including strategies to recruit, select, train, evaluate, and retain excellent teachers, school leaders (principals), principal supervisors, and central staff. Previously, Tracy worked in large urban school districts such as the NYC Department of Education and Newark Public Schools and nonprofit organizations like New Leaders.
Organized by the SEC.

How can we make markets more accessible and competitive to enable individuals to find their own way out of poverty? How do we effectively promote entrepreneurship through government policy, private sector business practices, and social sector advocacy? What are the risks and challenges for micro and small enterprises in rural settings? The center hosted a film screening of Zaza Rising and a panel with Ambassador Valentine Rugwabiza, permanent representative to Rwanda's UN Mission; Karen Yelick, CEO of Indego Africa; Leslie Labruto, global energy lead at Acumen; Lora Romano, corporate social responsibility manager at Blue Marble Organic Ice Cream; George Franklin, ’18BUS, founder of Baobab Circle, and Brigit Helms, senior advisor at DAI, discussed making markets work for underserved communities through micro and small enterprise development.
Organized by Columbia School of Social Work and the center.

This student study trip to London included company visits with a range of firms in the impact investing space, notably Generation IM, D. Capital, Bridges Fund Management, Acumen, and Mustard Seed, as well as a day at the Good Deals & Beyond Good Business conference. The trek concluded with the group joining forces with the London Business School VC trek for a social at the Whistling Shop.
Organized by the SEC, CMC, and the center.

The center held an information session for first-year students interested in taking the REAP Immersion Course in 2018–2019. Professor Damon Phillips led the presentation. 

The Columbia community attended the pitch competition to see innovative social ventures from across Columbia University. The pitch competition was judged by a panel of experienced social entrepreneurs, VCs, and academic experts. Ventures of all stages (concept, pre-launch, post-launch) applied and were represented at the pitch competition. The winner of the competition was Baobab Circle, winning $4,000, and the runner-up was CasTac, receiving $1,000. 
Organized by The Eugene Lang Entrepreneurship Center and SEC.

Club members interested in careers in international development embarked on the annual DC Trek for company visits and networking opportunities in the Washington, D.C. Companies visited included The World Bank, The Open Society Foundation, The Inter-American Development Bank, Palladium Group, and more.
Organized by the SEC, CMC, and the center.

As an entrepreneur, one of the most important ways you can spend your time is ensuring you have the right people in the right seats in your organization. Allison Rogovin, a consultant with over 20 years of experience in recruiting, hiring, and management coaching, talked about how to structure an effective hiring process as an early-stage social or environmental venture. Ivy Hatsengate discussed how ventures can take advantage of the SESF program at the center.

First- and second-year students interested in a social impact career heard about panelists’ career path, experiences in the sector, and insights about pursuing a career in impact investing, education, healthcare, green business, international development, and more. Several panelists discussed summer and full-time opportunities at their organizations. Panelists included Jennifer Kawar, ’84BUS, vice president, CIO, Nonprofit Finance Fund; Matt Robins, ’12BUS, founder and CEO, DeansList; Ted Schenkelberg, COO, Human Vaccines Project; and Izzet Bensusan, ’08BUS, CEO, Karbone.
Organized by the center and CMC.

MBA Students interested in working with an organization over the summer that creates social or environmental value attended the info session to learn how to apply to the SESF.

Teresa Law, ’81BUS, co-founder and CFO of Mountain Hazelnuts (MH), shared insights on launching a for-profit impact venture in Bhutan. MH is planting 10 million hazelnut trees on degraded mountainsides, significantly increasing the income of many thousands of subsistence farmers. In a unique public-private-community partnership in this Himalayan kingdom, MH is providing a sustainable income for up to 15% of the nation while rehabilitating fragile ecosystems and sequestering CO2. As Bhutan's largest private sector employer with almost half of the employees being women, MH creates wide-ranging developmental impacts in vulnerable communities.
Co-hosted by the Lang Center for Entrepreneurship and the center.

Club members helped organize the School’s fashion show this year, which focused on sustainable fashion brands.
Organized by the Retail and Luxury Goods Club, and co-sponsored by the GBC.

This annual GBC social was held at Brooklyn Bowl. Club members toured Brooklyn Bowl to learn about their LEED certified facility, which is noted for their leadership in energy and environmental design. Following the tour, club members socialized over bowling at the facility.
Organized by the GBC.

There is a gap between the needs of people with physical disabilities in the United States and the solutions available to meet those needs. What if technologies for people with physical disabilities can be profitable while also helping those in need? What if they can be designed not only to serve people with disabilities, but also to spur innovation for broader consumer markets? In this workshop, participants provided guidance on where The American Bionics Project should focus as they build and scale the organization, identified the areas of intersection between the broader commercial market and technology for the disabled, and uncovered the investment criteria for innovative assistive and adaptive technology. Steven Galeazzi, the founder of the American Bionics Project, moderated this workshop.
Supported by the Lang Center for Entrepreneurship and center.

