We've had a great semester promoting "business for good" with Net Impact. It's already time to look ahead to find the first years willing to step up and lead the organization next year. If you're looking to lead some great projects, get connected into an incredible network, and make the most of your Moore experience, we hope you'll be a part of Net Impact next year.
If you'd like to be a part of "business for good," please come to our meeting this Tuesday at 5 p.m. in Room 534. If you're interested in being on the leadership committee as President, VP, CSR Chair, Treasurer, or Technology Chair, we'll be choosing the new leadership committee at this meeitng. Be sure to be there!
We hope to see everyone on Tuesday evening! Get involved...it's a lot of fun!
The NI Team
Net Impact is a global network of students and business leaders committed to positively changing the world through business. At the University of South Carolina, Moore School of Business, we strive to promote the concepts of sustainability in its many applications through advocacy, education, and service, while empowering students with the tools to become responsible business leaders of the future.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Friday, November 25, 2011
Net Impact Microfinance Speaker this Monday at 5:00 p.m.
Happy Holidays Net Impacters!
We know a lot of people in our program are interested in Microfinance. Well, we've got a speaker on Monday that can tell you all about it. The first in our Speaker series will be this Monday, November 28th, at 5 p.m. in Room 534. We'll have some goodies and plenty of time for Q & A. Read on:
Kumar Durgesh is a doctoral student in the College of Social Work at the University of South Carolina. He is a collaborating researcher at the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service, LBJ School of Public Affairs, UT Austin. He has five years experience of working in the development sector in the emerging markets.
He earned a master’s degree in social work at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai as well as a master’s degree in economics at SUNY-Buffalo. He was recipient of the 2007 International Young Entrepreneur Award by YSEI, Malaysia.
We know a lot of people in our program are interested in Microfinance. Well, we've got a speaker on Monday that can tell you all about it. The first in our Speaker series will be this Monday, November 28th, at 5 p.m. in Room 534. We'll have some goodies and plenty of time for Q & A. Read on:
Kumar Durgesh is a doctoral student in the College of Social Work at the University of South Carolina. He is a collaborating researcher at the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service, LBJ School of Public Affairs, UT Austin. He has five years experience of working in the development sector in the emerging markets.
He earned a master’s degree in social work at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai as well as a master’s degree in economics at SUNY-Buffalo. He was recipient of the 2007 International Young Entrepreneur Award by YSEI, Malaysia.
Friday, November 18, 2011
A Night Out on the Town
Want to Win the Next No Single-Use Plastic Challenge? Stay at home!
Last night, despite the surprising drop in temperature, a bunch of Columbia residents and IMBA students alike, attended Vista Lights, a night when area stores open their doors and folks can congregate and share drinks on the street. It is a great event, and it was a great night.
Luckily, I was able to find a vendor selling cans of beer - which also came with reusable coozies to keep the hands warm. Even still, at the end of the night I broke down and did use a plastic cup. It was just too convenient, too accessible, and too cheap for me to turn down. Minus one point for me, but it makes you wonder what the average score of the typical attendee was?
Today is the last day of our challenge, but hopefully everyone who has participated, or witnessed someone participating, has at the very least learned to question what they consume. Thanks everyone and good luck on the final day!
-Nt
Last night, despite the surprising drop in temperature, a bunch of Columbia residents and IMBA students alike, attended Vista Lights, a night when area stores open their doors and folks can congregate and share drinks on the street. It is a great event, and it was a great night. However, as a participant in the No Single-Use Plastic Challenge, it was also an extremely difficult night. Single-use plastic was everywhere. Want a drink? Here is a pint in a plastic cup. Want to try this delicious looking steak? Here use this plastic skewer. Red-Bull sample? Here is another plastic cup! It was everywhere.
Luckily, I was able to find a vendor selling cans of beer - which also came with reusable coozies to keep the hands warm. Even still, at the end of the night I broke down and did use a plastic cup. It was just too convenient, too accessible, and too cheap for me to turn down. Minus one point for me, but it makes you wonder what the average score of the typical attendee was?
Today is the last day of our challenge, but hopefully everyone who has participated, or witnessed someone participating, has at the very least learned to question what they consume. Thanks everyone and good luck on the final day!
-Nt
Thursday, November 17, 2011
NSUP Shared Links
Yesterday we got a lot of interesting links on our Facebook wall relating to the No Single-Use Plastic Challenge, like the one below. Check more out by clicking here. Please do not hesitate to join our group, USC Graduate Net Impact, as all are more than welcome. You can also follow us on twitter, @scnetimpact
Have an excellent day!
