2020-2021 Events

Alumni joined Bruce Usher, co-director of the Tamer Center for Social Enterprise and Elizabeth B. Strickler ’86 and Mark T. Gallogly ’86 Faculty Director, Professor of Professional Practice, and Geoffrey Heal, Donald C. Waite III Professor of Social Enterprise, for a virtual discussion outlining one of the greatest threats to humanity. Attendees also learned how Columbia’s new Climate School is positioned to make an impact. Costis Maglaras, dean and the David and Lyn Silfen Professor of Business, moderated the conversation.
Organized by External Relations and the Alumni Club of London.

The graduation ceremony was an opportunity to celebrate the talents and achievements of the Justice Through Code (JTC) graduates. Graduates presented their final capstone projects to an audience of former alumni, faculty, donors, mentors, and potential mentors and supporters of the program. The event also served as a networking opportunity for JTC alumni to meet with fellow graduates, network with the program’s instructors, advisors, and mentors, as well as celebrate their accomplishments with fellow graduates, friends, and family. The event also served as an opportunity forJTC to showcase the program and answer questions for new professionals in the tech sector who are interested in serving as tech mentors and guest speakers for the program, as well as professionals interested in getting involved in created career-track employment opportunities for this diverse and talented pool of graduates.
Organized by Justice Through Code.

This virtual book talk featured author Ron Gonen ’04, founder and CEO of Closed Loop Partners, in conversation with Ran Kivetz, Philip H. Geier Jr. Professor of Marketing at Columbia Business School, as they discussed how the circular economy is not only crucial for the planet but holds immense business opportunity. Our take-make-waste economy has cost consumers and taxpayers billions while cheating us out of a habitable planet. But it doesn’t have to be this way. The Waste-Free World makes a persuasive, forward-looking case for a circular economic model, a “closed-loop” system that wastes no natural resources. The Waste-Free World invites us all to take part in a sustainable and prosperous future where companies foster innovation, investors recognize long term value creation, and consumers can align their values with the products they buy.

More than half of all people incarcerated have a mental illness — 56 percent of people in state prisons, 45 percent of people in federal prisons, and 64 percent of people in jail. Research has indicated that individuals with untreated mental health may be at higher risk for future recidivism on release from prison. How do we improve access to pharmacy services and adequate health care for currently and formerly incarcerated individuals? How do we position ourselves as a valuable resource to formerly incarcerated individuals? How can prison and detention center staff be better equipped to address the physical and mental health needs for this population? This workshop focused on understanding the challenges of educating detention center staff and people who are incarcerated and brainstorming strategies for improving compliance to the program. The workshop was facilitated by Jackie Eustis ’18, vice president of corporate development at InMedRx; and Donna Simone, director of business development at InMedRx

The fourth annual conference examined the global transition to net zero greenhouse gas emissions. How will the transition to net zero affect business strategies? What will be the impact on asset values and share prices? And, most importantly, how will the transition by companies to net zero change the trajectory of emissions to avoid the most damaging impacts of climate change? This conference brought together climate scientists and business leaders to understand how new advances in climate science can inform investments in specific sectors of the global economy. The forum explored topics that address the value and opportunity of using a science-based approach to inform and guide business and investment decisions.
Organized by the center and Columbia Climate School.

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 with support by Lise Strickler ’86 and Mark Gallogly ’86. Each fellow presented their project to peers in the program, donors, client organizations, and community members.

Professor Joseph Stiglitz held an online event discussion with the Microlumbia Impact Fund students on the future of financial inclusion and what to expect in the future.  
Organized by Microlumbia, within SEC.

Throughout the pandemic, nonprofits in the New York area have gone to extraordinary measures to support and protect vulnerable communities, addressing issues including food insecurity to virtual education and other critical support services. At the same time, funding has decreased for many social services. This showcase provided an opportunity for Business School students and recent alumni to support the sector by joining nonprofit organizations as board members or high-impact volunteers. Gwen Shufro ’06 facilitated quick pitch presentations from the organizations followed by breakout sessions to provide time for attendees to network with organization leaders to ask question about their organization and board service. Participating nonprofits included Bottom Line, City Harvest, Columbia-WHO Center for Global Mental Health, Grace Outreach, Harlem Wellness Center, JAZZ at Lincoln Center, Jericho Project, Madison Square Boys & Girls Club, New York Public Library, The Osborne Association, Partnership for After School Education (PASE), Uncommon Schools Camden Prep, and Xavier Mission.

Past REAP instructors & advisors led info sessions to discuss the REAP courses, and their experiences in advising and teaching financial literacy, getting to yes, and entrepreneurship to formerly incarcerated people.

Impact investing has largely catered to accredited and institutional investors. New product development is enabling retail investors to invest with their values. Panelists from an impact issuer, underwriting, and fintech platform discussed different considerations in new impact investing product development for retail clients. Panelists included Jake Raden, director of financial products and head of ESG at OpenInvest; Anna Smukowski ’19, director of investor relations and capital strategies at Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC); Yuliya Tarasava, co-founder of CNote; and Jodi Waber, managing director and head of syndicate at Incapital
Organized by Anna Smukowski ’19 and the center.

In this two-part event, Coss Marte, founder and CEO of CONBODY, spoke about his entrepreneurial journey, time in prison, and his company’s mission to bridge a gap between young professionals and formerly incarcerated individuals. After the discussion, students participated in a CONBODY workout, a zero-equipment workout that combines strength, speed, and metabolic conditioning. CONBODY is a prison fitness-style boot camp offering in-person and virtual classes based out of NYC. Coss developed the idea of CONBODY based on his own experiences in prison, where he turned to fitness after becoming overweight and high risk for cardiac problems. Since founding CONBODY, Coss has hired over 40 formerly incarcerated individuals as trainers, and he’s also become an advocate for prison reform and formerly incarcercated individuals looking to build new lives. 
Organized by SEC.

The club and Athena Fellows hosted a small panel discussion on venture capital investing with sustainability-focused strategies. Panelists shared their personal experiences, their view on industry trends, the impact venture investment can have on achieving sustainability goals, and opinions on the strategic paths towards more sustainable investment practices. Panelists included Kai Chen, co-founder and fund manager at True North Impact Investments, and Evan Savell, associate at CGC Ventures - Continental Grain Company. 
Organized by the GBC and Athena Fellows.

Mir Haque, founder of Fairbanc, one of Microlumbia’s current portfolio companies, walked students through his company’s mission to financially enable a traditionally underserved population in developing Asia by addressing the credit gap in the small- medium-enterprise (SME) space. 
Organized by Microlumbia, within the SEC.

