Harvard Business School » Social Enterprise » Alumni Engagement

Alumni Engagement

Social enterprise-focused alumni comprise a powerful network for social impact that spans across the globe.

Whether it’s within the nonprofit, public, or private sector, HBS alumni pursue a variety of managerial, entrepreneurial, voluntary, and philanthropic roles in socially driven pursuits at various stages of their personal and professional lives.

We aspire to connect you with each other, share with you the latest faculty research and innovative ideas from the field, and bring you together to work on solutions for our world’s most complex social issues.

To inspire and support alumni serving on nonprofit boards

The OnBoard program was created to develop alumni leadership skills critical for modern governance. OnBoard consists of virtual synchronous sessions on current issues, opportunities to connect with other alumni, and other HBS resources on governance.

For questions or to learn more, contact Amelia Angella, Associate Director of Alumni Engagement, at aangella@hbs.edu.

Webinars

Stay connected with other alumni interested in social enterprise while you build lifelong relationships with MBA students, fellow alumni, and Executive Education participants.

Did you know?

  • 25 Alumni Clubs fund over 70 scholarships for nonprofit leaders in social enterprise Executive Education programs each year
  • Alumni Clubs provide over $10 million annually in pro-bono consulting to non-profits

Club Activities include:

  • Social enterprise events and programs for alumni
  • Volunteer consulting programs
  • Events to benefit the local community
  • Fundraising and capacity-building activities to support local nonprofit organizations

The Social Enterprise Initiative, in collaboration with Alumni Career Services and Baker Library, provides resources and support to assist alumni pursuing careers in social enterprise. A good way to begin is to check out job search suggestions for MBAs and Alumni. Research is also available on a variety of specific social enterprise topics in the Faculty & Research section of this site.

Alumni Career Hub (login required)

Search the Alumni Job Board (within the new Alumni Career Hub) by the name of particular organizations or use these suggested keywords: arts/culture; government; community/economic development; education; foundations/grant making; international development; nonprofit-other; religion; services-health related; social services.

Loan Repayment Assistance Program

HBS Social Enterprise Loan Repayment Assistance Program reduces the educational debt burden for qualifying alumni serving in managerial positions in nonprofits, public sector organizations, or for-profit social enterprises.

Alumni Recruiting

Organizations interested in hiring HBS alumni can take advantage of a range of recruiting tools and activities available through HBS Recruiting.

Launched in 2017 as part Alumni's for Impact's programming, the group focuses on facilitating connections and sharing ideas amongst alumni interested in impact investing through regular webinars, live gatherings, and a LinkedIn group.

Our faculty provide education and expertise rooted in real-world experience, linking theory and practice to shape business practice and train business leaders.

Non-Profit Strategy & Governance

Expanding its early focus on helping nonprofits operate more efficiently to the emerging space of social enterprises and the challenges of measuring social impact, the HBS faculty has developed a body of knowledge that encompasses leadership, strategy, and governance of mission-driven organizations across the spectrum, from entrepreneurial ventures to more established firms.

Business for Social Impact

Since its inception, the Social Enterprise Initiative has explored the role of business in creating social value. Today, SEI continues to examine the challenges and opportunities in harnessing the power of the markets to create both economic and social value.

K–12 Education

In 2003, HBS launched an MBA elective course focused on entrepreneurship in education reform and cofounded the Public Education Leadership Project (PELP) in collaboration with the Harvard Graduate School of Education. This multiyear research project focuses on the management levers needed to create and sustain high-performing K–12 public school districts in the United States. These efforts have resulted in more than 30 case studies focused on adapting and applying management concepts within urban school systems to drive improved performance and on using entrepreneurial strategies to effect systemic change in K–12 education.

Impact Investing

Through teaching, research and engagement with practitioners and alumni, we are critically examining questions such as: What is the purpose of investing for impact? What return profiles are realistic? How do different strategies actually create social value? How is and how should social value be defined and measured? What does it mean in practice to be an impact investor?

37%

Alumni currently serve on nonprofit boards

13%

Alumni work in social enterprise

$12m

Pro bono services provided annually by alumni clubs

Contact

Do you have questions, comments, or suggestions about social enterprise alumni engagement? Please email se@hbs.edu.

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Alumni for Impact aspires to connect you with each other, share with you the latest faculty research and innovative ideas from the field, and bring you together to work on solutions for our world’s most complex social issues.

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