-The Net Impact Team
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Bagel Day Joins the NSUP Challenge!
I know what you are thinking, big deal right? But here at the Darla Moore School of Business, Bagel Day has become a tradition for the graduate community. Trust me. We would like to thank Scott Ranges for voluntarily making today's bagel day disposable cup free! Also we would like to thank him and Keep America Beautiful of the Midlands for the reusable bags we have been able to hand out to challenge participants. We reused, reusable bags. Pretty sweet. Have a great Bagel Day everyone!
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Gift Ideas for a No Single-Use Holiday Season!
Our friend Julia Kramer is currently working in Rwanda. Here is a message from her along with some gifts that could help folks reduce their single-use plastic consumption this holiday season!
Julia:
Hey guys! If anyone is looking for holiday gifts, I am working with a cooperative in Rwanda that helps women get training, education, and counseling. I'll post a few pictures of items they have along with prices. If you are interested, email me at jhkramer@gmail.com. I'll be in Columbia, SC around the 11th of December.
Weekend Bag ~ $15
Ipad Case - $10
Julia:
Hey guys! If anyone is looking for holiday gifts, I am working with a cooperative in Rwanda that helps women get training, education, and counseling. I'll post a few pictures of items they have along with prices. If you are interested, email me at jhkramer@gmail.com. I'll be in Columbia, SC around the 11th of December.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Thinking About the No Single-Use Plastic Challenge
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| Jessica Jordan |
The burritos were spicy, and the conversation was jolly at a local Mexican joint on Saturday night. As friends and I began to discuss our strategies for getting through the upcoming no one-use plastic week, I looked at the table and realized we were in for a rough week. The hot sauce was in one-use containers, along with our waters and the carry-out containers I would have used if I hadn't gorged myself on that delicious bean burrito. Plastic has seeped into every nook and cranny in our lives. It's even more humbling to realize that every piece of plastic created remains on Earth. There's no getting around it, plastic is non biodegradable. And there's tons of it swirling around in the North Pacific Ocean right now! Check out the giant Pacific Garbage Patch. What are you going to do about it? Armed with my coffee mug and tupperware, I'm hoping to get through this week by using the least plastic EVER!
Sunday, November 13, 2011
No Single-Use Plastic Challenge Goes Live
Our No Single-Use Plastic Challenge goes live at midnight and runs from November 14th to the 18th. Our goal is go an entire week without using any single-use plastics. Every participant starts out with 15 points. Each time a participant uses a single-use plastic during the week they will deduct a point. The participant with the most points at the end of the week will win a sustainable gift basket! Click on our Plastics Challenge tab for more details.
Feel free to comment or play at home! In fact, we encourage you to comment and play at home. The more the merrier. Here is a look at some of our brave combatants.
Participants:
Points Remaining: 15
Points Remaining: 15
Points Remaining: 15
Points Remaining: 15
Points Remaining: 15
Points Remaining: 15
Points Remaining: 15
Points Remaining: 15
Points Remaining: 15
Points Remaining: 15
Feel free to comment or play at home! In fact, we encourage you to comment and play at home. The more the merrier. Here is a look at some of our brave combatants.
Participants:
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| Liz Buncher |
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| Mark Gregory |
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| Noah Thomas |
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| Cooper Swanson |
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| Travis Bjorklund |
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| Nicole Griffin |
|
| Jessica Jordan |
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| Abhinav Sharma |
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| James Fryar |
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| Lavinia Hurley |
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Peace Corps Panel this Monday Nov 14 at 6 p.m.
Continuing an annual tradition, we look forward to partnering up with the South Carolina Undergraduate Net Impact chapter to hold a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Panel. The agenda for the panel is to discuss the continuing education through Masters International, four presentations by returned Peace Corps volunteers who served in Africa, South America and Pacific Islands, then opening the floor for Q&A. This year we have a pleasure of hearing from representatives of every level of the IMBA program. They will discuss what lead them to consider to dedicate two years of their lives to serving in developing countries, the projects they worked on and what affect this experience has on their future choices. We look forward to get a discussion going, socializing and possibly lifting some mystery that surrounds the Peace Corps.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Starbucks LEED-Certified Factory Tour
November 4th, Net Impact and the Operations Club had the pleasure of touring the LEED-certified Starbucks Roasting Plant in Gaston, SC. The tour was amazing, informative, and impressive. A special thanks to our engineer guides who took us through the plant, of which they knew every inch. Even more impressive they knew how to make every drink Starbucks offers! We were all very grateful for the samples, and beard nets.