The top eight NBLP projects presented to a panel of judges to select the top three projects. Winners of the top three projects received a cash prize donated to their project organization. Judges included Doug Bauer, executive director of the Clark Foundation and adjunct professor of business at Columbia Business School, and Hannah Siegelberg ’18, consultant at Bridgespan. This year, first place went to Thilini Ariyawansa ’21 and Anna Houseman ’21 for their project with the Reading Team; second place went to Katherine Boorstein ’22 for her project with Harlem Chamber Players; and third place went to Nicoline Bach ’21 and Sodaksh Khullar ’21 for their project with Bottom Line.
Organized by the NBLP, within the Social Enterprise Club (SEC), and center.

Students joined the Tamer Center staff at an open house for a casual gathering on Kumospace to meet the team, ask questions, and network with fellow social enterprise students.

Professor Geoffrey Heal and Dr. Melissa Lott, director of research at Columbia’s Center on Global Energy Policy, discussed the power grid in Texas, what led to its failure in February, and the implications moving forward.
Organized by External Relations, Professor Geoffrey Heal, and Alan Powell ’12.

Potentia believes a 21st century workforce should be innovative, inspired, and inclusive. Neurodiverse individuals, including those who are autistic, dyslexic, OCD, and ADHD represent one-quarter of today's workforce. Despite being highly qualified, over 80 percent with a college degree remain unemployed. By applying neurodiversity to analytics and harnessing the talents of people who are gifted in that space, Potentia has identified a game-changing job placement technology for helping businesses clarify job roles and hire diverse talent. This session looked at how Baker Hughes is partnering with Potentia to create a neurodiversity program ​that both helps current employees become fluent in neurodiversity and creates growth opportunities for a wide range of neurodiverse individuals as they bring different voices and perspectives when joining Baker Hughes. Panelists included Shawn Fry, chief innovation officer at Potentia; Deanna Jones, chief human resources officer at Baker Hughes; and Jeff Miller, chief executive officer at Potentia; in conversation with Sandi Wright, ’04TC, director at The Tamer Center for Social Enterprise.

Students gathered within their clusters for a community-building fundraising event by offering unique experiences based on their individual talents. Funds raised each year provide critical support for the SESF program.
Organized by the SEC.

The conference provides a unique opportunity for attendees to tap into the vibrant ecosystem of capital for impact through the lens of philanthropy, impact investing, ESG, and social venture and business examples. The closing keynote session of the 2020-2021 Digital Event Series included remarks from Cyan Capital Partners and PepsiCo Beverages North America (PBNA). Professor Geoff Heal led a discussion with Peter S. Knight, Beth Richtman ’07, and John-Austin Saviano, founders and managing partners at Cyan Capital Partners, on how to accelerate pools of institutional capital into sustainable investments at scale. Closing the series, Professor Vanessa Burbano moderated a fireside chat with Jason Blake ’05, senior vice president and chief sustainability officer at PepsiCo Beverages North America (PBNA), on the importance of prioritizing sustainability throughout a company's value chain, as well as career paths into the sustainability sector.
Organized by the center, SEC, and GBC.

This discussion featured four executives in different roles within the education space who shared insights on their diversified experiences and how to navigate a career in education. Amanda B. Cahn ’10 is the deputy director of strategy and operations at CPRL and has prior roles in the New York City Department of Education and Public Square Partnership. Jessica Ochoa Hendrix ’09 is the CEO and co-founder of Killer Snails, an educational game startup that creates tabletop, digital, and virtual reality games, helping bring science to life in K-12 schools. Ratan Agarwal is the co-founder and managing partner at CARBON Group Global, which provides investment capital, advisory services, and tools to accelerate replication of solutions in the education space. Sheila Zeidman ’15 is the director of product management at Achievement First, a high performing charter school network based in New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.
Organized by the SEC

In this panel, the leadership team of Operation Water, a nonprofit focused on delivering clean water solutions and fighting the water crisis in Mozambique, discussed the founding of Operation Water and numerous aspects of their work, including project sustainability, equity financing, women’s empowerment, and their public-private partnership structure.
Organized by the SEC.

In this session, Marijana Savić, founder and director of the Serbian NGO Atina and social enterprise Bagel Bajgl Shop, shared insights into how she helps women trafficking survivors learn job skills and find employment. Attendees also heard from Mary Akrami, director of the Afghan Women Network, who helps empower women in the Afghan society. Marijana and Mary discussed their work in Serbia and Afghanistan and the impact of their social enterprises.
Organized by the SEC.

Attendees joined the SEC for a panel discussion with four executives with different roles within the health care space to hear their experiences and learn how to navigate a career in health care. Tyler Gamble ’21 spent the summer with Butterfly, a digital health company that has created the world’s first and only ultrasound on chip technology. Mercedes Li ’21 has a background in health care consulting and discussed Oliver Wyman’s Health & Life Sciences. Joanna Roberts ’20 is a senior product manager at Novartis spoke about their investigational treatment for Chronic Myeloid Leukemia. Lastly, Alex Efron ’20 at Telegraph Hill Partners, discussed the firm’s role as a growth-stage investor in life science and health care technology.
Organized by the SEC.

Students interested in working with an organization over the summer that creates social or environmental value attended the info session to learn about the SESF. The SESF program supports students engaged in summer internships with nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations (or its equivalent outside the US), NGOs, public sector/government organizations, and for-profit social ventures with a clearly defined social or environmental purpose incorporated into the core reason for operation, which is evident in both mission and practice. Fellows typically work on projects that focus on areas such as strategic planning, business plan development, marketing and product strategies, financial analysis, operational improvements, and performance evaluation; and in fields such as impact investing (including venture philanthropy and social venture capital), microfinance, social entrepreneurship, small and medium enterprise development, health care, education, community development, sustainability, the environment, and more.

As consumer preferences evolve to seek out businesses committed to responsible and sustainable practices, and businesses aim to bring their environmental and social performance into the 21st century, B Lab has introduced a certification process for leaders who aim to use business as a force for good. B Corps are positioned as a new type of business that considers both profit and purpose, as well as the ethical responsibilities to our environment and society at large. Attendees joined Georgia Levenson Keohane, adjunct associate professor, moderated a discussion with Ben Anderson, CEO of B Lab US and Canada, who shared insights about the process by which businesses are certified and discussed the benefits and potential limits of the B Corp as a tool for social change.
Organized by the Student Leadership and Ethics Board of the Bernstein Center and the center.

The center hosted a conversation with Steady's co-founder and CEO, Adam Roseman, on the topic of financial inclusion and wealth generation for marginalized communities and formerly incarcerated individuals. Roseman discussed wealth inequality for low-income communities and how Steady looks at the future of work and the hourly-worker society as a solution. Adam also discussed how COVID-19 has impacted this community and what is their future.

