Wharton MBA candidates Julia Enyart, Alice Tang, and Boyce Whitesides reflect on what they learned while working with an early-stage venture capital firm focused on “profit and purpose.” Founded by social entrepreneur Derek Handley, Aera VC is an early-stage venture capital firm that seeks to be a catalyst for the…Read More
More major mainstream investment managers are flocking to impact investments. Already, funds invested in it are well into the tens of trillions and some foundations are committing to invest their endowments in it. Perhaps even more telling than these indicators suggesting that impact investing is heading toward the mainstream: More…Read More
Just last fall, nearly 193 countries adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a set of 17 objectives to eradicate extreme poverty, slow climate change, and reduce inequality and injustice around the world by 2030. Varied and ambitious, the SDGs provide a framework to tackle diverse environmental and social challenges ranging…Read More
An undergraduate Social Impact Fellow recaps a recent segment of Dollars and Change, featuring social entrepreneurship professor and impact strategist Diana Ayton-Shenker. The October 23rd show was hosted by Sherryl Kuhlman and Sandi Hunt. Other guests included Nick Ryan of Worn Again, Topher Wilkins of Opportunity Collaboration, and Benjamin Stone, co-founder of Dollar A Day. “We’re…Read More
Philadelphia, PA, September 1, 2014—The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is pleased to announce a gift to establish the Angella and David Nazarian Social Innovator in Residence Program Fund. The fund supports the launch of a new Wharton Social Impact Initiative program that will foster meaningful interactions between…Read More
Monica Barrett, a student of the Wharton-Harvard Kennedy dual-degree program, reflects on her summer experience conducting research in the agricultural sector in Kenya. Barrett received funding from Wharton Social Impact Initiative to participate in an internship with Innovations for Poverty Action. Increasingly, new enterprises are infusing social missions into the fabric of their…Read More
Entrepreneurs can change the world. We’ve seen this already through Wharton alumni launching disruptive ventures that scale or heading a social network that alters the way we communicate. But entrepreneurs can also shape the world through ideas and business practices that lead to lasting civic change. This May, FastFWD – a collaboration among the City of Philadelphia, GoodCompany…Read More
Wharton Social Impact Initiative presents a weekly round-up of events and news related to social impact topics. As the academic year comes to a close, we’d like to thank all of our supporters throughout this year. WSII looks forward to congratulating this year’s graduating class at Commencement on May 18,…Read More
FastFWD, a public-private business accelerator designed to stimulate civic innovation, is pleased to announce its first class of entrepreneurs. These 10 startups are focusing on solutions to urban public safety challenges, and will undergo a rigorous three-month program designed to kick-start their early-stage ventures. FastFWD—a partnership among The City of…Read More
Where others see problems, social entrepreneurs see opportunity. That’s the premise behind FastFWD – a collaboration among the Wharton Social Impact Initiative, the City of Philadelphia, and Good Company Group. Through FastFWD, the City of Philadelphia has issued an invitation to innovators across the world: Come to Philadelphia to develop…Read More
