HBS Club of New York Names 2006 Social Enterprise Award Winners

It's a long-standing tradition with a relatively new twist. In May, the HBS Club of New York (HBSCNY) held its 39th annual Leadership Dinner to pay tribute to outstanding alumni who have contributed to business and the community. The evening honored Women's World Banking President Nancy Barry (MBA '75); Carla Harris (MBA '87), a managing director of global capital markets at Morgan Stanley; and General Electric Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Immelt (MBA '82).

But the evening also celebrated the contributions of two recent alumni who have made their careers in the field of social enterprise—Mike Everett-Lane (MBA '99) of DonorsChoose New York and Ariel Zwang (MBA '90) of New York Cares. The pair received the 2006 John C. Whitehead Social Enterprise Award, now in its second year.

At New York Cares, Zwang serves as executive director of an organization that connects 27,000 volunteers with more than 850 diverse nonprofit organizations and public schools throughout the five boroughs of New York. "I was not planning to enter the nonprofit world when I was at HBS," Zwang says. "It was only after I had been working in the private sector that I realized the work didn't satisfy me as it should and that I had a much stronger interest in helping to alleviate urban poverty. I haven't regretted the switch, not even for a day."

Everett-Lane notes that the Social Enterprise Initiative was one of the primary reasons he chose to attend HBS. As executive director of DonorsChoose New York, he oversees a micro-philanthropy Web site that channels more than $1 million a year in private donations into New York City public schools. He cites an unexpected benefit of receiving the Social Enterprise Award: meeting his fellow honoree.

"Ariel and I said, 'Hey, we're both working in the New York City public schools, we should be working together.' We've had a number of meetings about how New York Cares and DonorsChoose can work together. That's been a positive development."

In addition to bringing people together, the Social Enterprise Award recognizes alumni who are making significant contributions to nonprofit organizations in the New York area. "Social enterprise is a key part of the club's mission to facilitate the development of leaders who will make a difference in the world," says HBSCNY President Elena Crespo (MBA '93). "These awards are an important part of that initiative."

HBSCNY Leadership Dinner Honorees

Jeffrey Immelt (MBA '82)
Chairman and CEO, General Electric Business
Statesman Award

Nancy Barry (MBA '75)
President, Women's World Banking
Leadership Award

Carla Harris (MBA '87)
Managing Director of Global Capital Markets, Morgan Stanley
Leadership Award

John C. Whitehead Social Enterprise Award Winners

Mike Everett-Lane (MBA '99)
Executive Director, DonorsChoose New York

Ariel Zwang (MBA '90)
Executive Director, New York Cares