Members of the SEC joined a panel of EMBA students who shared insights into their career and experience in the social enterprise sector.
Organized by the SEC.

The conference provides a unique opportunity for attendees to tap into the vibrant ecosystem of capital for impact through the lens of philanthropy, impact investing, ESG, and social venture and business examples. This session of the 2020-2021 Digital Event Series included a workshop with BlackRock on impact investing. During this interactive workshop, BlackRock guided attendees through three exercises to uncover how to define impact, what the logical key performance indicators are when analyzing a business, and how to weigh different holdings within an impact portfolio. BlackRock’s team facilitated this workshop and provided an overview of the fundamentals of impact investing, outlined career paths into the sector, and ​offered insights into what BlackRock is doing in the impact investing space. Facilitators included Daniel Concessi, research analyst at BlackRock; William McSweeney, CFA, vice president, research analyst, and member of the Global Impact Team, Fundamental Equity Division of BlackRock’s Portfolio Management Group; Eric Rice, managing director and head of active equities impact investing at BlackRock; Quyen Tran, director of impact investing at BlackRock; Flora Cameron Watt, impact analyst at BlackRock; and Max Zamor, product strategist at BlackRock Active Equities Group.

Thinking about a career in impact investing or the nonprofit sector but unsure how to reposition your existing skills or impress in an interview? MBA students attended this informal session with Peter Gray ’97, owner of Peter Gray Executive Search, an executive recruiter with over 20 years of experience helping mission-driven businesses find talent, on the ins and outs of recruiting for the social impact sector.

Panelists discussed the growing role of sustainability investing within large investment institutions and shared their personal experiences, view on industry trends, and opinions on the strategic paths towards more sustainable investment practices. Panelists included Courtney Asher Thompson ’17, executive director, global sustainable finance at Morgan Stanley; Lawson Curtis ’19, senior associate, renewable energy investments at Brookfield Renewable Partners; and Sam Ottenberg, public finance associate at Wells Fargo Securities.
Organized by GBC.

Students interested in a career in impact investing joined panelists for a discussion on career paths into impact investing. Attendees had the opportunity to learn about job search and recruiting strategies for the sector. Panelists included: Celi Lynch, sustainability analyst at Wellington Management; Maya Zamir ’20, impact investing analyst at Veris Wealth Partners; Frederick Toohey, associate at CrossBoundary; and Ignacio Paullier, co-founder of Refugee Integration Insights. 
Organized by SEC.

The conference provides a unique opportunity for attendees to tap into the vibrant ecosystem of capital for impact through the lens of philanthropy, impact investing, ESG, and social venture and business examples. This session of the 2020-2021 Digital Event Series included panel discussions on microfinance and health care. Microlumbia’s founder, David del Ser ’08, chair and chief innovation officer at BFA Global and director of the FinnSalud Project, moderated a discussion on how to expand financial access to underserved communities in society with fellow alumni panelists Diane M. LuTran ’21, EMBA global candidate at Columbia Business School, London Business School, and University of Hong Kong and former digital finance specialist at International Finance Corporation, World Bank Group; Jennifer Pryce ’00, president and CEO of Calvert Impact Capital; and Brad Swanson ’88, partner at Developing World Markets. Following the microfinance panel, Amelia Earnest ’22, AVP of the Social Enterprise Conference, moderated an interactive discussion on how COVID-19 has catalyzed an unprecedented wave of change and innovation in new policies, funding, and solutions are realizing impact — or falling short — faster than ever before. Panelists included Shanthakumar Bannirchelvam EMBA  ’22, panel organizer for the Social Enterprise Conference, ​and managing director at Global Impact Partners; Rajesh Dash, associate professor of medicine at the Stanford University Medical Center and co-founder of HealthPals; and Varun Jhaveri, officer on special duty at National Health Authority of India.
Organized by the center, SEC, and GBC.

The goal of the Human Vaccines Project is ambitious but simple: “enabling people to live much healthier – and longer — lives.” Of course, the question of “how” is complex, involving the use of cutting-edge technologies to transform the diagnosing, treatment, and prevention of diseases. As co-founder and chief operating officer of the organization, Ted Schenkelberg works at the intersection of business, science, and technology. Attendees learned how Ted uses extensive private and public sector experience to inform his leadership and shepherd key findings into the hands of the scientists who need them.

First- and second-year students interested in social impact careers attended this panel discussion and breakout group networking conversations to learn about possible career paths in the social enterprise sector. Panelists shared their experience, career path, and insights about pursuing a career in impact investing, sustainability and green business, social enterprise consulting, government and public sector, and more! Speakers included Elisabeth Chasia ’;12, principal, SGB portfolio at MCE Social Capital; Steph Shaw ’17, recent consultant at the Bridgespan Group and earlier strategic manager at Planned Parenthood; Matt Ale ’19, associate at Generate Capital; and Hannah Woit ’20, senior advisor for external affairs at City of Framingham.
Organized by the Career Management Center (CMC) and center.

Peter Gray ’97, owner of Peter Gray Executive Search, a social impact real estate-focused executive search firm, discussed how to reach off-campus recruiters to get more career opportunities; exploring different sub-sectors and types of organizations involved in social impact real estate, like funders, developers, public-sector agencies, and professional services; and a deep dive look at CDFIs. Adjunct professor Blair Smith ’00, who teaches social impact real estate, joined Peter to support the discussion, and answered questions on a broad range of topics related to recruiting and social impact real estate.
Organized by the Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate.

Students from GSAPP, SIPA, and CUSSW who are 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 provides financial support to Columbia and Barnard undergraduate and graduate students working at early-stage social ventures (in operation for seven years or fewer). The fellowship program provides students with opportunities to gain experience in their major or area of interest as it is relevant to these organizations, and social enterprises that create social and environmental value with access to talented students.

The conference provides a unique opportunity for attendees to tap into the vibrant ecosystem of capital for impact through the lens of philanthropy, impact investing, ESG, and social venture and business examples. This session of the 2020-2021 Digital Event Series included panel discussions on ESG investing and sustainable agriculture. Sam Mindlin ’21 led an insightful and dynamic discussion on ESG measuring tools, how investors are deploying capital to drive impact in ESG, and the outperformance of ESG portfolios during extremely volatile markets. Panelists included Olivia Albrecht ’10, executive vice president, head of ESG business strategy at PIMCO; Navindu Katugampola, head of sustainable investing, fixed income and liquidity at Morgan Stanley; John Paluska ’21 vice president, ESG securitized products at Bank of America and EMBA Candidate at Columbia Business School; and Mark Zurack, senior lecturer in discipline in business at Columbia Business School. Sara Tjossem, senior lecturer at Columbia University | SIPA, moderated a discussion on how businesses and social entrepreneurs are solving food systems challenges while creating a more ethical and sustainable agricultural system. Panelists included Kaushik Kappagantulu ’17, co-founder and CEO of Kheyti; and Scott T. Weathers, senior policy specialist at the Good Food Institute.
Organized by the center, SEC, and GBC.