James. J Owens, ’94BUS, founder and CEO of The World is Just a Book Away (WIJABA), was the first recipient of the Chazen Institute Scholarship awarded in 1992, and currently is associate professor at the University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business. WIJABA is a nonprofit organization that empowers children to change their own lives and communities through books, libraries, and educational programs. WIJABA is an anthology that captures the stories of how books and reading inspired some of the world's most prominent people. Featuring personal stories from five Nobel Peace Prize laureates, actors, royalty, world leaders, scientists, humanitarians, and many more. This event was moderated by Professor Bruce Usher.
Organized by Jerome A. Chazen Institute for Global Business.

Students gathered within their clusters for a community-building fundraising event where they auctioned off experiences based on their individual talents to their peers.
Organized by the SEC.

In this webinar, Erin Ewart, career coach and owner of Erin Ewart Consulting, Careers for Social Impact, presented strategies for telling a story effectively, including identifying transferable skills and creating a concise, targeted narrative to use throughout the different aspects of the job search process.
Organized by the CMC.

This interactive session highlighted the need for corporations to go beyond stand-alone CSR departments to integrate sustainability and social impact into their core business strategy. Christina Shim, ’12BUS, managing regional director, Americas Consulting at Palladium, shared case studies of how the practice of being sustainable and profitable has been implemented previously and can help develop ideas for the next phase of commercial growth tied to social progress. Companies aren’t thinking big enough and entire ecosystems need to be reimagined to achieve real change for the better.
Organized by the center and SEC.

MBAs interested in a career in renewable energy attended this event series to hear from Professor Bruce Usher about the sector and possible job opportunities for MBA students.
Organized by the CMC.

Club members from both GBC and the Gourmet Club dined with faculty at NYC's first carbon neutral and B Corp restaurant. Restaurant owners, farmers, and notable staff led a conversation on operations and benefits of having a sustainable mission, including farm to fork and composting, waste management and recycling, renewable energy procurement, and community involvement.
Organized by the GBC and Gourmet Club.

Panelists Jane Mosbacher Morris, ’12BUS, founder and CEO of To The Market; Alexandra McNair, CR and partnerships executive at Sancroft International; and Paul Barrett, deputy director at NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights, have traveled the world to develop a strong point of view on how to tactically approach sustainability in the fashion industry. They shared insights on sustainable and ethical fashion with students interested in a career path in sustainable retail.
Organized by the SEC and Retail & Luxury Goods Club.

Students, alumni, faculty, and professionals in the social enterprise sector joined center staff and advisory board members for an evening of networking and socializing. The 2018 Social Enterprise Leadership Award was presented to April Tam Smith, ’10BUS, owner of PS Kitchen.

MBA SESF program recipients showcased the impact they had on various nonprofit organizations over the summer and details on their fellowship project. This event kicked-off a week dedicated to peer fundraising for the program. Following the “SEC Matters” event, the school’s rugby team hosted a “Date Night Auction,” with all proceeds going towards SESF. The team hosts this event each year in efforts to help support peers interested in working work with an organization over the summer that creates social or environmental value through the Social Enterprise Summer Fellowship (SESF) program. The event raised over $3K for SESF.
Organized by the SEC and MBA Rugby team.

The Pangea Advisors hosted a kickoff for all student teams assigned to projects for the spring 2018 term.
Organized by Pangea Advisors, within the SEC.

Nate McMurry, ’10BUS, director of divestiture and portfolio management at EDF Renewable Energy, discussed the renewables sector in the U.S. and potential internship roles at EDF. Nate also shared his career path and general thoughts on the industry.
Organized by the GBC and the center.

The Columbia Energy Symposium is the largest student-run energy event in New York City, bringing together more than 300 energy professionals, students, faculty, leaders, and executives representing industry, government, and society, to explore and advance insights into today's challenging energy questions. The symposium featured panel topics on the integration of AI, blockchain, and cyber security in the electricity sector; the future of electric transportation; geopolitics of new energy resources; corporations’ role in clean energy advancement; clean energy finance; and transitioning to a low carbon economy.
Organized by Columbia University’s SIPA Energy Association (SEA), the Energy and Green Business Clubs at Columbia Business School, CU Engineering Energy Club, and Columbia Law School’s Environmental Law Society.

Students interested in working with an organization over the summer that creates social or environmental value attended the info session to learn how to apply to the SESF. The SESF program supports undergraduate and graduate students at Columbia, Barnard, and Columbia-affiliated institutions engaged in summer internships that create social and environmental value. Fellows take on full-time internships for social ventures or social entrepreneurship-focused organizations in the U.S. or abroad and work on a six- to ten-week project.

Members of the Social Enterprise and Green Business clubs gathered for an informal meet and greet to welcome new J-term students to the School and answer questions about club membership.
Organized by the GBC and SEC.

The Pangea Advisors team provided an overview of the Pangea Advisors program and its spring 2018 projects to interested students.
Organized by Pangea Advisors, within the SEC.

