Oxford MBA Alumnus Nears Possible Endorsement from Robert Branson
An Africa-inspired health/beauty brand and social business called Aduna (which was co-founded by Saïd Business School alumnus Andrew Hunt) has entered Virgin’s ‘Pitch to Rich’ competition for a chance to win a £250k marketing campaign.
Aduna’s mission is to create demand for under-utilised natural products from small-scale producers in Africa, starting with the superfruit ‘baobab’. The business, which is scaling both domestically and internationally, is a runner-up for three Guardian Sustainable Business Awards.
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Oxford MBAs Embark on Global Business Treks
Teams of MBA students from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, are exploring the vibrant business environments of international cities through the annual business treks. The students are visiting Kenya, Colombia, the U.S, Switzerland, India, Rwanda, Brazil, and Dubai to gain insight into the culture and opportunities of the different regions. The treks are an opportunity for students interested in working in these countries to access professional and personal resources and connect with Oxford alumni based in the region.
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Oxford’s Skoll Scholars Collaborate to Create Social Change
Throughout the world, social entrepreneurs are creating innovative and disruptive solutions to tackle urgent global challenges. One of the most effective ways to achieve an impact is through connecting and partnering with other complimentary ventures, says Pamela Hartigan, Director of the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at Saïd Business School.
“Social entrepreneurs are tackling some of the world’s most challenging problems. As individual organisations, they simply cannot do this alone. One of the goals of the Skoll Scholarship is to build a strong community of entrepreneurs to fuel the ecosystem of solutions,” says Hartigan.
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Saïd Business School Research Highlighted by Richard Branson and Others at World Economic Forum
Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, led an event at the World Economic Forum yesterday that unveiled initial findings from new research by EY and Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.
The findings, which reveal how leading companies are transforming with a purpose to drive innovation and growth, were discussed by distinguished panelists that included: Arianna Huffington, President & Editor-in-Chief, Huffington Post Media; Antony Jenkins, Group CEO, Barclays; Paul Polman, CEO, Unilever; Irene Rosenfeld, Chairman & CEO, Mondelez International; and Mark Weinberger, Global Chairman and CEO, EY.
Saïd Business School Dean’s Research Drives American Savings Promotion Act
On December 18, 2014, President Obama signed the American Savings Promotion Act (ASPA) into law. The Federal bill grew out of pilot testing and research conducted over the last eight years by Peter Tufano, Dean of Saïd Business School, working in collaboration with Doorways to Dreams (D2D), the social enterprise that he co-founded in 2000 to support the finances of low income Americans by developing innovative financial products and public policies.
The bill removes US federal prohibitions on banks offering Prize Linked Savings (PLS) products, which are savings vehicles where the collective interest of savers is redistributed via a raffle-like draw – similar to National Premium Bonds in the UK.
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New Oxford Executive MBA Partnership Supports Job Creation In Rural India
A social venture, working to address mass unemployment in rural India, inspired a new initiative set up by three Executive MBA students from Saïd Business School. Inclusive Ventures Limited (IVL) is creating sustainable jobs for underprivileged rural communities in a number of locations around the world. The initiative is inspired by the experience and success of RuralShores, an Indian social venture which provides skills and employment to more than 5,000 people in 25 centres in India, servicing 30+ client firms and government departments.
The partnership with IVL will follow the RuralShores’ model and invest in up to 5 centers across rural India. IVL and RuralShores will also explore opportunities for IVL to invest directly into RuralShores when such possibilities arise and to expand the model outside India.
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