Click here to learn more about the LEED certified plant.
Thanks again to everyone who participated, and especially Theresa Olson at Starbucks for coordinating with us!
-The Net Impact Team
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| In the tasting room. Yep, there is a spitoon! |
Thanks again to everyone who participated, and especially Theresa Olson at Starbucks for coordinating with us!
-The Net Impact Team
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
2011 Net Impact Conference
This year SC Net Impact had eight members make the trek out to the left coast for the 2011 Net Impact conference in Portland, Oregon. The weekend was filled with inspiring messages, sessions with high-level corporate responsibility advocates, and meeting with like-minded business school peers from around the world -- all working together to make the world a better place through business. Next year's conference is in Baltimore, Maryland, and with the new net-zero Moore School under construction it is more important than ever for us to make a strong showing!
Coming soon, perspectives of the conference from our attendees.
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| Future Sustainable Business Leaders |
Monday, October 17, 2011
Single-Use Plastic Challenge
Thanks to everyone who attended our Sugar Shack fundraiser! It was great to see everyone out there and enjoying the low-country oysters from McClellanville, SC. Now, it is time to start thinking of the next SC Net Impact activities and how you can get involved. Please consult our calendar for upcoming events. One such will be a tour of the LEED-certified Starbucks coffee roasting plant on November 4th. Also upcoming will be our No Single-Use Plastic Challenge. Think you are up for it? Get in contact with us if you would like to participate! Here is a video to get you thinking:
Use Less Plastic from TakePart on Vimeo.
All the best,
The NI Team
Use Less Plastic from TakePart on Vimeo.
All the best,
The NI Team
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Monday, October 10, 2011
Oyster Roast Bonfire Fundraiser Tickets Online!
Hey out there party people--
It's not too late to buy tickets to the oyster roast...it's just that now you have to buy them online. Use the paypal button below. Then login to our facebook event and tell us you're coming! We're going to organize carpooling and last minute details through that page, so look alive!
Once you buy a ticket, you'll show up on our list and you'll be good to go on the door. We hope to see everyone. Oyster source is in the bag. Let's do this.
The NI Team
It's not too late to buy tickets to the oyster roast...it's just that now you have to buy them online. Use the paypal button below. Then login to our facebook event and tell us you're coming! We're going to organize carpooling and last minute details through that page, so look alive!
Once you buy a ticket, you'll show up on our list and you'll be good to go on the door. We hope to see everyone. Oyster source is in the bag. Let's do this.
The NI Team
Sustainability Conference Google Doc
Hey Everybody--
We hope you have time to help us put together our first ever sustainable business conference at the Moore School in February. Here's the link to the Google Doc for planning. If you have any ideas or you want to help, please do.
Sustainable Business Conference at Moore
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KbTEoCTOhL5jGre66WFojDIkAlYofFJh_jHCh7jsMtg/edit?hl=en_US
We hope you have time to help us put together our first ever sustainable business conference at the Moore School in February. Here's the link to the Google Doc for planning. If you have any ideas or you want to help, please do.
Sustainable Business Conference at Moore
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KbTEoCTOhL5jGre66WFojDIkAlYofFJh_jHCh7jsMtg/edit?hl=en_US
Monday, October 3, 2011
OYSTER ROAST AND BONFIRE
For additional information about the upcoming Oyster Roast and Bonfire please contact our fundraising chair Jessica Jordan at jessicaellenjordan@gmail.com
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Oyster Roast and Bonfire Date Announced
It is getting to be that time of year when all you really want to do is hang out outside with friends - so, we hereby present to you an event where you can do just that.
It is the First Annual SC Net Impact Oyster Roast and Bonfire, Thursday, October 13th at the Sugar Shack. In addition to all the oysters you can eat there will also be low-country favorites such as Chicken Gumbo and Boiled Peanuts. And for all you non-eaters out there, beverages will also be available. Tickets are $12 dollars in advance and $15 dollars the day of the event, so be sure to reserve your spot early. Tickets will be on sale next Wednesday and Thursday (October 5th and 6th) in the BA lobby from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Remember, this is an open event so please feel free to bring folks along!
What: SC Net Impact Oyster Roast
When: October 13th in the evening (tickets on sale October 5th and 6th in the BA lobby)
Where: Sugar Shack
Who: Open to anyone who wants to attend
How (Much): $12 before and $15 the day of the event
For more information please email us at scnetimpact@gmail.com, or track down our fundraising chair Jessica Jordan (check the Officers page).
Hope to see you there!
