Impact Report 2022-2023

WE MOBILIZE AN EMERGENT WORKFORCE EMPOWERED TO DRIVE TRANSFORMATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL CHANGE

LETTER FROM THE CEO

It is with deep gratitude that I pen this letter as the new CEO of our extraordinary organization to celebrate the accomplishments and progress we have made in the last year, together as a community. As I stepped into this role, I was humbled by the thirty-year legacy of leadership we have established in championing sustainability and driving social and environmental impact. Now, it is our shared responsibility to build upon this strong foundation and shape the future of our organization, empowering generations and working aside impact driven companies for years to come.

As we celebrate the achievements of the past year, I am in awe of the remarkable resilience, persistence, innovation, and commitment exhibited by our global members. Our community of social impact and sustainability leaders has risen above adversity, displaying unwavering passion, exceptional leadership, and a commitment to delivering tangible outcomes that create a more just and sustainable world. Throughout the year, our programs and events have continued to serve as catalysts for change, providing invaluable opportunities, tools, and resources to enable transformative action.

As we reflect on the triumphs of the past year, we must also look forward with hope, determination, and a profound sense of purpose. The stakes have never been higher. Let us embrace the power within us to effect

change, recognizing that our collective strength lies in our unity and unwavering commitment to a sustainable and just world.

• To our vibrant community, I urge you to continue engaging, collaborating, and leading the charge in driving meaningful progress. Your dedication, resilience, and unwavering commitment inspire me every day. Let us amplify our impact, break new barriers, and inspire future generations to become the change they wish to see in the world.

• To our past and future funders, I invite you to join us on this extraordinary journey. Your support will enable us to amplify our efforts, extend our reach, and create an even greater legacy of impact. Together, we can build a future that leaves no one behind, a future that safeguards our planet and nurtures the well-being of all its inhabitants.

With deep appreciation for our past achievements and unyielding optimism for what lies ahead, let us stand shoulder to shoulder, united in purpose and determined to shape a better tomorrow. The world awaits our bold actions, and I am confident that, together, we will rise to the occasion.

Yours in gratitude and anticipation,

KAREN Y. JOHNS CEO, Net Impact

1,200 + CHAPTER LEADERS

THE NET IMPACT GLOBAL CHAPTER COMMUNITY DRIVES

COLLECTIVE ACTION

Net Impact is the member centered community that drives students and young professionals interested in responsible business. We are preparing the next generation of leaders for impactful careers and impactful lives. Net Impact Chapters are a diverse and highly engaged coalition of the responsible business movement.

Net Impact is an organization that touches on issues of people, planet, and prosperity to make a difference in your career and community. This crossing of "silos" makes it unique and impactful.

CHAPTER LEADER

300+

GLOBAL CHAPTERS

130,000 + PEOPLE

TOP ISSUES

Chapters engaged in programming, events, and projects:

4,000+ PROJECTS & EVENTS

in support of a more just and sustainable world.

CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY/ RESPONSIBILITY

CLIMATE CHANGE

69%

of participants say their Net Impact experience equipped them to make change

143 Chapters participated in Net Impact Programs

CAREER SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT

84%

say members expanded their knowledge of social and environmental issues

75%

of participants say Net Impact helped them in their career

JUSTICE, EQUITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP & INNOVATION

Being a leader is a responsibility but a gift, from Net Impact I’ve been able to grow my communication, Project Management, and social justice skills to create a world and community that supports for the diversity of our environment and humanity.

URJA MEHTA

COMMITTED TO BUILDING AND AMPLIFYING DIVERSE COMMUNITIES MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD.

49% of chapter leaders identify as non-white

6 Chapters at Community Colleges

20 Chapters at Minority Serving Institutions

Chapters in more than

40 Countries

C H APTER O F THE YE A R AWARD

THE CHAPTER OF

THE YEAR

AWARD SHOWCASES NET IMPACT'S OBJECTIVE OF CHALLENGING LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT IN THEIR COMMUNITY AND THE WORLD. EACH YEAR, DISTINGUISHED CHAPTERS FROM OUR GLOBAL NETWORK ARE NOMINATED TO COMPETE FOR THIS HONOR.

2022-23 CHAPTER OF THE YEAR WINNER 2021-22 CHAPTER OF THE YEAR WINNER

The University of California, Berkeley (Undergraduate) demonstrated its impact by tackling 10 semester-long consulting projects for nonprofits and businesses during the academic year. One of these projects included collaborating with the Malala Fund and supporting the organization’s efforts to guarantee equal access to education for girls worldwide.