Kristen Bailey hosted an info session for students and alumni of Columbia University to learn about the Tamer Fund for Social Ventures, the application process, upcoming deadlines, and qualifications to apply. Portfolio members Rachel Barnard, ’11GSAPP, founder of Young New Yorkers; Linh Le, ’09SEAS, founder of Bonbouton; Matthew Robins, BUS’13, founder of DeansList; Justin Garrett Moore, ’04GSAPP, advisor to Made in Brownsville; and Manal Kahi, ’15SIPA, co-founder of Eat Offbeat, shared their ventures' missions and experiences working with the center. Following the presentations, participants had the unique opportunity to network with fellow students and alumni across campus interested in social ventures.

The center and professional clubs provided information on the clubs’ initiatives on campus and opportunities to be involved in the social enterprise community at the School. J-term students met students and faculty whose passion for international development, social entrepreneurship, CSR, renewable energy, and nonprofit consulting and nonprofit management has elevated the School to be one of the top business schools for social enterprise.
Organized by the GBC, SEC, and the center.

Participants in the Pangea program presented their projects to peers and the center, sharing best practices, insights learned, and project stories.
Organized by Pangea Advisors, within the SEC.

Students interested in working with an organization over the summer that creates social or environmental value attended this info session to learn how to apply to the SESF.

We are entering a new era—an era of impact. The largest intergenerational transfer of wealth in history will soon be under way, bringing with it the potential for huge increases in philanthropic funding. Engine of Impact shows how nonprofits can apply the principles of strategic leadership to attract greater financial support and leverage that funding to maximum effect. William F. Meehan III and Kim Starkey Jonker identified seven essential components of strategic leadership that set high-achieving organizations apart from the rest of the nonprofit sector. Together, these components form an “engine of impact”—a system that organizations must build, tune, and fuel if they hope to make a real difference in the world. Professor Georgia Levenson Keohane moderated the panel discussion.

MBA students enrolled in the REAP Immersion Course traveled to Taconic Correctional Facility to acquaint themselves with the facility, classroom, and procedures for their upcoming class instruction. Lew Goidel, supervisor of Correctional Facility Volunteer Services, greeted participates and gave them a tour of the facility.

GBC and Energy club members interested in careers in sustainability and clean tech embarked on the annual West Coast Trek for company visits and networking opportunities in the Bay Area of California. Company visits included Prelude Ventures, Makani, SunRun, Stem, Proterra, Ygrene Energy Fund, First Solar, Mosaic, Bloom Energy, SunPower, and Natel Energy.
Organized by the CMC, GBC, and Energy Club.

Catastrophic climate change is inevitable at the current rate of greenhouse gas emissions. Fortunately, growth in greenhouse gas emissions is likely to slow significantly due to a convergence of cost-competitive renewable energy and advanced electric vehicles. Even in the absence of government policies, the renewable energy and electric vehicle sectors are experiencing dramatic growth resulting from favorable economics. The key issue is whether this will occur quickly enough to avoid the worst effects of climate change. Professor Bruce Usher was the featured speaker.
Organized by the Columbia Business School Alumni Club of Boston.

Recipients of the Displaced Persons Scholarship Fund joined Professor Bruce Usher and Ivy Hatsengate for a networking dinner.

Participants of NBLP gathered together for a lunch to discuss progress on their projects and resources available to them.
Organized by the NBLP leadership team, within the SEC, and the center.

The center, Hour Children, and Resilience Education hosted an evening celebration for the end of the first semester of the REAP Immersion and teaching partners. The reception brought together MBA/EMBA instructors from Columbia Business School and Darden School of Business, students and alumni, faculty, staff, and all friends of this program who helped develop the teaching of business courses—financial empowerment, getting to yes, and entrepreneurship—to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated persons. The event was held at P.S. Kitchen, a social restaurant that supports inclusive hiring practices.

The center staff celebrated the end of the year and fall semester at P.S. Kitchen, a social restaurant supporting inclusive hiring practices founded by April Tam Smith, ’10BUS.

The Tamer Center for Social Enterprise was pleased to announce the launch of the new Three Cairns Climate Fellowship. This information session discussed upcoming deadlines for the fellowship and Professor Bruce Usher, Kristen Bailey, and Sandra Navalli, ’03BUS, answered questions about the fellowship. The fellowship provides support to MBA and EMBA students who complete semester- or year-long projects at the intersection of climate change and business. Students may apply individually or in teams for projects that work with Columbia research faculty, or any type of organization or business in the U.S. or abroad that is addressing sustainability and climate change issues. Projects should focus on using markets and business knowledge, skills, and tools to identify and implement solutions to mitigate, adapt to, or reverse climate change and its impacts. Fellowships are awarded to between four to six projects each academic year.

Professor Lynne Sagalyn moderated a dynamic discussion on the intersection between real estate and social impact. Ron Moelis, chief executive officer and founder of L+M Development Partners Inc. and vice chairman of the New York State Association for Affordable Housing, shared insights on his career path and journey with L+M Development Partners; deep-diving into sources of capital for social impact real estate businesses; potential tension between doing well and doing good; other players in social impact real estate space; and advice for students seeking social impact real estate careers.
Organized by the center and Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate at Columbia Business School, and the Center for Urban Real Estate at the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation.