It is the First Annual SC Net Impact Oyster Roast and Bonfire, Thursday, October 13th at the Sugar Shack. In addition to all the oysters you can eat there will also be low-country favorites such as Chicken Gumbo and Boiled Peanuts. And for all you non-eaters out there, beverages will also be available. Tickets are $12 dollars in advance and $15 dollars the day of the event, so be sure to reserve your spot early. Tickets will be on sale next Wednesday and Thursday (October 5th and 6th) in the BA lobby from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Remember, this is an open event so please feel free to bring folks along!
What: SC Net Impact Oyster Roast
When: October 13th in the evening (tickets on sale October 5th and 6th in the BA lobby)
Where: Sugar Shack
Who: Open to anyone who wants to attend
How (Much): $12 before and $15 the day of the event
For more information please email us at scnetimpact@gmail.com, or track down our fundraising chair Jessica Jordan (check the Officers page).
Hope to see you there!
Monday, September 26, 2011
The New Darla Moore School of Business
On behalf of Net Impact we would like to say thank you! We are proud to attend a school where it is a priority to create a new building that is both LEED Platinum and Net-Zero, meaning it will generate all of the energy it consumes. This is truly a monumental undertaking.
Re-posted from the Moore School website. See the video of the groundbreaking and photos here.
On Friday, September 23, the Moore School broke ground for its new home, which will be located at the corner of Assembly and Greene streets next to the Carolina Coliseum. The building has created a buzz not only for its iconic design by Raphael Viñoly Architects of New York, but also for its green features.
The building’s cantilevered and glass design maximizes natural light within and, with its open interior, encourages openness and collaboration. The Moore School’s new building is designed to enhance learning, research and collaboration and will set a new standard for innovation and energy efficiency in higher-education facilities.
The main level houses a visitor’s center, a café, a trading room with stock market ticker boards and doors that open outward to an expansive, open-air courtyard.
The third and fourth levels provide views below of the Palmetto Court, a green space that features groupings of lush sable palms, and the Pavilion, a free-standing space for lectures and special events.
The new school was designed with interaction and collaboration in mind. Every level will have open spaces with flexible furnishings, outlets for technology and white boards that students, faculty, staff and others can use and adapt for ad hoc meetings or team projects. Even the large open stairwells are designed to encourage interaction.
The first floor is the learning level. It features a variety of classrooms, all designed with technology and flexibility for student project collaboration in mind. It also features a 500-seat lecture and performance hall, the result of a partnership with and support from the School of Music. The café will have extended hours, serving visitors who attend events in the hall.
The third floor features executive education, classrooms outfitted with advanced telepresence technology, a conference center with meeting spaces and administrative offices. Faculty offices and a research lab are located on the fourth floor.
The roof, which features green turf to reduce heat and improve energy efficiency, is one of the myriad sustainable features of the building. Designs incorporate goals for earning a LEED Platinum and a Net-Zero rating, meaning that it will generate as much energy as it consumes. The Moore School was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy to partner with its national laboratories in its Net-Zero Energy Commercial Building Partnership program. As a result of the partnership, the Moore School has benefitted from expertise in energy technologies and building systems and design and operating practices.
If sustainability goals are achieved, it will be among the greenest facilities in the Southeast.
Its design will maximize natural light and shade for cooling. Occupants will benefit from outdoor views and light, pristine air quality and control of heating, air and lighting in their own spaces.
Re-posted from the Moore School website. See the video of the groundbreaking and photos here.
The building’s cantilevered and glass design maximizes natural light within and, with its open interior, encourages openness and collaboration. The Moore School’s new building is designed to enhance learning, research and collaboration and will set a new standard for innovation and energy efficiency in higher-education facilities.
The main level houses a visitor’s center, a café, a trading room with stock market ticker boards and doors that open outward to an expansive, open-air courtyard.
The third and fourth levels provide views below of the Palmetto Court, a green space that features groupings of lush sable palms, and the Pavilion, a free-standing space for lectures and special events.
The new school was designed with interaction and collaboration in mind. Every level will have open spaces with flexible furnishings, outlets for technology and white boards that students, faculty, staff and others can use and adapt for ad hoc meetings or team projects. Even the large open stairwells are designed to encourage interaction.
The first floor is the learning level. It features a variety of classrooms, all designed with technology and flexibility for student project collaboration in mind. It also features a 500-seat lecture and performance hall, the result of a partnership with and support from the School of Music. The café will have extended hours, serving visitors who attend events in the hall.
The third floor features executive education, classrooms outfitted with advanced telepresence technology, a conference center with meeting spaces and administrative offices. Faculty offices and a research lab are located on the fourth floor.
