Optimism reigns at Net Impact in Nashville

November 6, 2007 in Acumen News by Yasmina Zaidman | 5 comments

This past Friday and Saturday, over 1,700 MBAs, corporate social responsibility professionals and non-profit leaders gathered in Nashville, Tennessee, at Vanderbilt University’s Owen business school for the annual Net Impact Conference. Since the 90’s, Net Impact has grown its network of MBA students interested in using their business skills to effect change, or as Ian V. Rowe of MTV and a Harvard MBA, said on his panel on malaria, “using our superpowers for good.”

Though in the opening keynote, Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, admitted he was pessimistic about the fate of the global environment, most speakers who followed exhibited a tremendous degree of optimism about the possibility of making a positive difference. It’s hard not to be optimistic when surrounded by so many talented students of business who are set on doing something with their careers that goes beyond making money.

The themes of the conference ranged from corporate social responsibility (CSR) to serving BoP markets and developing environmental business models. CSR has dominated in the past, with many of the speakers coming from large companies with new and growing departments that focus on issues like environmental health and safety, corporate philanthropy and community affairs. However, it is clear that business school students are not just looking for opportunities to join large corporations trying to avoid doing harm. Buzzwords like sustainability, community engagement, and brand enhancement abound, but I got the feeling that the audience was sophisticated enough to know the difference between green washing and real social impact. This is putting pressure on companies seeking to attract top MBA talent to focus on proactive efforts to have a positive impact.

I guess that’s what made me feel optimistic. I sensed among the students a strong interest in entrepreneurship, in starting new initiatives and redefining the very nature of business. When Chouinard asked the question “what are we in business for?”, I think he captured the imagination of an audience of MBAs who are more inspired by bold leadership than by the idea of “responsibility.”

For Acumen Fund, this growing pool of leadership from business school students, budding entrepreneurs, and forward-thinking companies could mean real breakthroughs in building business models that serve the needs of the 4 billion people that make less than $4 per day. Attending the conference was not only inspiring, but also an opportunity to identify talent for our team, spread the word about our growing Fellows program, and engage with companies with a growing commitment to serving BoP markets. The Net Impact conference raises a key question for Acumen Fund: what can we do to engage this talented community in solving the most pressing problems our world currently faces?Â

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