Dr. Leah Stokes, assistant professor of political science at University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) and visiting faculty at CGEP; Dr. Scott Barrett, vice dean, School of International and Public Affairs and Lenfest-Earth Institute professor of natural resource economics, Columbia University; and Geoffrey Heal, Donald C. Waite III Professor of Social Enterprise and Paul Garrett Professor of Public Policy and Corporate Responsibility, Columbia Business School, moderated a fireside chat that covered themes related to her book, Short Circuiting Policy. This session discussion explored how to clean up the US electricity system and examined the role that utilities have played in promoting climate denial and rolling back clean energy laws. Laura also discussed the federal agenda for climate action in 2021, and how the new Biden-Harris administration can move forward to cut carbon emissions while also battling the COVID-19 pandemic and addressing income inequality and racial injustice. Specifically, Leah discussed the current debate over a national framework committed to 100% clean power and ways to shape a clean-electricity standard that would qualify for inclusion in a Congressional budget reconciliation bill. 
Organized by the Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP) at Columbia | SIPA.

Students interested in learning about careers in social enterprise joined this session to learn about considerations to a career pivot into the social enterprise sector. Panelists included Jessica Harrison-Fullerton, director of strategic planning and delivery at International Rescue Committee; Jill Bunting ’16, director of the Coalition for Green Capital; Ademide Adefarasin, business designer at IDEO.org; and Elizabeth Dettke, ’19SW, corporate social responsibility at Verizon.
Organized by the SEC.

The Rockefeller Foundation supports individuals and organizations addressing global challenges from food equity to energy poverty. However, “based on the premise that international aid and public spending will never be enough to adequately fund and scale solutions to the world’s most pressing problems,” the foundation has over the past 12 years worked to grow the impact investing industry. Caleb Ballou, ’16BUS ’16SIPA, innovative finance principal at the Rockefeller Foundation, discussed his evolving role with the Rockefeller Foundation’s impact investing initiatives, as well as its reaction to the global pandemic crisis. 

Students, alumni, faculty, and professionals in the social enterprise sector joined center staff and advisory board members in Airmeet for an evening of virtual networking and socializing. At the gathering, Ben Thomases ’03, executive director at Queens Community House (QCH), shared his experience in the nonprofit sector, his role at QCH and the services they provide to their community, and how QCH and nonprofits are responding to the pandemic.

Co-founders and CEOs Manal Kahi, ’15SIPA, and Wissam Kahi ’04 shared their career journey to founding Eat Offbeat, a catering and meal box delivery service where all dishes are conceived, prepared, and delivered by refugees who now call New York City home. Launched in 2015, Eat Offbeat has since fed close to 300,000 adventurous New Yorkers and has been dubbed "the most groundbreaking catering in NYC" by Edible Manhattan. Manal and Wissam discussed their experience in launching Eat Offbeat and shared insights on the entrepreneurial path. They also offered advice to students considering launching or working for startups or in a family business.
Organized by the CMC.

The Green Business Club (GBC) provides educational and career development resources focused on a wide range of green business industries. At this club kickoff, GBC provided an overview of the club, events planned this year, and a presentation on solar project finance.
Organized by the GBC.

Members of Pangea and SEC joined this discussion to learn about global development consulting and recruitment opportunities from Dalberg Advisors.
Organized by Pangea Advisors and SEC.

The conference provides a unique opportunity for attendees to tap into the vibrant ecosystem of capital for impact through the lens of philanthropy, impact investing, ESG, and social venture and business examples. This session of the 2020-2021 Digital Event Series included panel discussions on impact investing and social ventures. During the “Institutional Investors Embracing Impact Investing” panel, Megan Starr, global head of impact for the Carlyle Group, moderated a discussion on what the lessons have been both in terms of universe of investible opportunities and internal advocacy required to have a strong impact investing focus with panelists John Goldstein, head of the sustainable finance group at Goldman Sachs; Vikram Raju, head of impact investing at Morgan Stanley; and Iain Ware, managing director of Bain Capital Double Impact. Vikas Raj ’10, managing director at Accion Venture Lab, moderated a dynamic discussion on “Scaling Social Ventures” with Jeffrey Hollender, co-founder, CEO, and board chair of American Sustainable Business Council, where they explored challenges and solutions to bringing social ventures to scale.
Organized by the center, SEC, and GBC.

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 center.

The Tamer Fund for Social Ventures provides seed grants of up to $25K to nonprofit, for-profit, and hybrid early-stage social and environmental ventures. Funding is made available to around seven ventures each year. Katie Spradley, ’20BUS ’20SIPA, hosted an info session for students and alumni of Columbia University to learn and ask questions about the Tamer Fund for Social Ventures, application process, upcoming deadlines, and qualifications to apply.

The breakfast served as a networking opportunity for donors, current fellows, and past fellows, and allowed current fellows the opportunity to discuss their projects.

Anne Eidelman ’10, CEO of Blue Engine, discussed her experience as an equity-driven leader who is dedicated to improving the education system. Anne shared her passion for leading teams of people with different perspectives and a common purpose to create conditions in which all can thrive. Moderating the discussion was Professor Ray Horton.
Organized by the Dean’s Office and center at Columbia Business School.

Attendees learned about the cutting edge of climate technology from a TIME 100 cleantech scientist and entrepreneur. Dr. Daniel Nocera has built a successful storage company, is working on an ag. tech startup and invented a way to make hydrogen from sunlight.
Organized by the Energy & Infrastructure Club.

Members joined the GBC for a small panel discussion on the growing role of sustainability and CSR within business today. Panelists Lauren Cotter, senior director of sustainability strategy at Pepsico; and Danielle Azoulay, VP of CSR and sustainability at L’Oreal USA and lecturer in professional studies at Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies, shared their personal experiences, view on industry trends, and opinions on the strategic paths towards more sustainable business practices.
Organized by the GBC.

The conference provides a unique opportunity for attendees to tap into the vibrant ecosystem of capital for impact through the lens of philanthropy, impact investing, ESG, and social venture and business examples. This session of the 2020-2021 Digital Event Series included a panel discussion on “News + Money” with panelists Kaizar Campwala, vice president of News at Disney; Nick Chen, co-founder and CEO of Pico; Sherrell Dorsey, ’18JRN, founder and CEO of The Plug; Elizabeth Green, CEO and co-founder of Chalkbeat; and Sibel Lowin, global partnerships solutions lead at Google, with moderator Josh Benson, partner of Old Town Media. This session discussed the various approaches to funding news organizations (reader revenue/subscriptions, venture-backed, philanthropic giving, etc.) and provided insights into building sustainable news organizations. Panelists also explored how media outlets ensure they are not just writing the stories their readers and donors want to hear, while at the same time making news accessible to those who cannot pay for it.
Organized by the center, SEC, and GBC.