A club social was held at Bell Book & Candle (BB&C), where members gathered for drinks and light appetizers to socialize. A restaurant representative from BB&C joined club members to teach about the restaurant’s rooftop farm and food sourcing strategy.
Organized by the GBC.

Last November, just days before the 2016 presidential election, Dean Glenn Hubbard and Professor Ray Horton hosted a Columbia Community Conversation on the rise of populism that calls into question the mainstream policies business and political elites have pursued in recent decades. It was during this discussion that the idea for the fall 2017 class, Bridging the American Divide, was born. One year to the day after this event, the class traveled to Youngstown, Ohio, and spent four days meeting with local businesses, unions, nonprofits, politicians, and many others across the community. Professors Bruce Usher and Ray Horton moderated the panel discussion with students from the class: Sam Longair, ’18BUS, Maeve McCoy, ’18BUS, and Nicolas Nannetti, ’18BUS, with an introduction by Dean Glenn Hubbard.
Organized by The Jerome A. Chazen Institute for Global Business and center.

There is a need to accelerate progress on global sustainability challenges. The next generation of leaders that will innovate scalable finance solutions to sustainability challenges will need to navigate the complexity of capital markets and manage an array of stakeholder interests. Leadership and capital are required to meet these challenges head-on. With its world-class platform for advising, originating, trading, managing, and distributing capital, Morgan Stanley partnered with Columbia Business School, a global leader in business school education, to develop the next generation of leaders.
Organized by Morgan Stanley and the CMC; and promoted by the SEC and GBC.

Jennifer Dyck-Sprout, ’14BUS, vice president–Canada and Northeastern USA at EverFi, and Jenny Tolan, ’14BUS, product marketing manager at Google for Education, discussed careers in edtech and how to source internships and jobs in edtech post-MBA.

Students interested in a career post-MBA in education reform attended this panel to meet with employers hiring for summer internships and full-time positions. Natalya Shulga, director at Uncommon Schools; Amanda Cahn, ’10BUS, managing director of Center for Public Research Leadership; and Michelle Dervan, ’14BUS, principal of ReThink Education, discussed career paths and opportunities for education operations, policy, and investments.
Organized by the SEC.

Students interested in ethical fashion joined seasoned panelists that have traveled the world and developed a strong point of view on how to tactfully approach sustainability in the fashion industry. Panelists included Brennan Lowery, program manager for Kate Spade & Co. On Purpose Initiative; Jane Mosbacher Morris, ’12BUS, founder and CEO of To The Market; and Alexandra McNair, CR and partnerships executive at Sancroft International. Following the panel, To The Market hosted a pop-up shop for attendees.
Organized by the SEC.

Steve Harty, a Columbia Business School executive-in-residence who served as a fellow from 1983 to 1984, shared his experience with the program. The White House fellowship program provides promising young leaders with a rare high-level experience in U.S. federal government. Fellows serve a year in the White House, offices of Cabinet, or as agency secretaries. In addition to their paid policy and managerial work, fellows participate in as many as 100 closed-door roundtable discussions with members of Congress, Cabinet, CEOs, diplomats, and senior military officials. Highlights of each year are domestic policy trips to U.S. cities and one international trip, all with the goal of better understanding the role of the U.S. government in addressing domestic and international issues.

Panelists discussed their challenges and triumphs leading in the nonprofit space. They provided insights and advice on how to get involved in a variety of nonprofit organizations, through both volunteering and board/committee service. Panelists included Pamela Inbasekaran, COO of RELAY; Jess Dannhauser, president and CEO of Graham Windham; Laurie Parise, founder and executive director of Youth Represent; Ken Walker, senior VP of core mission support of Per Scholas; and Katie Leonberger, ’08BUS, president and CEO of Community Research Exchange; and was moderated by Professor Joel Brockner.
Organized by Leadership Lab at Columbia Business School.

MBAs interested in Endeavour attended this session to learn about internship opportunities in various industries and ventures around the world. Endeavor (www.endeavor.org) is a global nonprofit organization present in 27 countries that leads the movement to transform economies through the power of high-impact entrepreneurship. It supports over 1,500 entrepreneurs who have created more than 650,000 jobs and currently generate $10B USD in annual revenue. The support and leadership of renowned global entrepreneurs and business leaders such as Reid Hoffman of LinkedIn, Pierre Omidyar of Ebay, Jorge Paulo Lemann of 3G Capital, and board chairman Edgar Bronfman Jr., Endeavor help high-potential entrepreneurs achieve breakthrough success.
Organized by the CMC.

Anne Eidelman, ’10BUS, recently became CEO of Blue Engine, a nonprofit that partners with schools and uses an innovative teaching model that trains and supports recent college graduates to accelerate academic progress. Over the last seven years, mostly through roles requiring her to turnaround low-performing teams, Anne has learned a lot about organization, leadership, and her own management style, and she shared these insights with students.

