Wharton Social Impact Initiative presents a weekly round-up of events and news related to social impact topics. These lectures, conferences, speaker series and workshops represent a broad range of social impact opportunities at Wharton and Penn. View previous roundups online.
Upcoming Events
Everybody’s Business – Social Impact Discussion
Dec. 3, Noon-1:30 p.m. in Vance 103: Wharton Social Impact Initiative invites students to a guest lecture about social impact and business. Hear from Jon Miller and Lucy Parker, partners of the Brunswick Group and co-authors of the recently published, “Everybody’s Business – The Unlikely Story of How Big Business Can Fix the World,” as well as Nick Lovegrove and Matthew Thomas, authors of the recently published Harvard Business Review article “Triple Strength Leadership.”
The event is free to attend, and lunch will be provided. RSVP to Stephanie Kim via email at kimstep@wharton.upenn.edu.
Social Entrepreneurship and the Wharton Business Plan Competition
Dec. 4, Noon-1:30 p.m. in JMHH 265: The Wharton Business Plan Competition is an annual platform for student entrepreneurs to develop and launch their businesses, and compete for more than $115,000 in cash and prizes. This year’s competition includes the addition of a new $10,000 social impact prize, available to any business plan incorporating social impact.
Attend Tuesday’s workshop with Jacob Gray, Senior Director of the Wharton Social Impact Initiative, to get an investor’s point of view on the evolution of social entrepreneurship, in addition to details about the new WBPC social impact prize.
WBPC workshop series are free to attend, and are open to all Penn students. Lunch will be provided. A recording of the workshop will be available online following the event.
Executive Education: Environmental Sustainability Leadership
Feb. 5-6, 2014: Environmental sustainability provides compelling opportunities for strengthening a brand, reducing costs, decreasing risk, and improving the bottom line. For business executives interested in embracing and leveraging sustainable business practices for a competitive advance, this two-day registration is now open for this two-day executive education program available through Wharton’s Aresty Institute of Executive Education.
The program uses approaches to environmental sustainability developed by Wharton faculty in the disciplines of management, marketing, finance, law, operations and informational sciences, and professional ethics. For more information or to apply, visit the website or contact Joanne Spigonardo at spigonaj@wharton.upenn.edu.
Social Impact News
Generocity.org shared some ideas on how businesses can give back this season — like fewer canned food drives, and more skills-based volunteering.
Wharton professor Ian C. MacMillan and Dr. James Thompson, director of the Wharton Social Entrepreneurship Program, published the full edition of The Social Entrepreneur’s Playbook – a three-part guide to launching a social enterprise. The authors previously distributed a free version of the e-book to test the market; 300 aspiring and active social entrepreneurs provided feedback to shape the completed edition. The book is published through Wharton Digital Press, and available now.
On Huffington Post Impact, MBA Candidate Shenin Singh wrote about her experience as co-chair for the 2013 Wharton Social Impact Conference, and what inspires her about social innovation.
Sajan Pillai, CEO of UST Global, spoke with Knowledge@Wharton recently about his initiative to create job opportunities for minority women. In an exclusive interview with K@W and Management Professor Katherine Klein, Pillai discusses the philosophy behind Step It Up America and what he hopes to achieve.
On Thursday, Dec. 5, WSII Senior Director Jacob Gray will present at Deloitte’s New Partnerships for Public Good forum, a social innovation forum. Registration is closed, but you can follow along on Twitter using the hashtag #partner4good.
The Agatston Urban Nutrition Initiative (AUNI), a program of the Netter Center for Community Partnerships, is now hiring a Chief Learning Officer to support Rebel Ventures. Details are available on the WSII job board.
This Spring, Penn’s Dr. Marjorie Muecke will teach a new course on global food security (ANTH 335/635). The interdisciplinary course will highlight problems of food demand and consumption, production and supply, as well the changing quality of human social life under globalization. For more information, contact muecke@nursing.upenn.edu.
Do you have a social impact event or news item you’d like us to share? Email your information to Allie Harcharek at aharch@wharton.upenn.edu.