The roof, which features green turf to reduce heat and improve energy efficiency, is one of the myriad sustainable features of the building. Designs incorporate goals for earning a LEED Platinum and a Net-Zero rating, meaning that it will generate as much energy as it consumes. The Moore School was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy to partner with its national laboratories in its Net-Zero Energy Commercial Building Partnership program. As a result of the partnership, the Moore School has benefitted from expertise in energy technologies and building systems and design and operating practices.
If sustainability goals are achieved, it will be among the greenest facilities in the Southeast.
Its design will maximize natural light and shade for cooling. Occupants will benefit from outdoor views and light, pristine air quality and control of heating, air and lighting in their own spaces.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Building Moore
GROUNDBREAKING: THE MOORE SCHOOL'S GREEN BUILDING PROJECT
Please join us as we break ground at the site of the new Darla Moore School of Business. After the ceremony, there will be a reception followed by a presentation featuring the design process, the latest architectural model, and our goal to build the largest net-zero building in the world. RSVP here.
| Date | Friday, September 23, 2011 |
| Time | 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. |
| Location | SW corner of Assembly and Greene Streets Columbia, SC 29208 |
RSVP
Moore School Website
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
The Moore School in Beyond Grey Pinstripes
Good News for we Gamecocks. We rose in the rankings significantly in this year's Beyond Grey Pinstripes ranking released by the Aspen Institute! Beyond Grey Pinstripes ranks MBA programs according to how they prepare students for Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability in their future business careers. We're now ranked #30...in front of Wharton, INSEAD, Georgetown, UVA, and Thunderbird. Boo. Yah. Also note that Stanford in #1. Clever folks.
More information here:
http://www.beyondgreypinstripes.org/rankings
Friday, September 16, 2011
Fish Fry...Oh My!
A fish fry for friends, family, Freds, Franks, foes...you get the idea. The undergraduate chapter of Net Impact is hosting a Fish Fry, and we are invited! The event will take place next Thursday, September 22nd at City Roots (you know, that cool urban farm near the Owens Field Disc Golf Course). The fry runs from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
Please RSVP via Facebook by following this link: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=138299802932296
Hope to see you there!
-Nt
Please RSVP via Facebook by following this link: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=138299802932296
Hope to see you there!
-Nt
Monday, September 12, 2011
Monday, September 5, 2011
New Pages
We've added a few new pages for your viewing pleasure. The International Development page links you to the blogs of our friends currently working in Africa with the Peace Corps and PSI. To learn more about what is going on in Cameroon, Kenya, and Rwanda, please read what they have to say. Also, I'm sure they would appreciate any comments!
Oh yeah, there are also gem quotes like this one (found on Henry Bennett's blog):
"There was once a man who became unstuck in the world – he took the wind for a map, he took the sky for a clock, and he set off with no destination. He was never lost." - Author Unknown
The other page links to sites where you can find Jobs and Internships. A few second-year's had success finding internships using these resources. If you have any questions feel free to email us at scnetimpact@gmail.com
All the best,
Nt
Oh yeah, there are also gem quotes like this one (found on Henry Bennett's blog):
"There was once a man who became unstuck in the world – he took the wind for a map, he took the sky for a clock, and he set off with no destination. He was never lost." - Author Unknown
The other page links to sites where you can find Jobs and Internships. A few second-year's had success finding internships using these resources. If you have any questions feel free to email us at scnetimpact@gmail.com
All the best,
Nt
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tracking Big Corporate Donors
Interesting interactive chart from The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Think you know which companies have given the most to non-profits over the past three years?
Friday, August 26, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
First Meeting Recap - August 22, 2011
Thanks everyone for attending our first meeting of the year! It was great to see so many new and old faces. Hopefully everyone got an idea about Net Impact and the exciting projects that are currently being organized for the upcoming year. If you missed the meeting don’t fear, the slides are available upon request and will soon be posted on this blog.
For all the new folks, if you are interested in becoming more involved in our graduate organization please send an email to: scnetimpact@gmail.com
Don't forget to join our facebook group, click here!
Thank again!
Pictures were taken by Cooper Swanson. Great job.
Pictures were taken by Cooper Swanson. Great job.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Moore School Peace Corps Partnership
Congratulations to Renee and Henry, our two Peace Corps partners who swore in as official volunteers over the weekend in Cameroon and Kenya respectively. Here is an article from the Moore School website about our two friends in the field:
Moore School announces Peace Corps partnership
In the same month the Peace Corps celebrates its 50th year, two graduate students at the Darla Moore School of Business will become the first University of South Carolina students to participate in the Master’s International Program, a partnership between the Moore School and the Peace Corps.
