Not your Average Business School Guides.

Received this info today via an email from the Aspen Institute:

Net Impact's annual Business as UNusual guide gives the inside scoop on what business programs are doing to prepare students for careers that make a positive impact on the world.

Each year, we ask current students to profile their program's curricula, activities, career services, and more. Now bigger and better than ever, Business as UNusual is the go-to guide for comparing each program's commitment to themes such as corporate responsibility, sustainability, social entrepreneurship, and more.

Download the free 2010 guide here. It looks fantastic!

Another great (and also free) resource for persons interested in alternative grad school reviews is Beyond Gray Pinstripes.

Using Technology for Social Impact - San Francisco, May 3

I feel so fortunate that I get to live in San Francisco ... just signed up for this Net Impact San Francisco Chapter-sponsored event.

Using Technology for Social Impact

Meet social entrepreneurs who are using the power of information technology to achieve social impact offline.

Monday, May 3, 2010
7-9pm
Free, but pre-register here to guarantee your spot.

Net Impact is putting together an exciting roster of speakers, including Leila Chirayath Janah of Samasource.

Samasource, which derives its name from the Sanskrit word sama, which means equal, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit social business. Their tagline is "Microwork for the next billion - We bring dignified, computer-based work to women, youth, and refugees living in poverty." Thus far they have worked with 18 small businesses, nonprofit training centers, and rural data centers that provide dignified jobs to more than 500 marginalized individuals in Kenya, Uganda, Cameroon, Ghana, and Pakistan.



Stay tuned for updates about this May 3 event, and location info.


In the meantime check out this TED talk given by Leila Chirayath Janah. Can't wait to hear her speak on May 3!

I gave a talk in December at a local TED event on Social Change and Innovation. The main idea is that handouts aren’t very effective, and that digital work is a new way to provide good employment to the people who need it most. I also talked briefly about the “virtual assembly line” — the idea that technology can stitch together groups of casual workers across time zones and geographies to work on large projects for paying customers. This concept is what makes Samasource viable, and I think it lies at the heart of the emerging field of paid crowdsourcing.

2010 Net Impact Conference - UMich Campus, Oct 29 & 30

This year’s conference will take place October 29 – 30, 2010 at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.

The 18th annual event will bring together a passionate group of more than 2,500 professionals and students who are changing the world through business.

Sign up to receive regular updates about the conference.


photo: previous Net Impact Conference. Taken from the Acumen Fund blog posts about the conference.

Undergrad Perspectives :: the Business of Changing the World

Net Impact sought to take the pulse of how undergraduates' opinions about have evolved on responsible business, their role in affecting change in their careers, and whether they are prepared to do so.

They administered an online survey to 1,650 undergraduates in Spring 2009. 45 different colleges and universities across the U.S. were represented, including schools both outside and within the Net Impact undergrad network.

The survey results are presented in this brand new January 2010 report Undergraduates Perspectives: The Business of Changing the World.


I found this section of the report particularly interesting:

Today’s undergraduates feel they have at least a moderate understanding of issues like corporate responsibility and environmental sustainability, but lack the same level of confidence in international development, social entrepreneurship, and nonprofit management.


note: graphic was taken from the report

Net Impact ... are you in the know? :)

Net Impact is an international nonprofit with a mission to inspire, educate, and equip individuals to use the power of business to create a more socially and environmentally sustainable world.

Spanning six continents, the organization's membership of approximately 15,000 people makes up one of the most influential networks of professionals and students in existence today. Net Impact members are current and emerging leaders in corporate social responsibility, social entrepreneurship, nonprofit management, international development, and environmental sustainability who are actively improving the world.

The organization is headquartered in San Francisco but has student and professional chapters worldwide that hold their own local events. To learn more about the chapters, go here.

Net Impact also organizes an annual conference in the USA -- this year it's on Cornell's campus in NY.

The 2009 Net Impact Conference will bring together the players behind the sustainable global enterprise movement, including sustainability and corporate responsibility practitioners, social entrepreneurs, and nonprofit leaders. What inspires them to challenge the status quo? What obstacles do they face? And what approaches have led them to success in changing the rules of the game?

Retreat to beautiful Ithaca, New York, with more than 2,000 professionals, MBAs, and other students to explore what it really takes for individuals and organizations to be changemakers, innovators, and problem solvers.

Join us November 13 - 14 in Ithaca, NY at The Johnson School at Cornell University to:

* Hear personal perspectives from cutting-edge leaders like Jeffrey Immelt, CEO of GE, and Seth Goldman, President and TeaEO of Honest Tea.

* Connect with professionals and students with similar interests at intimately-structured networking events.

* Gather best practices from over 350 speakers prepared to answer your difficult questions.

* The unparalleled energy of the Net Impact Conference will leave you inspired and equipped to make real change in your social or environmental impact career.