Students: Adam Hall

MBA students with backgrounds in all sectors have opportunities for involvement with Social Enterprise, ranging from student clubs and organizations, to elective courses on social enterprise topics, to internships and other career development programs. Almost 10 percent of the MBA Program is made up of students from the nonprofit or public sector, many of whom mention the Social Enterprise Initiative as one of the primary reasons that they applied to HBS. Adam Hall (HBS '04) came to the MBA Program to explore how business skills could create sustainability in developing countries.

Adam Hall, HBS 2004

When I first read about Harvard Business School, I was intrigued by the work being done there in social enterprise, and also with the School's emphasis on leadership. It's long been a goal of mine to do work of social significance, so this focus resonated very strongly with me, more strongly than, say, an emphasis on public policy or international relations. There's no shortage of policy experts who can make recommendations; what's needed is leaders who can effect change.

I grew up in Perth, Australia, where I became a lawyer and worked first as a judge's associate and then as a corporate lawyer. I came to the conclusion that law wasn't for me, mainly because I didn't think I was having enough of an impact on the organizations for which I was working. So I left the law behind, and took a position in strategy consulting, where I worked in Sydney, Bangkok, Jakarta, and Los Angeles. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, but still had concern about the amount of social impact my work was having.

I was fortunate enough to discover a program sponsored by the Australian government called Youth Ambassadors for Development, which provides financial services to the poorest of the poor. Taking a leave of absence from my company, I spent six months in Mongolia. It was a tremendous learning experience, and convinced me more than ever that I wanted to do work that would have significance in the world.

Since coming to HBS, I have attended many social enterprise speeches on campus. There are hundreds of other students involved in social enterprise, and it's very helpful to be in a community of peers who share your interests. I've also enjoyed the opportunity to study cases in which you see organizations around the world that have grown, employed more and more people, and given sustainable livelihoods to many-that's very exciting. It ties in with SEI's emphasis of always being conscious of your social effect in the world no matter what career path you take.

At the end of my first year, I explored internship opportunities with large international development organizations. With the help of some people at HBS, I got a position with Mercy Corps International, which provides emergency relief services and helps build sustainable communities. As interim economic development director in Kyrgyzstan, my focus was on delivering two programs: a microcredit program for small groups in the countryside, and a program funding small businesses in the urban centers, and helping them create a marketing plan. I successfully implemented both. I also found myself in the middle of a situation where some elements within the Kyrgyz government were harassing Mercy Corps. I found that my combined HBS skills of negotiation, strategy, and management were helpful in dealing with a group that seemed to be primarily interested in getting access to Mercy Corps' resources.

As I think about life after HBS, my primary concern is working somewhere in a developing country where the level of impact and sustainability is substantial. My involvement with SEI has taught me that there are many ways you can make a difference. At HBS you learn how to lead, marshal resources, and grow an organization. These kinds of skills are transferable to a wide range of enterprises, and are instruments that can effect meaningful change throughout the world.