The Trump administration has promised dramatic change in favor of fossil fuels, just as solar energy has become a threat to their dominance in the energy supply. This new direction will challenge the American solar industry to rely less on federal support, as it competes with both traditional energy consumption and the rise of cheaper foreign suppliers. Can solar overtake fossil fuels in both the American energy grid and the American job market? Can it reach these goals without federal dollars? The panel of leaders in the solar industry discussed how these questions affect both private and nonprofit enterprises. Panelists included Jessie Mantel, Sunrun's East coast markets; Erica Helson, assistant vice president of smart and sustainable cities at the NYC Economic Development Corporation (EDC); Noah Ginsburg, director of the Here Comes Solar Program at Solar One; and moderator Alexander Kaufman, a climate, environment, and business reporter at The Huffington Post.
Organized by the Columbia Business School Alumni Club of New York.

CuraHub is a personalized product search website for patients looking for non-prescription remedies, starting with patients suffering from psoriasis. Ashley Lim, ’12CC, founder and CEO of CuraHub, facilitated the workshop to discover consumer segments CuraHub should target, the features that are the most valued by the target customers, and the best ways to reach and engage customers.
Supported by the Lang Center for Entrepreneurship, SEC, GBC, and the center at Columbia Business School; and the Social Entrepreneurship Club at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs.

Managed by Q, Knotel, and Columbia University discussed the opportunities and challenges of hiring formerly incarcerated people. The event included a moderated panel discussion of employers, nonprofits, government representatives, and workforce development groups, and was followed with networking.
Organized by Managed by Q and Knotel; and sponsored by the center.

The event included a discussion on the refugee crisis and the mitigation measures taken by different U.S. communities. Internationally renowned speakers led the discussion, including members of Columbia University faculty, the U.S. Department of State, International Red Cross, NBC, and the social enterprise Eat Offbeat.
Organized by the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Club and the center at Columbia Business School.

SEC members met at the info session to learn about the two career treks planned for the spring semester: an impact investing focused trek in London and an international development careers focused trek in Washington, D.C.
Organized by the SEC.

Dalberg is a strategy consulting firm focused on international development and emerging market issues. Their mission is to raise living standards in developing countries and address global challenges, serving a range of clients, including foundations, multilateral institutions, multinational companies, and NGOs. Dalberg’s approach to impact is unique in the market, and they incorporate cutting-edge approaches to human-centered design, impact investing, research, and implementation to address the world's most intractable issues. The organization spoke to the opportunities for professional skills training and mentorship to current and recent graduate school students at this presentation.
Organized by the CMC.

Zev Greenfield, ’05BUS, discussed his leadership and management practices in the arts and creative industries and the opportunity and career pathways MBA students have to impact the cultural life of cities. Zev is a leading nonprofit arts manager, curator, fundraiser, and strategist with over 15 years of progressive global experience across the nonprofit and arts/entertainment industries. He is known for leading the pioneering Brooklyn-based ISSUE Project Room and his commitment to artists, devising new and inventive programming, plus coordinating pivotal operating and capital projects, such as the construction of The DiMenna Center for Classical Music—New York's first orchestral rehearsal and recording studio. Prior to ISSUE, Zev led the turnaround of the Byrd Hoffman Water Mill Foundation and served a number of NY-based and international arts organizations as a strategic and fundraising consultant.

Members gathered together for a club community building dinner.
Organized by the SEC.

The opening reception served as a successful kickoff for the 2017–18 Nonprofit Board Leadership Program (NBLP), bringing together over 70 students, mentors, and nonprofit leaders participating in the program this year. Mimi Boublik, ’80BUS, and Michael Boublik, ’80BUS, had a packed house of nonprofit board leaders and future board members to network and build a community together.
Organized by the NBLP leadership team, within the SEC, and the center.

Capital markets and market-based solutions are increasingly needed to finance development, even more so given the sustainable development goals, but they are complex and time consuming to build. Alison Harwood, ’85BUS, discussed why and how emerging market governments, financial institutions, and businesses need to work together for markets to grow, and how institutions like the World Bank Group can better leverage their resources to support them in their efforts.

Today’s consumer is more focused than ever on how and where the goods they buy are made. Panelists Diane Hatz, founder and executive director of Change Food; Yael Alkalay, ’97BUS, founder and CEO of Red Flower; Dan Horan, chairman and CEO of Five Acre Farms; Jamie Lewis, ’05BUS, founder of JLEW Bags; Jane Mosbacher Morris, ’12BUS, founder and CEO of To The Market; and Sarah Ribner, ’16BUS, co-founder of PiperWai, shared success stories of their social ventures despite the competitive industries from food to beauty to personal care, fashion, and accessories. The businesses are successfully targeting and meeting the demands of the increasingly informed and engaged consumer looking for social businesses.
Organized by the Columbia Business School Alumni Club of New York.

The film, An Inconvenient Sequel, was screened on campus and was followed by a recorded Q&A with Al Gore and a conversation with former Secretary of State John Kerry regarding the film and climate change.
Organized by the GBC.

