In the Spirit of Exchange
Social Enterprise Newsletter, Spring 2001
Anthony A. Williams, Mayor of Washington D.C., (MPP/JD '87)
MBA students contemplating careers in social enterprise pose inevitable and basic questions: What career path should I choose, what opportunities await me, and what kind of impact can I have? Fortunately, throughout their time at HBS, they can participate in a variety of formal and informal events that address the basics and also call forth the dreams and passions, the trials and triumphs of life and work in the public sector. For students exploring ways to combine a career with a commitment to social change, two recent campus events gave them ample opportunity to receive and exchange information — and business cards.
This past December, students had the chance to hear stimulating stories from the field and to connect with alumni, who, in the introductory words of Professor James E. Austin, faculty chair of the Initiative on Social Enterprise, "go out and do what makes what we [at HBS] do worthwhile." The HBS Social Enterprise Alumni Association cosponsored its first event with the Social Enterprise Club, Building Your Social Enterprise Network. The panel discussion and reception focused on career paths and roles MBAs can play in social enterprise.
Andrew W. Kendall (MBA '88), left, Robert E. Kaufmann (MBA '64)
Seven panelists from different sectors and different stages in their careers discussed their own career paths, offered advice, and reviewed opportunities for MBAs in social enterprise. The panelists included Stephanie M. Lowell (MBA '99), McKinsey & Co. Nonprofit Practice; Andrew W. Kendall (MBA '88), executive director, The Trustees of Reservations; Robert E. Kaufmann (MBA '64), executive director, The Hole in the Wall Gang Fund; John D. Kalafatas (MBA '99), director of strategic planning and organization services, City Year; and Laurie J. Gould (MBA '96), a consultant specializing in low-income housing.
Laurie J. Gould (MBA '96)
The dual theme of commitment and passion was the common thread of the afternoon's discussions. Students were encouraged to explore, dabble, find different organizations, and seek out mentors in order to, in the words of Andrew Kendall, "figure out what drives you."
Another recent event focused on the theme of "how to manage the business of social change." In February, the second annual Dialogue on Social Enterprise, a one-day conference jointly sponsored by the HBS Social Enterprise Club, the Initiative on Social Enterprise, Harvard's Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations, and Kennedy School of Government student clubs, attracted over 225 participants.
The conference opened with a keynote address by Anthony A. Williams, mayor of Washington, D.C. Williams discussed his goal of "transforming the city from a collection of monuments that are a testament to democracy into a living embodiment of democracy, into a living, breathing city." He recounted his efforts to drive social change in the nation's capital by building partnerships among government, business, and citizen groups.
Williams compared rebuilding the city's government with building a bridge — the all-important foundation combined with a superstructure whose design and tension have to be just right to keep the whole enterprise up. "If you're pushing change," he observed, "if there's no tension between the electorate and me, I'm not doing my job. And obviously, if I pull too hard and the whole thing snaps, I haven't succeeded either. I've got to have the level of tension to keep things going."
Morning sessions held at HBS focused on innovative approaches to youth development and financing international economic development. At lunch, students and panelists engaged in highly participatory exchanges about careers in venture philanthropy, community and international development, and education.
After lunch, participants made the trek over the Charles River to the Kennedy School for sessions on professional services, community partnerships, and educational improvement.
Looking back at the day, Katherine Kaufmann (MBA '01), conference co-organizer, noted, "I feel we expanded the conference while still maintaining its high quality of dialogue and intimate atmosphere. We brought together a wide range of practitioners with multiple experiences and perspectives, enabling a lively debate. The day was full of energy, full of camaraderie, and it was hopeful, yet very practical."