Empowering Leaders to Change the World
Social Enterprise Program
www.gsb.columbia.edu/socialenterprise
New Approaches for Business and Society
About the Social Enterprise Program at Columbia Business School The social enterprise field continues to attract attention and investment around the world. Increasingly, organizations of all kinds— government, nonprofit and for-profit—are changing the way they confront major issues from global development to healthcare. The Social Enterprise Program (SEP) at Columbia Business School focuses on advancing the understanding of how management can contribute to society and the environment, and on developing the next generation of social enterprise leaders. The SEP provides a framework for students to think in broader terms about their role in business and society and equips them with the skills, knowledge and experience to respond to the challenges of a rapidly changing world. Graduates draw on their expertise and talents to achieve social impact throughout their careers— as business leaders addressing public policy and environmental issues, and as philanthropists, civic leaders, and directors of charitable organizations.
Program Scope Through access to specialized courses, experiential learning opportunities, financial support, and a variety of professionaldevelopment and networking activities, students can explore social enterprise across four areas of focus: • Public and nonprofit management • International development and emerging markets • Social entrepreneurship • Sustainability and corporate social responsibility To learn more, visit www.gsb.columbia.edu/ socia lenterprise.
“Social enterprise comprises the issues and activities that lie at the intersection of business practice and the interests of society. These days, many people are rethinking their priorities and choosing to refocus their energies on social innovation, making it an exciting and empowering time to be involved in this area of change.” RAY FISMAN Director, Social Enterprise Program Lambert Family Professor of Social Enterprise
Foundations for Practicing Social Enterprise The Social Enterprise Program (SEP) offers a full range of elective courses and activities that give Columbia Business School students maximum exposure to the field. Students hone business ideas and practices learned in core and elective courses in such areas as social entrepreneurship, nonprofit management, corporate social responsibility and sustainability, political economy, and international development.
Thought Leadership in the Classroom
Stephanie King ’06, vice president at JPMorgan Chase, applies the knowledge and skills she learned in the School’s Finance and Sustainability course to her career in banking.
Students apply the knowledge gained in the core curriculum to real-world issues and opportunities:
“Understanding how investment banking, capital markets and asset management tools can be adapted to fight poverty and climate change provides revolutionary opportunities for innovative business leaders.” Christian Lee ’07 (EMBA), who helped develop small businesses in Afghanistan during his summer internship, explored the challenges confronting businesses in emerging markets in The Private Sector and International Development, a course taught by Professor Ray Fisman. “We looked at the social benefits as well as the ethical concerns that doing business in poorer countries can create.”
Columbia Business School students encounter innovative ideas and business skills in a variety of social enterprise courses. These students have the opportunity to learn from leading scholars across all areas of the School, as well as practitioners who come to campus as adjunct professors, guest lecturers, and distinguished speakers.
• What are the pitfalls of managing in emerging markets? • How will tradable permits reshape global energy markets? • Is there enough public, private, or philantropic capital in the nonprofit sector to go around? • What business models do social entrepreneurs pursue, and what are their growth options? • What are the myths and realities of “doing well by doing good”? For a complete list of courses, visit www.gsb.columbia.edu/socia lenterprise/ teaching.
Knowledge Through Real-World Experience Columbia Business School students are empowered to learn through hands-on social enterprise projects on the local, national and international level. Students build knowledge, leadership, and management skills, and expand their career networks through various practical and professional initiatives. Tricia Morente ’07, head of marketing and strategy for Lifespring Hospitals, worked on strategy consulting projects with leading development organizations while pursuing dual master’s degrees in business and international affairs. “I’ve traveled to Rwanda to consult on a World Bank project, worked with Acumen Fund and Grameen Foundation, and interned at the United Nations, Dalberg, and Women’s World Banking. It’s amazing how many opportunities I’ve had to apply tools from the classroom to international development projects.” Paul Jordan ’07, chief financial officer of BlackBag Technologies, helped establish the School’s Nonprofit Board Leadership Program. “A stellar group of alumni mentors connect students to the boards of nonprofits such as the Central Park Conservancy, Bronx YMCA, Urban Pathways, Carnegie Hall, and Girls Inc. From every standpoint, the power of the Columbia Business School network and the connections to New York contribute to the student experience.”
Experiential Learning Outside of the Classroom Student organizations at the School partner with the SEP to provide learning and networking opportunities. These collaborations allow students to build relationships with a diverse group of peers and lead organizations, alumni, and practitioners through such activities as: • Local and international pro bono consulting projects • Nonprofit board mentoring opportunities with alumni • Summer fellowship opportunities with nonprofits, government, NGOs, and social ventures • Conferences and speaker events • Local and international study trips • Microfinance investment fund management experience • Case writing and research projects with faculty members • Business plan competitions for social entrepreneurs
“The old 20th-century idea that businesses should make as much money as possible— and the role of government and nonprofits is to clean up afterward—has been replaced by the 21st-century reality that the distinctive capabilities of all sectors are necessary to solve the social and environmental problems facing our world.” Ray horton Founder, Social Enterprise Program Frank R. Lautenberg Professor of Ethics and Corporate Governance
Accelerating Career Development The Social Enterprise Program (SEP) prepares students to practice social enterprise throughout their careers, inspires a professional vision that looks beyond the first job after graduation, and translates ideals into action. The SEP supports students’ professional development through access to a diverse and talented network of peers, alumni, and practitioners, as well as extensive career resources. Financial support for summer internships and loan assistance for graduates widen the career options available to Columbia MBAs. Prior to business school, Camilla Nestor ’02, director of capital management and advisory at the Grameen Foundation, worked for a nonprofit microfinance organization. After graduation, she joined the emerging markets division of a financial services firm before transitioning back to the nonprofit sector. “By exploring the connections across sectors, I learned how to think creatively and strategically about my career and how microfinance institutions could be more effective at fighting poverty by linking to the resources of capital markets.”
Wanja Michuki ’02, cofounder of The Highland Tea Company and a winner at the 2006 Global Social Venture Competition, enrolled at Columbia Business School to learn about asset management with the goal of increasing foreign investment in her native Kenya. Instead, she founded a start-up after graduation. “Columbia opened my eyes to other possibilities, and I became interested in social entrepreneurship as a means of achieving sustainable economic development.” During her summer internship, Jessica Ochoa Hendrix ’09, director of Organizational Learning at Uncommon Schools, worked for the Department of Education as an Education Pioneers Fellow, where she implemented innovative approaches to improve the graduation rates of teen parents in New York. “Exploring education careers while earning my MBA helped ensure that the social enterprise I was joining was a great fit and allowed me to contribute my business skills to the network of schools and the community it serves.” To learn more about careers in social enterprise, visit www.gsb.columbia.edu/ socia lenterprise/careers.
“The Columbia MBA degree prepares the next generation of leaders with an understanding of the social and environmental context of decision making. Learning how to anticipate and respond to these issues is an essential part of the Columbia Business School experience.� Glenn Hubbard Dean Russell L. Carson Professor of Finance and Economics
Columbia Business School Uris Hall 3022 Broadway, Room 203 New York, NY 10027 T: 212-854-1060 F: 212-854-0016 socialenterprise@gsb.columbia.edu www.gsb.columbia.edu/socialenterprise