Carlos Rodriguez-Pastor is a Peruvian billionaire businessman. He is currently chairman and CEO at Intercorp, one of Peru’s largest holding companies, and general partner at Nexus Group, a Peruvian private equity fund with over $900M in assets under management. Mr. Rodriguez-Pastor is also co-founder and chairman of Innova Schools, a network of high-quality low-cost private schools designed by IDEO, and member of several advisory boards and committees, including Second Curve Partners, Royalty Pharma, The David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies at Harvard University, Tuck School of Business Board of Overseers, New York’s Museum of Modern Arts (MoMA) Committee for Latin American Acquisitions, MIT’s Corporation Development Committee, Latin America Conservation Council, and is co-chair for the International Advisory Council of the Americas Society and Council of the Americas.
Organized by the Latin American Business Association at Columbia Business School.

This discussion provided an overview of the current problems posed by industrialized animal agriculture and how clean, plant-based meat companies are solving these issues. Aylon Steinhart shared the resources The Global Food Institute has to offer students interested in the space, resources include industry and investor connections; market research; and professional support such as legal, scientific, marketing, and more.
Organized by the GBC.

Students and staff from the center gathered at White Oak Kitchen and Cocktail with alumni in the Atlanta area for a networking dinner. Current business school students interested in social enterprise were in town for the annual Net Impact Conference.

Students traveled to Atlanta, Georgia to participate in the 2017 Net Impact Conference, “Path to Purpose, Accelerate Your Impact Career.” Keynote speakers included: Kevin Cleary, CEO of Clif Bar & Company; Cheryl Dorsey, president of Echoing Green; Kathryn Finney, managing director of digitalundivided; and Paul Hawken, executive director of Project Drawdown.
Organized by the Net Impact Organization, and supported by the center.

New York-Presbyterian Hospital (NYPH) is one of the most comprehensive university hospitals in the world, with leading specialists in every field of medicine. NYPH is composed of two renowned medical centers, New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center and New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, and is affiliated with two Ivy League medical institutions, Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons and Weill Medical College of Cornell University. Students interested in a ten-week paid summer internship attended this event to learn more about their internships program and how to apply.
Organized by the CMC.

GBC members met members of JP Morgan’s power and utilities investment banking team to gain insights on the industry and internship opportunities for MBAs at the firm.
Organized by the GBC.

The center held an info session to discuss the spring 2018 REAP Immersion Course, where students teach financial literacy and entrepreneurship to participants of REAP at Taconic Correctional Facility.

Recruiters from the Broad Residency in Urban Education discussed opportunities for MBAs to make an impact in urban education. The Broad Residency places participants into full-time managerial positions in K-12 education organizations where they can leverage their leadership and management skills, while receiving extensive professional development, mentorship, and MBA-level pay ($90K-$100K); being intellectually challenged and taking on high levels of responsibility; and undertaking personally fulfilling and impactful work.
Organized by the CMC.

This webinar-based workshop was designed to help students clarify their career strategy and build confidence in their personal brand to position themselves for roles in the social, sustainability, impact, and international development jobs market. Attendees learned frameworks for mapping their top five values, skills, and traits, as well as identified their dream job criteria. Shannon Houde, Walk of Life Consulting, helped to demystify the myths of the current jobs market with real-time trends and perspectives from her partnerships with leading recruitment agencies in the US and UK.

Inspiring Capital (IC) hosted an information session for first- and second-year MBA students to share two summer internship opportunities: Inspiring Capital's Summer MBA Fellowship Program and the National Parks Business Plan Internship. IC shared information on how to apply for the MBA fellowship and their selection process, as well as presented examples of fellows’ past work and impact in order to gain a deeper understanding of the fellowship projects with their host organizations. Attendees also heard about the National Parks Business Plan Internship opportunity, which included an overview of the internship expectations. Selected candidates bring their world-class finance, operations, and strategy talent into some of the most beautiful backdrops and culturally significant sites in the world. Each project’s focus varies depending upon park needs, and at the end of the program, BPI Consultants present strategic recommendations to park leadership.
Organized by the CMC.

In this session, Amit Khanna, ’07LAW, spoke about negotiating skills for the social entrepreneur. This discussion focused on the foundations of negotiating, specifically tailored for the social enterprise space. He covered styles of negotiation, goal setting, strategy and planning, and executing successful outcomes. He also went through actual scenarios that early-stage entrepreneurs find themselves in— from negotiating outside capital to negotiating with potential employees. The session included exercises to best understand personal style and how it impacts how one negotiates with others.

Student mentees participating in the program gathered at orientation day to learn about their nonprofit board projects for the academic year. At the event, attendees discussed initiatives and best practices. During the orientation, Peter Grunert and Eliza Loomis, consultants at Bridgespan, presented best practices for nonprofit consulting; Joe Cosentino, ’18BUS, shared insights from his completed project; and Ronnie Planalp, ’86BUS, remarked on her experience as a mentor and what to expect from the NBLP projects.
Organized by the NBLP leadership team, within the SEC, and the center.

Students interested in a summer of impact joined Ivy Hatsengate, career coach at the center, for a casual round-robin discussion about the fellowship program. Attendees interested in the fellowship had the opportunity to meet with fellows from various schools across campus to hear first-hand about their social impact internship experiences at organizations across the U.S. and abroad, and get tips on how to source organizations and maximize a summer fellowship experience.

