8th Annual Social Enterprise Symposium at Smith a Success

In a recent post, we previewed the 8th Annual Social Enterprise Symposium (SES) at the Robert H. Smith School of Business. The annual conference is the school’s premiere event on social enterprise and social entrepreneurship, and is dedicated to exploring the connection between economic prosperity and lasting social and environmental change.

SES began in 2009 as a student-run program, but has now grown into a major university event that serves as a platform for social enterprise thought leadership throughout the region and the nation. This year’s Symposium was the biggest yet and was held at the Adele H. Stamp Student Union in College Park, Md., on March 4, 2016.

As always, SES featured two keynote speakers who addressed those in attendance. The theme of this year’s SES was “Invest in the Long Term.” Discussion focused on creating a dialogue on how individuals and organizations are seeking prosperity that includes both profit and positive long-term impact.

The Keynote speakers were:

• Alex Counts, Founder of the Grameen Foundation: Counts founded Grameen Foundation and became its President and CEO in 1997, after having worked in microfinance and poverty reduction for 10 years. He has propelled Grameen Foundation’s philosophy through his writings, including Small Loans, Big Dreams: How Nobel Prize Winner Muhammad Yunus and Microfinance Are Changing the World and Voices From the Field.
• Jonathan Atwood, VP of Sustainable Living at Unilever: Atwood joined the company in May 2012 and is responsible for Communications, Unilever Brand, and the shape and implementation of the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan in North America.

Following the keynotes, there were three breakout sessions designed for interactivity and dialogue. According to the Smith website, two breakout sessions had panel discussions: “Investing for Impact and the Long Term” and “Social Entrepreneur Millennial Mash-up.” The third session was a workshop on “Design Thinking for Climate Action” with Cope Willis, director of sustainable business solutions at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. Special thanks are extended to the speakers who participated in these discussions.

• Investing for Impact and the Long Term
• Social Entrepreneur Millennial Mash-up
• Climate Action Workshop (Innovation Café)

Afterward, aspiring social entrepreneurs took part in a student innovation showcase at the Do Good Challenge semi-finals. A panel of judges assessed the ventures, ultimately selecting one student team to fast-track to the Do Good Challenge semi-finals in April. Cocoa Queens Hair Care Extensions was selected to advance to the semi-finals, and Annie’s Children was the audience favorite at the showcase, having received the largest portion of “Do Good Dollars” from SES attendees. The Do Good Challenge Finals, sponsored by Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management, will be held on April 19th in Riggs Alumni Center.

regions: Baltimore / Washington, DC

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