Henry Bennett and Renee Paris-Buchy, both first-year candidates in the Moore School’s International Master of Business Administration (IMBA) program, are also the first students selected for the Master’s International Program, which was launched in 2009.
“The Moore School is thrilled to partner with the Peace Corps and its Masters International program,” said Dr. Christine LaCola, assistant dean and director of the graduate division at the Moore School. “The IMBA is the ideal MBA program for preparing individuals who care about the integration of business and economic development. We look forward to a long partnership of preparing Peace Corps volunteers for their important worldview careers.”
Even before their Peace Corps experience begins this spring, Bennett and Paris-Buchy are preparing for a worldview career. The pair is in Chile for an intensive language and cultural immersion experience, a hallmark of the IMBA program.
After a short time with family, they will head to their Peace Corps destinations – Kenya for Bennett and Cameroon for Paris-Buchy – where they will spend 27 months providing service and completing their IMBA-required in-country language training.
Bennett, 24, from Summerville, said his travels to more than 25 countries and seeing Africa in 2009 inspired him to volunteer with the Peace Corps.
“While I was in Africa, I saw the extreme poverty many Africans live in every day,” Bennett said. “This trip alone had such an impact on me that I was determined to return to do development work that would hopefully improve some of the living conditions of people throughout the continent.”
It was during Bennett’s research on the Peace Corps that he discovered the Moore School’s specialized dual program. He graduated from the Moore School in 2010 with bachelor’s degrees in international business and marketing.
“It [Moore School] turned out to be the perfect fit,” he said. “It allows me to continue to learn and educate myself for my future career as well as giving me the opportunity to accomplish my goal of going back to Africa to do development work.”
Paris-Buchy, 29, said her interest in the Peace Corps began as an undergraduate student at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
“I used to walk in front of the main Peace Corps building all the time,” said Paris-Buchy. “I learned about microfinance when I was an undergrad international-affairs major and knew at that moment it was what I wanted to do for my career.”
When working at ACCION International, a major microfinance technical-assistance agency, Paris-Buchy met Moore School alumna Melissa Lumpkin, who told her about the IMBA program.
“When I found out I could do both the Peace Corps and graduate school at one of the top IMBA programs in the country, I knew I had found the right program,” she said. “I’m hoping that my time abroad will enable me to help people, while setting the stage for a NGO career, hopefully in microfinance. I want to help people help themselves out of poverty.”
Bennett said he isn’t sure what to expect but is sure it will be challenging and rewarding.
“I definitely think the service [Peace Corps] will challenge me physically, emotionally and intellectually, while helping me build skills and ideas that will help me later on as I go into a profession,” Bennett said. “I think the service will teach me how to be resilient, flexible and open-minded, all of which I will be able to use to help whatever organization I work with when I graduate the IMBA program.”
When Bennett and Paris-Buchy return to the Moore School, they will finish their fourth and final year, taking coursework in their areas of concentration.
Read the article from the Moore School website, click here.
Moore School announces Peace Corps partnership
In the same month the Peace Corps celebrates its 50th year, two graduate students at the Darla Moore School of Business will become the first University of South Carolina students to participate in the Master’s International Program, a partnership between the Moore School and the Peace Corps.
Henry Bennett and Renee Paris-Buchy, both first-year candidates in the Moore School’s International Master of Business Administration (IMBA) program, are also the first students selected for the Master’s International Program, which was launched in 2009.
“The Moore School is thrilled to partner with the Peace Corps and its Masters International program,” said Dr. Christine LaCola, assistant dean and director of the graduate division at the Moore School. “The IMBA is the ideal MBA program for preparing individuals who care about the integration of business and economic development. We look forward to a long partnership of preparing Peace Corps volunteers for their important worldview careers.”
Even before their Peace Corps experience begins this spring, Bennett and Paris-Buchy are preparing for a worldview career. The pair is in Chile for an intensive language and cultural immersion experience, a hallmark of the IMBA program.
After a short time with family, they will head to their Peace Corps destinations – Kenya for Bennett and Cameroon for Paris-Buchy – where they will spend 27 months providing service and completing their IMBA-required in-country language training.
Bennett, 24, from Summerville, said his travels to more than 25 countries and seeing Africa in 2009 inspired him to volunteer with the Peace Corps.
“While I was in Africa, I saw the extreme poverty many Africans live in every day,” Bennett said. “This trip alone had such an impact on me that I was determined to return to do development work that would hopefully improve some of the living conditions of people throughout the continent.”