University of California, Los Angeles — Anderson School of Management (Graduate Chapter) supported its members through learning and career advancement opportunities focused on equity, justice, inclusion, and community collaboration. As part of this work, the chapter connected over 150 students with 30 nonprofits and social enterprises to produce strategic solutions to real-world challenges.

Delhi University designed a year-long, multifaceted impact plan to support local communities. As part of their impact plan, the Chapter launched the Impact Consulting

and Capability (ICC) wing which provides pro-bono consulting solutions to sustainable startups and social enterprises. The Chapter also launched a podcast, Startup Stories, which highlights the stories of young founders in India.

The Boston Professional Chapter hosted over 1000 attendees across 40 events throughout the year. As part of the Chapter’s commitment to sustainability, social impact, and Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion, they created a Racial Equity Justice monthly event series focused on topics related to environmental justice, Black History in Boston, Indigenous rights, and more.

The Bangkok Professional Chapter in Thailand demonstrated its commitment to driving sustainable change by creating a Social Progress Index. The Index measures the health, safety, shelter, education, rights, and personal freedom of the Thai people and is designed to be used by academics and public and civic society stakeholders to inform policy decisions.

The University of California, Los Angeles (Undergraduate) demonstrated its impact by tackling nine consulting projects for nonprofits and businesses across the academic year. These projects included optimizing the location for the local LA farmers market and ensuring farmer profitability, recommending sustainable materials for a hydroponic tower company, creating an ESG evaluation framework for a wellness app, and more.

The Northwestern University, Kellogg Graduate School of Management (Graduate) Chapter hosted two major social impact events to increase awareness across the entire campus community: a Social Impact Ice Cream Social that engaged over 100 students with Professor Dave Chen, one of the founding members of B-Lab, on what a B Corp is and their impact on consumers; and Social Impact Days, a 2-day event for incoming first years to participate in a micro case competition across four different impact tracks (Education, Health, etc).

ESMT Berlin (Graduate) Chapter demonstrated its commitment to sustainability and local and global impact by engaging with 3 Berlin-based organizations for a major city cleanup, and developing an SDG-analysis tool for a finance startup with a reach of 15,000+ companies.

New York City Professional’s flagship volunteer program, ServiceCorps, continues to connect organizations in the tri-state area to professionals for pro-bono services based on fit and skill set to assist these organizations in achieving their strategic business goals.

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Professional impacted more than 21,000 people and established 20 social startups in various fields such as health, education, recycling, and the environment. They hosted ten inspiration meetings to raise the awareness and skills of social entrepreneurs, incubated five social businesses, and ran an accelerator program for 12 social enterprises.

WE ARE BUILDING THE CAPACITY OF THE NEXT GENERATION IMPACT WORKFORCE

To achieve rapid, widespread, and inclusive change, we need people across all roles and sectors to be prepared to advance justice and climate action. We aim to increase access to the skills, opportunities, and connections our community needs in order to forge career paths that are accessible, equitable, and impactful.

72% OF LEADERS SAID THEIR NET IMPACT EXPERIENCE EQUIPPED THEM WITH THE SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE TO TAKE THE NEXT STEPS IN THEIR CAREER

ADVANCING EQUITABLE CLIMATE ACTION

Through our programming, we look to mobilize our diverse and skilled members to rapidly and effectively address the climate crisis through the skills of business.

69% OF LEADERS IN THE NET IMPACT COMMUNITY ARE INTERESTED IN ADVANCING ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE

70% OF CHAPTERS IN THE NET IMPACT COMMUNITY COMPLETED A PROJECT OR HOSTED AN EVENT CENTERED ON CLIMATE ACTION

THE REGENERATIVE ECONOMY SERIES

WAS BUILT ON THE BELIEF THAT SOCIETY MUST URGENTLY WORK TOGETHER TO EVOLVE AN ECONOMIC SYSTEM LEVERAGING

REGENERATIVE PRINCIPLES. The series, which began in 2021, invited our global community to share in conversations with industry professionals, thought leaders, and experts to learn and apply regenerative principles in business and social innovation to reconsider what we value and how we work.

Regeneration starts with people. Even in a perfect scenario today, even with all the climate finance and technology in the world, if we don’t actually have the people trying to implement the transition, we cannot build regenerative economies.