Francisco Norris, co-founder and CEO at ZELP, is a social entrepreneur on a mission to tackle the climate crisis. He co-founded ZELP, a Tamer Fund for Social Ventures portfolio member, in 2017 with the ambitious goal of “significantly reducing the environmental impact of the livestock industry,” helping build a first-of-its-kind wearable device for cattle that neutralizes methane exhaled in real-time, while recording valuable statistical data. Looking at a problem commonly addressed by social entrepreneurs, Francisco came up with an innovative solution. Students joined this session to learn about his startup's journey.

With one to two firms moving out of state every day, retail shops and restaurants closing their doors, and an estimated 250,000 people leaving New York City, it is of the utmost importance that the city understands and addresses these trends. Youth INC hosted an intimate conversation about the future of New York City and urban life with Dan Doctoroff, CEO of Sidewalk Labs; Nnenna Lynch, CEO of Xylem Projects; and Richard Florida, professor at University of Toronto and author of Rise of the Creative Class, on the pressing subject and how it will affect all New Yorkers, including so many under-resourced communities that Youth INC serves. The discussion was moderated by Tom Wagner, co-founder of Knighthead Capital and Youth INC national advisory board member.
Organized by Youth INC, which is led by Rehana Farrell ’99.

Mark Gallogly ’86, cofounder and managing principal of Centerbridge Partners, and Bruce Usher, Professor of Professional Practice and the Elizabeth B. Strickler ’86 and Mark T. Gallogly ’86 Faculty Director of the Tamer Center for Social Enterprise at Columbia Business School, discussed Mark’s 30-year career in investing and finance and the role of business leaders in combatting climate change.
Organized by the Dean's Office and External Relations.

Participants of NBLP gathered together to discuss progress on their projects and resources available to them. During the meeting, Jillian Roland ’16 and Hannah Siegelberg ’18 from Bridgespan presented best practices for nonprofit consulting.
Organized by the NBLP leadership team, within the SEC, and center.

Professor Ray Horton guest lectured on nonprofit management, and social enterprise leadership, as well as shared his experience founding the Social Enterprise Program at Columbia Business School with the club members of Engineers Without Boarders.
Organized by Engineers Without Boarders-USA Columbia University.

While the education technology sector had already been growing in prominence in recent years, the impact of COVID-19 on schooling has placed it front and center. Technology-focused strategies for education are no longer just a trend, but a necessity. Michelle Dervan ’14, partner at Rethink Education, discussed the venture capital perspective on the changing ed tech landscape, as well as how her firm’s investment approach has shifted with these changes.

The conference provides a unique opportunity for attendees to tap into the vibrant ecosystem of capital for impact through the lens of philanthropy, impact investing, ESG, and social venture and business examples. This session of the 2020-2021 Digital Event Series covered sustainability and green business in the energy and retail sectors. During the “Solving Renewable Energy Intermittency: Can the United States Rely on 100% Renewables?” panel, Steven Cohen, professor in the practice of public affairs at SIPA, director of the Research Program on Sustainability Policy and Management at The Earth Institute, and director of the MPA Program in Environmental Science and Policy, moderated a discussion on the challenges of converting our energy usage to 100 percent renewables and solutions to the energy grid that can be implemented to convert to 100 percent renewable energy with panelists Chelle Izzi  04, executive director of distributed generation at NextEra Energy Resources; Donna Sanders ’17, founder and CEO of Virimodo; and David Snydacker, CEO of Lilac Solutions. Rachel Cernansky, ’08JRN, sustainability editor at Vogue Business and freelance journalist, moderated a panel discussion on “Sustainability in the Fashion Industry: Is it Scalable?” exploring the multi-layered approaches to mitigating the impacts of garment and footwear supply chains on people and the environment with panelists Ashia Sheikh Dearwester, chief strategy and partnerships officer at Nest; Mallory McConnell, senior director of supplier sustainability and partnerships at PVH Corp; Anushka Salinas ’10, president and chief operating officer at Rent The Runway, and Jessica Schreiber, ’11GSAS, founder and CEO at FABSCRAP.
Organized by the center, SEC, and GBC.

At this AMA style panel, attendees had the opportunity to learn from MBA graduates currently working in impacting investing. Participants had the opportunity to ask their questions about the sector and learn from Andrew Harris ’04, principal, North Sky Capital; En Lee, partner, LGT Lightstone; and Shanthakumar Bannirchelvam ’22, partner, Global Impact Partners, on career opportunities to enter into the impact investing space, why choose a career in impact investing, and what skillsets are valuable and/or great to develop while at CBS.  
Organized by the SEC.

Members of GBC gathered for a discussion with Grant van Wyngaarden ’17, senior supply chain development manager at Ørsted, on the off-shore wind landscape and Ørsted's strategic decade-long transition from Danish oil and natural gas to off-shore wind pioneer
Organized by the GBC.

Members of the Social Enterprise and Green Business Clubs attended a career panel led by second-year students who spent their summers in social enterprise and green business industries. Panelists shared recruiting advice and helpful tips as you plan for next summer. Panelists included Danielle Kohn ’21, Rishi Iyengar ’21, Lizzie Merrill ’21, Sam Mindlin ’21, and Anil Rizaoglu ’21.
Organized by the SEC and GBC.

In an engaging discussion, Dean Emeritus Glenn Hubbard; Ray Horton, the Frank R. Lautenberg Professor Emeritus of Ethics and Corporate Governance; and Tano Santos, the David L. and Elsie M. Dodd Professor of Finance, examined the political and economic realities the incoming Biden administration will face in a country that has been changed by four years of a Trump presidency. The discussion was moderated by Hannah Levintova, ’21BUS ’21JRN.
Organized by the Dean’s Office and External Relations.

The Tamer Fund for Social Ventures has awarded grants to over 35 social ventures after completing ten cycles of funding across a variety of sectors. The portfolio showcase features these entrepreneurs by sector to highlight the impactful work they do and discuss the challenges and opportunities they have encountered along the way. This showcase featured Mehemed Bougsea, ’17SIPA, co-founder and CEO of Think.iT, and Jason Friesen, ’12MPH, founder and executive director of Trek Medics International, in a candid discussion on the social impact their businesses have within the international development sector with the use of technology.