It was during Bennett’s research on the Peace Corps that he discovered the Moore School’s specialized dual program. He graduated from the Moore School in 2010 with bachelor’s degrees in international business and marketing.
“It [Moore School] turned out to be the perfect fit,” he said. “It allows me to continue to learn and educate myself for my future career as well as giving me the opportunity to accomplish my goal of going back to Africa to do development work.”
Paris-Buchy, 29, said her interest in the Peace Corps began as an undergraduate student at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
“I used to walk in front of the main Peace Corps building all the time,” said Paris-Buchy. “I learned about microfinance when I was an undergrad international-affairs major and knew at that moment it was what I wanted to do for my career.”
When working at ACCION International, a major microfinance technical-assistance agency, Paris-Buchy met Moore School alumna Melissa Lumpkin, who told her about the IMBA program.
“When I found out I could do both the Peace Corps and graduate school at one of the top IMBA programs in the country, I knew I had found the right program,” she said. “I’m hoping that my time abroad will enable me to help people, while setting the stage for a NGO career, hopefully in microfinance. I want to help people help themselves out of poverty.”
Bennett said he isn’t sure what to expect but is sure it will be challenging and rewarding.
“I definitely think the service [Peace Corps] will challenge me physically, emotionally and intellectually, while helping me build skills and ideas that will help me later on as I go into a profession,” Bennett said. “I think the service will teach me how to be resilient, flexible and open-minded, all of which I will be able to use to help whatever organization I work with when I graduate the IMBA program.”
When Bennett and Paris-Buchy return to the Moore School, they will finish their fourth and final year, taking coursework in their areas of concentration.
Read the article from the Moore School website, click here.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Green is Good for Business
SC Green is Good for Business Conference
Tuesday, September 13th
8:00 am to 6:00 pm
Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center
Details, for more information click here:
This year, we are celebrating the fifth annual Green is Good for Business Conference on Tuesday, September 13, and we have a great lineup, including:
Tuesday, September 13th
8:00 am to 6:00 pm
Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center
Details, for more information click here:
This year, we are celebrating the fifth annual Green is Good for Business Conference on Tuesday, September 13, and we have a great lineup, including:
- Keynote by Harris Deloach, Chairman and CEO of SC-based Sonoco Products, a multi-billion dollar global packaging manufacturer and 2011 Gold Class Award recipient in Sustainable Asset Management’s Sustainability Yearbook 2011
- The always popular Green Expo, with plenty of new exhibitors
- Local foods so delicious that one attendee compared it to being on a cruise
- Great green networking — you’ll learn from dynamic speakers, exciting exhibitors and sustainable SC workplaces
- Informative breakout sessions for all levels of green businesses
- A look at the new Chevrolet Volt and other alternative fuel vehicles up close and personal
- Lots of fun surprises to celebrate the conference’s fifth year of sharing sustainability with workplaces across the Palmetto State
Still a great deal at just $50 per person!
Save $10 per registration if you register three or more people from the same organization.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Green Jobs on Linkedin
Because I will soon be re-entering the job market myself, I've paid close attention to articles that describe successful job-hunting strategies, such as this one from Slate:
http://www.slate.com/id/2298957/
One thing I read over and over again is the importance of LinkedIn. It really has revolutionized business networking. If you're interested in sustainability jobs, green jobs, or international development jobs, I highly recommend joining, and then participating in, the appropriate group for each on LinkedIn. I am a member, for example, of Green Jobs and Sustainable Branding. A lot of people put straight up job postings on these groups. Best of all, it's all free. There's a real community out there for this stuff, even online.
-Travis Bjorklund
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Welcome First-Year IMBA Students
Welcome First-Year IMBA students,
You've got a lot of learning opportunities to look forward to in your first six-months in our IMBA program. You're about to get to know a great group of students, professors, administrators, and businesspeople.
I wanted to take this minute--before the deluge of reading and excelling--to introduce you to Net Impact. Net Impact is an organization of business students and professionals dedicated to the triple bottom line: People, Planet, and Profit. Last year was our biggest ever, and this year we plan on focusing on resume-and-community-building projects. We have some really exciting consulting-type projects in the works.
· Gained Silver Status for Moore's Net Impact Chapter. This puts us into an elite group of schools and gives us prominent status in Net Impact publications. We gained this status through student participation, membership, and successful programs!