Professor Stephen Zeldes organized a film screening and panel discussion on the new film Marshall, which recounts Thurgood Marshall's time as chief counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF). Specifically, this film follows Marshall's handling of Connecticut v. Spell, a criminal case against Joseph Spell. Spell was a black chauffeur for a wealthy, white socialite from Connecticut—named Eleanor Strubing. Spell was accused of and arrested for the rape and attempted murder of Strubing. The NAACP picked up the case and represented Spell in what turned out to be a career-altering case for Marshall. The screening was followed by a panel discussion with Daniel Richman, professor at Columbia Law School; David Atkins, attorney at Pullman & Comley, LLC; and Stephen Zeldes, professor at Columbia Business School.
Promoted by the center and Columbia Law School.

The Center for Advancing Innovation launched the Freedom from Cancer Startup Challenge (FCSC), in partnership with MedImmune/AstraZeneca, with an audacious goal to launch, create, and mentor 100 cancer-focused startups. Attendees came to this information session to network with other like-minded individuals and learn more about the challenge.
Organized by the center with the Center for Advancing Innovation organization.

First- and second-year students attended a panel discussion to explore how to find internship opportunities within the field of social enterprise. SEC second-years shared insights and provided advice on how to make this search easier for current first-years looking to work in social ventures, nonprofits, social innovation, and CSR over the summer.
Organized by the SEC.

The current political climate creates an uneasy world stage for companies to navigate. Attendees explored how to enact social impact across disciplines: philanthropies, nonprofit organizations, social ventures, and traditional business. In this year’s conference, attendees met business and organizational leaders who actively use their platform to drive change in education reform, the refugee crisis, job creation for the formerly incarcerated, and climate change. As Shaiza Rizavi, ’96BUS, emphasized in her remarks at the 2017 Tamer Center for Social Enterprise Awards Breakfast, we each have a role to play for this is our future to form. What could we accomplish together if we each collaborated with one or two people in the same room? We have a choice to call upon each other and motivate ourselves and others into action. Attendees took a stand towards driving innovation and impact around social challenges and participated in our day-long hackathon led by TYTHEdesign. During the hackathon, participants used the insights and best practices from conference speakers to create strategies and solutions for impact with cross-disciplinary thinkers, innovators, and changemakers.
Organized by the center, SEC, and GBC.

Student volunteers for the 2017 Social Enterprise Conference had the opportunity to be trained by THYTHEdesign in design thinking principles.

Second-year students who have worked in the energy or green business sector provided tips to fellow club members on navigating on-campus and enterprise recruiting. Panelists touched topics for students looking to enter management consulting, investment banking, cleantech, corporate development, and corporate strategy roles within the energy and green business sectors.
Co-organized by the GBC and Energy Club.

The SOLV-A-THON is a 48-hour problem-solving event that aims to create solutions that are not only groundbreaking but also multidisciplinary, challenging the way our society tackles social problems in the TEETH space: technology, education, energy, transportation, and health. The event is designed to cater to students from diverse backgrounds by providing them with a platform to work in teams with students from different schools.
Organized by Columbia Impact, a cross-campus club for social impact.

Pangea Advisors gathered together to kick off the program, meet fellow advisors, and discuss resources and project assignments.
Organized by Pangea Advisors, within the SEC.

At the MBA Career Fair—an informal recruiting fair held for organizations looking to hire school-year interns, summer interns, or full-time employees— a number of social enterprise hosted a table to meet with MBA/EMBA students looking for opportunities for internships or full-time careers upon graduation. Education Pioneers is a nonprofit organization that aims to increase the talent supply of top leaders in education to improve the leadership capacity in key education organizations. SokarKal is a one-stop shop for a variety of solar energy solutions. From data gathering, through equipment selection, to financing, their unique and easy process allows clients to have one point of contact and receive multiple, competitive bids from their solar partners in their region. SolarKal has the network and the expertise to help businesses save money and convert to a responsible and economical energy source.
Organized by the Career Management Center (CMC).

Attendees joined Azuza Jamgerchinova, ’13BUS ’06JRN, from Firms with Benefits to brainstorm ideas and solutions around establishing the driving force behind corporate giants adapting and embracing sustainable business practices.
Supported by the center, Lang Center for Entrepreneurship, GBC, and SEC at Columbia Business School; the Social Entrepreneurship Club at Columbia School of International and Public Affairs, and SUMASA at the Earth Institute.

At this special business breakfast, Professor Damon Phillips moderated a panel featuring Vice Media, Uber, and Buddha Booth to discuss what motivates businesses to engage formerly incarcerated people, the potential resistance they face, and how to make the business case to boards, employees and customers. The association also considered how to recruit this employment pool, how language in the workplace can help facilitate their successful integration and acceptance into the workforce, and how the business community can take a leadership role in reducing recidivism while increasing economic development.