The conference provides a unique opportunity for attendees to tap into the vibrant ecosystem of capital for impact through the lens of philanthropy, impact investing, ESG, and social venture and business examples. This session of the 2020-2021 Digital Event Series covered “Capital for Justice: Using Impact Investing for Racial Equity,” “The .06%: Founding and Fundraising as Women of Color,” and a book talk with author Sheryl WuDunn on Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope. In our first session on Capital for Justice, speakers Melissa Bradley, founder of 1863 Ventures and co-founder of Ureeka, and Kesha Cash ’10, founder and general partner of Impact America Fund, discussed how the flow of social impact capital from asset holders to Black and underrepresented founders and entrepreneurs can be accelerated to generate systemic solutions that create diverse, equitable, and inclusive economies in a discussion moderated by Jenny Tolan ’14 co-founder at Level. During the “Founding and Fundraising as Women of Color” panel, panelists Kiara Butler, CEO and founder of Diversity Talks; Amanda DoAmaral, founder and CEO of Fiveable; Shani Dowell, founder and CEO of Possip; and Beverly Leon, ’20BUS ’14CC, founder and CEO of Local Civics, shared the challenges and experiences the faced as Black, Indigenous, Women of Color (BIWOC) founders and CEOs and how things have changed due to the pandemic and recent social unrest in a conversation moderated by Aaron T. Walker, founder and CEO of Camelback Ventures. The series closed with a book talk discussion moderated by Bruce Usher, co-director of the Tamer Center for Social Enterprise, Elizabeth B. Strickler ’;86 and Mark T. Gallogly ’86 Faculty Director and professor of professional practice at Columbia Business School, where Sheryl WuDunn discussed the systemic inequality facing working-class America and solutions to mend a half-century of government failure.
Organized by the center, SEC, and GBC.

On August 4, 2020, a blast at the Port of Beirut in Beirut, Lebanon killed over 200 people, injured upwards of 5,000 others, and displaced around 300,000 people from their homes. The disaster relief effort immediately took shape and is now nearly three months underway. However, the devastation will take years to repair and requires a concerted effort from many players in Lebanon and beyond, with crippling economic and financial crises and the COVID-19 pandemic adding to the country’s woes. With Columbia’s strong international community, alumni and current students were directly affected. Attendees heard from panelists about how the Columbia Business School community has taken action and learned the role the social enterprise sector can play in providing relief to Beirut and ensuring long term recovery. The event included an introduction from Tony Tamer, founder and co-CEO of H.I.G. Capital; speakers Kim Issa ’14, director of advancement at International College; Zeina Mhanna, director at LIFE - Lebanese International Finance Executives; Michelle Mouracade, country director at Alfanar - Arab Venture Philanthropy Organization; Mona Shantouf, board member and secretary at Nusaned; and Johnny Yaacoub ’16, engagement manager at Strategy& (part of the PwC network); and was facilitated by Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Club co-president Zahi Ghorayeb ’21 and club member Lara Najjar ’21.
Organized by Johnny Yaacoub ’16, MENA, and the center.

Emily Lamia of Pivot Journeys helped MBA students identify and define their future career in social enterprise. During this workshop session, Emily helped attendees identify what social impact means to them, understand what information they need to gather in order to determine the best possible career prototypes to explore, and reframe networking conversations to be most informative to their social enterprise career search. Pivot Journeys is passionate about helping people grow and develop in their careers. Emily has been helping people grow and develop in their careers for over a decade.

The A'Lelia Bundles Community Scholars Program was founded in 2013 and provides a formal opportunity for community-based scholars from Northern Manhattan to access Columbia University resources and participate in the intellectual life of the University through interaction with faculty, students, and other visiting scholars. This event provided an opportunity to hear from four local community members who presented their projects, shared insights on social entrepreneurship and community development, and the impact their projects are making within the larger community. Speakers included Karioki Crosby, founder of Latimer Heights and The Harlem Maker Fair; Renée Cummings, founder and CEO of Urban AI and Criminal Justice Intelligence Inc.; Debbie Meyer, founding member of Dyslexia (Plus) in Public Schools Task Force; and Vivian Williams-Kurutz, founder and executive director of Harlem Wellness Center; and Flores A. Forbes, associate vice president for Community Affairs at Columbia University Office of Government and Community Affairs, moderated a panel discussion with the scholars.
Organized by Columbia University's Office of Government and Community Affairs and the center.

With a nearly 20 percent increase (~$5.5 billion) raised by US digital health companies in the first six months of 2020, digital health is gaining momentum to reshape health care. The panel of leading investment experts provided a deep dive into the fundamentals and emerging opportunities evaluating and investing in digital health. Panelists focused on how investors should identify, evaluate, and measure small, medium, and large financial stakes in the digital health ecosystem. Attendees expanded upon their existing business knowledge and learned how to apply that knowledge to the digital health investment market. Stan Kachnowski, ’06SIPA, director of the Digital Health Program at Columbia Business School’s Executive Education, moderated a discussion with Sara Chokshi, director of Research at Healthcare Innovation & Technology Lab; Ezra Mehlman, managing partner at Health Enterprise Partners; Damon Phillips, Lambert Family Professor of Social Enterprise and co-director of the Tamer Center for Social Enterprise at Columbia Business School; and Bill Taranto, president of Merck Global Health Innovation Fund.
Organized by Columbia Business School’s Alumni Club of New York.

Tamer Fund for Social Venture recipients learned from executive voice coach Melanie Espeland ’17, founder and CEO of Espeland Enterprises, about actionable tips to immediately improve their voice and executive presence for fundraising and strategic growth. Following the interactive workshop, fellow founders within the fund’s portfolio had the opportunity to connect with one another and get an update on the status of the portfolio.

Attendees brainstormed innovative ways to deliver entertainment content that also addresses today’s societal challenges about race and social justice with Uzo Ometu, ’13BUS ’06CC, founder and CEO of BlackOakTV. About two thirds of Black people in the United States pay for a subscription video on demand (SVOD) service, such as Netflix. But the underwhelming number of shows centered around Black stories and characters contribute to the prevention of Black viewers, who watch more long-form video content than any other ethnicity, from subscribing to SVODs at higher rates. For instance, of the current original scripted comedies and dramas aired on Netflix, only seven percent have majority Black casts. Not only does this dearth of representation keep potential subscribers from committing to a streaming service, it also negatively affects how Black people view themselves and how others in society perceive and interact with Black people and Black culture. BlackOakTV is on a mission to super-serve Black viewers around the world with entertainment and information reflecting their lives and experiences, while eliminating the under-representation and misrepresentation of Blacks in media that promotes antagonism against Blacks across the globe.