RAUL ALFARO-PELICO

Senior Director, Energy Transition Academy, Rocky Mountain Institute

Thousands of dollars in funding were distributed to chapters for Regenerative Economy projects, including:

Training youth in Nigeria to learn how to use computers and web design to improve employment opportunities for them in the future

Running a circularity conference in the Congo

Radio appearances to promote sustainable agriculture practices in Cameroon

Run a conference in Seoul using Net Impact’s climate simulator to train participants to create and advance sustainable policies and more!

8

3,745

47

40+ EXPERT SPEAKERS FROM THE SOCIAL IMPACT AND SUSTAINABILITY SECTOR REGISTRANTS COUNTRIES REPRESENTED

THE CIRCULAR PLASTIC CASE COMPETITION INSPIRED A GLOBAL AUDIENCE TO UNDERSTAND THE PLASTICS VALUE CHAIN AND THE ROOT CAUSE OF PLASTIC POLLUTION. By encouraging upstream innovation, participants were called to generate innovative market-based ideas to keep plastics in the economy and out of the environment while taking the onus off the consumer.

86% of participants reported an increased understanding of the complexities involved in advancing circularity in the plastics value chain

92% of participants reported that they are inspired to continue working towards incorporating plastics in the circular economy

96% of participants reported that they learned concrete actions they can take to make positive change through this program

This [program] enabled us to use our creativity and passion to come up with an innovative and meaningful solution to an extremely important problem. PROGRAM PARTICIPANT

MEET THE WINNER

ASHAYA – India

Ashaya has developed patent-pending technology that tranforms multi-layer plastics (MLP) into premium products like sunglasses.

Landfill Diversion Estimate: 2,500 kg of plastic waste annually

NET IMPACT CLIMATE AMBASSADORS

THE NET IMPACT CLIMATE AMBASSADORS

PROGRAM MOBILIZED THE EMERGING WORKFORCE TO UNDERSTAND OUR ENERGY SYSTEM THROUGH A FOCUS ON SYSTEM DYNAMICS, POLICY ANALYSIS, AND EQUITY CONSIDERATIONS AND RESULTED IN INCREASED EQUITY-BASED CLIMATE LITERACY ACROSS THE GLOBE.

94% of program participants took action to make positive change as a result of this program. 94% felt better equipped to incorporate justice, equity, diversity and inclusion into their climate action work

94% of participants said they were better equipped to make social or environmental change

Across three cohorts, participants were trained in an 8-week online course on how to incorporate equity and systems thinking into their workshops, how to best communicate the complexity of climate change, and how to incorporate the best available science from the EN-ROADS simulator.

Participants translated their knowledge into workshops across the world, with the goal of creating a rich learning environment about climate change and climate solutions. Workshop facilitators engaged over 2,500 people through En-ROADS Climate Workshops.

28

CERTIFIED CLIMATE AMBASSADORS

218

CLIMATE WORKSHOPS

2,500

PEOPLE ENGAGED

Everything I knew about the environment, climate and energy all finally clicked into place with the aid of the simulator.

PROGRAM PARTICIPANT

THIS YEAR, WE LAUNCHED OUR INAUGURAL  LEADERSHIP BOOTCAMP , A TWO-DAY IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE BUILT TO TRAIN AND EQUIP LEADERS WITH THE KNOWLEDGE, APPLICABLE SKILLS, AND CONNECTIONS TO TURN PASSION INTO ACTION.

The Up to Us Leadership Bootcamp focused on applying fiscal policy and bipartisanship to campaigns and community organizing. After their bootcamps, participants organized their own events translating the knowledge they gained to their campuses and communities, including running fiscal awareness conferences, hosting congressional speakers to discuss economic policy, and engaging community members on fiscal awareness and writing to representatives.

87

100% PARTICIPANTS OF PARTICIPANTS AGREED THAT THEY EXPANDED THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF FISCAL POLICY AND ADVOCACY OF ATTENDEES REPORTED THAT THEY GREW THEIR NETWORK AND CONNECTIONS AS A RESULT OF PARTICIPATING IN THE BOOTCAMP

94%

IN GOOD COMPANY

Forward-thinking companies from across sectors partner with Net Impact, to foster meaningful dialogue and help solve real-world sustainability challenges with next-generation leaders.

RECENT PARTNERS AND SPONSORS:

To learn more about Net Impact and how you can partner with us, contact development@netimpact.org