Alumni in the edtech industry gathered to hear from a distinguished panel of speakers that are disrupting various parts of the massive education market, including early childhood, K-12, higher education, and corporate. Panelists included Jo Schneier, CEO and co-founder of Cognotion; Jason Jordan, chief product officer of Knewton; Brigeth Rivera, head of North American higher education marketing at Knewton; Dan Cogan-Drew, co-founder and chief product officer of Newsela; Neal Shenoy, CEO of Speakaboos; and Ethan Keiser, CEO of Studytree.
Organized by Columbia Business School’s Alumni Club of New York.

Professor Melanie Edwards opened up 20 seats for SEC members to join her social entrepreneurship course featuring guest speaker Cheryl L. Dorsey. Cheryl is a pioneer in the social entrepreneurship movement, and the president of Echoing Green, a global organization seeding and unleashing next-generation talent to solve the world’s biggest problems. Echoing Green invests in early-stage social entrepreneurs. By using a venture capital investment model, it has invested in more than 700 social entrepreneurs working in more than 75 countries, providing over $42 million in seed-stage funding and support systems that accelerate their impact.

Students learned about careers in impact investing from peer CBS students who interned at Acumen, Accion Venture Lab, City Light Capital, and more. Panelists included Katie Ritter, ’18BUS, summer associate, Acumen; Nick Drayson, ’18BUS, summer associate, Accion Venture Lab; Sarah Shenker, ’18BUS, MBA intern, City Light Capital; and Thomas Frischknecht, ’18BUS, summer associate, Thirdway Africa.
Organized by Microlumbia, within the SEC.

Attendees enjoyed a special film screening of the documentary Prosperity, which explores business leaders pursuing triple bottom strategies, followed by a special Q&A discussion with Pedram Shojai, producer, founder and CEO of Well.Org, and NYT best-selling author.

First- and second-year students, faculty, alumni, and staff at the center gathered at Hilltop Hanover Farm to kick-off the academic year with a day filled with BBQ, snacks, drinks, games, and general merriment. The farm is dedicated to the development and advancement of sustainable agriculture, environmental stewardship, community education, and accessible food systems for all. Upon arrival, attendees received a brief history of the farm and their farming practices. Daytime breakout activities included participating in a class on herbs for health, a guided tour with one of Hilltop’s farmers showcasing their sustainable farming practices, and a yoga class!

Students interested in taking on an independent consulting project for a nonprofit attended the info session to learn more about this program, application process, and nonprofit board service.
Organized by the NBLP, within the SEC, and the center.

Attendees heard from Professor Ray Horton on the following topics: key challenges nonprofit leaders face today, best practices for conceptualizing your nonprofit leadership, the balancing act of managing scarce resources, and inherent tradeoffs in decision making as a nonprofit manager.
Organized by the Executive Education Program at Columbia Business School.

The Tamer Center for Social Enterprise and the Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP) hosted a presentation by Howard Bamsey, executive director of the Green Climate Fund (GCF). ED Bamsey discussed climate finance and the role of GCF. After his keynote remarks, panelists joined CGEP inaugural fellow, David Sandalow for an actively moderated discussion focused broadly on climate finance and next steps following President Trump's announcement to pull out of the Paris Agreement and end U.S. contributions to the GCF. Panelists included Mike Eckhart, managing director and global head of environmental finance and sustainability at Citigroup; Melanie Nakagawa, non-resident fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy, and head of climate initiative with Princeville Global; and Professor Bruce Usher.
Organized by the center and the Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP).

Students in the Social Entrepreneurship: Global Perspective (MBA) course had the opportunity to network with Marc Koska, founder of Safepoint Trust. This nonprofit aims to align all actors in health care around safe injections to prevent blood borne diseases.

First- and second-year students met with representatives at Bridgespan, a nonprofit consulting firm, for an info session on the organization and job opportunities.
Organized by the CMC.

Pangea, the international development consulting arm of the Social Enterprise Club, hosted a competition for the top student project teams from spring 2017.
Organized by Pangea Advisors (Pangea), within SEC.

First-year students met with the current professional club members on an informal basis at Uris Hall’s West Terrace to learn more about the social enterprise community at the School.
Organized by the GBC and SEC.

With a packed room, the center and professional clubs provided information on the social enterprise community at the School. Students interested in exploring the field of social enterprise during their time at the School had the opportunity to meet students and faculty whose passion for international development, social entrepreneurship, CSR, renewable energy, nonprofit consulting, and nonprofit management has elevated the School to be one of the top business schools for social enterprise. Students learned about the different clubs’ initiatives on campus and opportunities to be involved in the social enterprise community.
Organized by the Green Business Club (GBC), Social Enterprise Club (SEC), and the center.

MBA students enrolled in the REAP Immersion Course traveled to Taconic Correctional Facility to acquaint themselves with the facility, classroom, and procedures for their upcoming class instruction. Lew Goidel, supervisor of Correctional Facility Volunteer Services, greeted participates and gave them a tour of the facility.

The Tamer Center for Social Enterprise, current and former Social Enterprise Summer Fellows, and alumni working in and interested in social enterprise celebrated the 2017 fellows at the summer social. This year’s summer fellows interned across social enterprise sectors including education, healthcare, arts, conservation, impact investing, SME development, community development, architecture, engineering, and beyond.