This panel served as an exploration of the ways real estate industry professionals can meet environmental sustainability goals. Panelists explored metrics for success, avenues for sustainable innovation, and available incentives to encourage green development and capital expenditure projects. Featured speakers included Dana Arnold, chief of staff for Mesurabl; Lindsey Boylan ’12, deputy secretary for economic development and special advisor to Governor Guomo; Kirby Brendsel, AVP of sustainability and ESG at Welltower; Owen Glubiak, global customer success at Comfy, and Rob Watson, founding father of LEED.
Organized by the Real Estate Association, GBC, CBS Energy Club, and Government & Business Club.

Students, partner organization staff, and board members participating in the program gathered at orientation to learn about their nonprofit board projects for the academic year. At the event, attendees discussed initiatives and best practices.
Organized by the NBLP leadership team, within the SEC, and center.

Through a career in the education and nonprofit sectors, Cristina Jones ’08 has developed expertise in human resources, talent management, and organizational development, with a focus on equity and justice. Cristina discussed how her career has led her through a number of impactful organizations, as well as provided insights on developing an inclusive and engaging organizational culture from the perspective of a prominent community-building and social justice-focused nonprofit.

The 19th Annual Social Enterprise Conference, Capital for Good provides a unique opportunity for attendees to tap into the vibrant ecosystem of capital for impact through the lens of philanthropy, impact investing, ESG, and social venture and business examples. Kicking off our 2020-2021 Digital Event Series was Amy Domini, founder and chair of Domini Impact Investments, who spoke about the need to harness the capital markets in order to enact change and create solutions to today’s most pressing challenges. The role of a fiduciary needs to have the responsibility for the wellbeing of their beneficiaries before its shareholders. Debbie Wright, board member of Citigroup and Memorial Sloan Kettering, shared her thoughts on the solutions to the social and environmental issues we see today require involvement and innovation from the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. It’s up to us to push the needle and demand a more equitable and sustainable future for everyone. And closing our kickoff were Abigail Disney, ’94GSAS ’87GSAS, CEO and co-founder of Fork Films, moderated by S. Mona Sinha ’93, board chair of Women Moving Millions and the ERA Coalition Fund for Women’s Equality. Abigail advocated throughout her remarks that dignity isn’t a privilege, it’s a worker’s right. We should seek to work for and create businesses that prioritize employees in order to offer economic opportunity to everyone.
Organized by the center, SEC, and GBC.

From voting to organizing to running for office, American democracy calls upon each of us to engage in some form of political action. While it is easy to debate the issues and discuss the candidates, how can individuals make an impact or get more involved in the political process? Amanda Litman, co-founder and executive director of Run for Something, and Georgia Senator Emanuel Jones ’86 discussed the role Business School students and business leaders play in our electoral process with moderator Gwen Shufro ’06, director at The Tamer Center for Social Enterprise.
Organized by Jerome A. Chazen Institute for Global Business and the center.

The Holder Initiative hosted a series of lightning talks on racial justice in the United States. This TED Talk-styled showcase featured alumni, students, and faculty from a host of fields who have unique perspectives to share in this current moment of activism and civil unrest. Damon Phillips, Lambert Family Professor of Social Enterprise Management and co-director of The Tamer Center for Social Enterprise, shared his remarks.
Organized by The Eric H. Holder Jr. Initiative for Civil and Political Rights.

The center and the 2020 SESF cross-campus participants celebrated the current cohort of fellows. This networking event was a great way for students to learn about the program first-hand from our fellows, hear about their summer projects, and get to know social enterprise students from across Columbia University's campus. This year’s summer fellows interned across social enterprise sectors including education, health care, conservation, SME development, community development, architecture, engineering, and beyond. Please visit our summer fellows website to read about past summer experiences.

The center, first- and second-year students, alumni, and faculty gathered online for a community event filled with games, trivia, and icebreakers. Attendees had the opportunity to meet fellow social impact students. 

EMBA students interested in taking on an independent consulting project for a nonprofit attended the info session to learn more about the NBLP, application process, and nonprofit board service.

Paul Salama, ’04SEAS, co-founder of ClearRoad, a company recently added to the Tanner Fund, spoke on the history and current issues with road/toll pricing and how ClearRoad aims to solve this problem in the 21st century.
Organized by the GBC.

The center and the 2020 SESF MBA participants celebrated the current cohort of fellows. This networking event was a great way for students to learn about the program first-hand from our fellows, hear about their summer projects, and get to know social enterprise students at the Business School. This year’s summer fellows interned across social enterprise sectors including education, health care, arts, impact investing, SME development, community development, and beyond. Please visit our summer fellows website to read about past summer experiences.

Prior to the “Neuberger Berman ESG Investing Challenge, Income Inequality” held in November, Jonathan Bailey, managing director and head of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing at Neuberger Berman came to speak about the firm’s engagement in impact investing and the upcoming case competition
Organized by Neuberger Berman in partnership with the Heilbrunn Center for Graham and Dodd Investing and Tamer Center for Social Enterprise.

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

The Green Business Club (GBC) provides educational and career development resources focused on a wide range of green business industries. At this club kickoff, GBC provided an overview of the club, events planned this year, and a presentation on solar project finance.
Organized by the GBC.

Sean Davis, founder and CEO of Merton Capital Partners (MCP), and Alex Loucopoulos, principal at Sciens Water, discussed their partnership with the Water Philanthropy Fund and insights from a private equity fund on social impact.

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, and 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), SEC, and center.

At this information session, Katie Neff, ’20BUS ’20SIPA, discussed upcoming deadlines for the fellowship and answered questions. The Three Cairns Climate Fellowship at Columbia Business School provides support to MBA and EMBA students who complete semester- or year-long projects at the intersection of climate change and business.

As the country continues to experience a mass movement for social justice and equality to end centuries of racism, how can we all contribute to lasting change? Tech, as a sector that shapes so much of our daily lives, has the opportunity to lead in the fight for equality and racial equity. At this event, Lili Gangas, chief technology community officer of Kapor Center, moderated a conversation with panelists Marcus Bullock, CEO and founder of Flikshop; Anil Dash, founder and CEO of Glitch; Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, CEO and co-founder of Promise Pay,;and John Madsen, chief architect for technology and partner at Goldman Sachs, on the opportunities they see for the tech sector to shape the future of a more equitable, inclusive, and just society.
Organized by Justice Through Code (JTC), a joint partnership between the Tamer Center for Social Enterprise and Columbia University’s Center for Justice.

Local Civics has a theory of change that the more students interact with their communities, the more social impact they generate. By leveraging technology and using game-based learning, Local Civics incentivizes and empowers students to become active citizens in their communities. This interactive workshop, facilitated by Beverly Leon, ’20BUS ’14CC, founder and CEO of Local Civics; and Caitlin Gallagher ’20, director of growth strategy at Local Civics, focused on brainstorming geographic and product growth strategy to incorporate civics into education systems and communities. 