· Started the MBA Oath program here at the Moore School
· Invited several speakers to Moore to talk about their careers in sustainability
· Attended an amazing National Conference in Ann Arbor
· Held a very successful Sustainability Week focused on LEED certification
· Networked with uncountable sustainability-focused business people
· Held our annual Peace Corps Panel and Sustainable Jobs Panel
This year we will:
· Continue doing all the great projects above
· Start some new resume building community-based consulting projects with local non-profits (we have some great stuff in the works)
· Take tours of businesses focusing on sustainability (like the local Starbucks plant, for example)
· Participate in the Net Impact Case Competition
· Attend the Net Impact National Conference (and job fair) in Portland, Oregon
The Moore School, through its new building, has committed to making sustainability a focus of the business school and the curriculum. We invite you to be a part of this fantastic student organization and help make your mark on the IMBA program's legacy.
Read more about Net Impact here: http://www.netimpact.org/index.cfm
-Travis Bjorklund
Thursday, July 7, 2011
The Net Impact Conference and the “Why Not?” Mandate
by Travis J. Bjorklund
Note: Next years Net Impact conference will be in Porland, Oregon. Here is why you should go...
Note: Next years Net Impact conference will be in Porland, Oregon. Here is why you should go...
This year’s Net Impact Conference was in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The University of Michigan is brimful with brilliant, engaged, and vibrant people, and never more so than when hosting the Net Impact Conference, the most inspiring business conference we have. Unlike Black MBA or NSHMBA, attendees at NI come together because of an idea: The business can do better. That making a profit means more than just money. That long term sustainability isn’t the next best thing: it’s the same big thing it’s always been. It’s no surprise that the world’s biggest companies are starting to treat environmental stewardship, for example, as more than just lip service. As a job fair, this makes Net Impact so much more meaningful, too. Attendees typically bring a passion and a level of related experience that no other job fair can match: this is why more and more employers are sending recruiters to find these talented, passionate managers. NI made me realize that I was part of a major movement toward sustainability in business. Sustainability is no longer on the fringes. Speakers In the sessions I attended, I heard stories and advice from employees of REI, Nike, Terracycle, Stonyfield, Dupont, Accenture, and many others. After each session, the attendees all stuck around to answer questions and to network. Apart from the speakers, there was an entire contingent of professional attendees that were also there for inspiration and networking. The man sitting a few chairs down from me asked a question of the panel and introduced himself as a brand manager at L’Oreal. For we South Carolinians, I was happy to find that speakers and company representatives were more interested in the quality of your ideas, questions, and passion than your academic pedigree. Job Fair Many employers, from SC Johnson to GE, made it very clear that they were specifically hiring from the pool of Net Impact attendees (some, less agreeably, were also only hiring from a specific dozen universities). Many had specific internship programs based around sustainability, too, particularly in marketing. The CEO of Stonyfield, one of the most aggressively independent thinkers and successful-on-his-own-terms managers in America, was the most inspiring speaker. In the various organized social events, break periods, and even the local bars, I found interesting and inspiring people happy to talk to me about their own passions, inspirations, and, yes, professional networks. If you’re interested in networking your way to an internship or a future job (and you should be), I highly recommend the Net Impact Conference Attendees: From the IMBA Class 2011 · Kim Mitchell · Brooke Beadle · Mandy From the IMBA Class 2012 · Julia Kramer · Abhinav Sharma · Noah Thomas · Kyle Sox · Travis Bjorklund From the Master of International Business (MIB) Program · Christine Hauer |
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
April 6th MBA Oath Discussion
April 6th MBA Oath Discussion
posted Mar 31, 2011 12:54 PM by Kimberly Mitchell
Doctores take one; Lawyers take one; Why not MBAs? To help answer that questions, USC's Graduate Net Impact Chapter is hosting an open sicussion about the MBA Oath. We invite you to participate in the conversation and share your opinions as we explore the Oath's origins, goals, and skeptics. For anyone who is interested, we'll also provide information about how you can take the Oath at special signing event to be held later in April. Hope to see you there!
When: April 6th from 7:00-8:30pm
Where: Moore School, 8th floor, Room A
posted Mar 31, 2011 12:54 PM by Kimberly Mitchell
Doctores take one; Lawyers take one; Why not MBAs? To help answer that questions, USC's Graduate Net Impact Chapter is hosting an open sicussion about the MBA Oath. We invite you to participate in the conversation and share your opinions as we explore the Oath's origins, goals, and skeptics. For anyone who is interested, we'll also provide information about how you can take the Oath at special signing event to be held later in April. Hope to see you there!
When: April 6th from 7:00-8:30pm
Where: Moore School, 8th floor, Room A
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