This showcase provided an opportunity for students and alumni interested in joining a nonprofit board with a social justice mission. Gwen Shufro ’06 facilitated quick pitch presentations from the organizations followed by breakout sessions to provide time for attendees to network with organization leaders to ask question about their organization and board service. Participating nonprofits included The Bronx Community Relief Effort, Bronx Legal Services, Charter High School for Law and Social Justice, Equality New York, Exalt Youth, Generation Citizen, Good Shepherd Services, Harlem Wellness Center, Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership, Let's Breakthrough, Inc, Make the Road NY, Staten Island Urban Center, Inc., and Youth Represent.

The Tamer Fund for Social Ventures provides seed grants of up to $25K to nonprofit, for-profit, and hybrid early-stage social and environmental ventures. Funding is made available to around seven ventures each year. Katie Neff, ’20BUS ’20SIPA, hosted an info session for students and alumni of Columbia University to learn and ask questions about the Tamer Fund for Social Ventures, application process, upcoming deadlines, and qualifications to apply. 

Following the TFSV Pitch Workshop held the week prior, the same entrepreneurs participated in a VC-style pitch competition. Six ventures had six days between the workshop and competition to practice their pitch in front of a panel of judges, which included Casey Santiago, ’07BUS ’07SIPA, managing director of Consumer Healthcare at Founders Factory; and Sydney Thomas, senior associate at Precursor Ventures. Second-place went to Hemish Dave ’20 for Boda Coffee and first-place went to Patrick Varuzza, ’20SEAS — each took home mail care packages from Purple Carrot and Eat Offbeat, respectively. 

The portfolio showcase featured portfolio members of the Tamer Fund for Social Ventures (TFSV) by sector to highlight the impactful work they do and discuss the challenges and opportunities they have encountered along the way. This showcase featured Jason Kang, ’16SEAS, co-founder and CEO of Kinnos; Usama Javed Mirza, ’17TC, co-founder and CEO of Saving 9; Helena Plater-Zyberk ’06, co-founder and CEO of Supportiv; Sylvana Sinha, ’04LAW, founder and CEO of Praava Health; and Caroline Weinberg, ’12PH, founder and program director of Plan A Health, in a lively discussion on the social impact their businesses have within the health care sector.  

From a pool of 14 applicants, eight entrepreneurs were selected and participated in this four-hour workshop to help perfect and enhance how they communicate their social impact business idea to potential investors. In this workshop, participants pitched their business to facilitators Keith Katz ’03 and Jason Della Rocca, co-founders of Execution Labs, who provided feedback on how to better communicate their mission and then apply what they just learned, not only from their feedback but also from their peers, into a second pitch. 

Sandra Navalli OAM ’03 welcomed the portfolio venture founders to the first virtual Tamer Fund for Social Ventures portfolio networking session. Founders from within the portfolio had the opportunity to hear a status update on the portfolio, meet each other, and network with fellow social entrepreneurs.  

Bridging the American Divides is a fall semester elective designed for MBA students to gain a better understanding of the causes and consequences of the American divides — and what might be done to help bridge them as future business leaders. A primary focus is on the linkages between business decisions and practices and these divides. The course also examines how each of us play a personal role in directly or indirectly enabling and fueling the divides. Students heard from Professors Todd Jick and Bruce Usher on the course curriculum outline, what to expect from the class, and how to apply for the course. Students asked questions, learned about what the professors are looking for from applicants, and asked questions of former classmates who took the class.
Organized by Chazen and the center.

Having spent 20 years in private equity, Sean Davis founded and currently leads Merton Capital Partners, a Florida-based firm that creates high-impact giving vehicles for philanthropists to deploy large gifts and solve global challenges over the long-term. Focused on scaling and accelerating the impact, Merton Capital Partners provides that capacity to nonprofits that are solving today’s pressing issues around the world, including reducing homelessness and increasing access to clean water. In this event series, Sean shared insights into how his organization is helping nonprofits scale and accelerate their impact.

The portfolio showcase featured portfolio members of the Tamer Fund for Social Ventures (TFSV) by sector to highlight the impactful work they do and discuss the challenges and opportunities they have encountered along the way. The first in a series of showcases featured Manal Kahi, ’15SIPA, co-founder and CEO of Eat Offbeat; Su Sani, founder of Dollaride; and Elizabeth Suda, co-founder of Article 22, in a panel discussion with Katie Neff, ’20BUS ’20SIPA, on what it’s like to align business with a social purpose. Panelists shared insights on how they are currently pivoting to stay afloat during the pandemic, how they are using their business to promote racial equity, and the challenges and opportunities they have come across since launching their business. 

Participants connected online to hear from panelists Jeffrey Fagan, professor of law at Columbia Law School and epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health; Alexis Hoag, Columbia Law School lecturer and practitioner in residence at the Eric H. Holder Jr. Initiative for Civil and Political Rights; and Ana Champeny, director of city studies at the Citizens Budget Commission, about what defunding the police policy really means, who supports it, how we got here, and what the pros and cons are. Following the presentations, classmates had the opportunity to discuss what they just learned and share their own perspectives during these emotional times.
Organized by John Mihovics ’20, a member of the Social Enterprise Club (SEC).

Based out of Maputo, Mozambique, Ryan Phillips-Page has committed the past 10+ years to living and working in Southern Africa. In the past four-and-a-half years, he has founded and grown Operation Water, utilizing tools from his experience in finance to develop sustainable water infrastructure projects across Africa, while building global awareness to the water scarcity and contamination issues millions of people face daily. During this session, Adam Gravitt ’20, and Ryan shared information about Operation Water and discussed career opportunities for MBA students in the clean water sector. 

Aquila Leon-Soon founded and runs ATS (Advance Talent Solutions) + Partners, a firm that helps organizations align their human capital to their mission and values. In this career series installment, Aquila explored how ATS and other social impact supporters — both organizations and individuals — can help shape a new economy post-COVID-19. Aquila shared information about how her organization is helping to provide solutions that help communities that have faced the hardships of marginalization around areas such as food insecurity, a technological divide, education inequality, remote work inequity, and more.

During shelter-in-place and remote work, the center launched a monthly check-in virtual meeting with the 2020 summer fellows cohort as a way to create a community for fellows to connect online. Fellows gathered together to discuss best practices for working from home, hear about the social impact projects fellows are working on, and meet each other. The discussion also served as an opportunity for fellows to reflect on the current pandemic and protests in the United States as members of the cohort shared personal stories.