In spring of 2000, students from Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School had a vision to create a dialogue on important issues in social enterprise that would foster opportunities for collaboration across the schools and beyond. They joined forces to realize this vision, and the Harvard Social Enterprise Conference (SECON) was created. Over the past 25 years, the annual conference has convened close to 16,000 attendees, bringing together top leaders, practitioners, and students to engage in conversations, workshops, and networking to advance the field of social impact.
The HBS Social Enterprise Initiative connected with conference organizers from the first and most recent conferences to hear more about their experiences and reflections on 25 years of impact.
SECON 2000
Conference organizers: Lisa Gunther (MBA ’00) and Thomas Ranese (MPP ’00)
What inspired you to organize the first social enterprise conference?
We were both personally interested in the intersection of the public and private sectors, and we had a lot of classmates who cross-registered in courses and considered joint degrees. We also felt this personal connection from the moment we were introduced by a mutual friend who was studying for both the MBA and MPP. We thought that collaboration between the Harvard Business School and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government could help spur dialogue on collaboration opportunities between the public, private and nonprofit sectors to increase innovation and impact.
Did you anticipate that the conference would become an annual event and grow to this extent?
Not at all – in fact, we were blown away to have over 200 students attend the event when our goal was 100. We are delighted and amazed that SECON has grown and remains an annual event in roughly the same format as originally envisioned. When we proposed the idea for the conference at HBS and HKS, we encountered some initial skepticism. The HBS Social Enterprise Initiative had successful programming and wondered whether there would be demand for this type of event. The leadership of HKS (known as KSG at the time) was afraid that the school would become a backdoor to a business degree. That said, we had a champion in Christine Letts (MBA 1976) at the Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations, which was a relatively new center housed at the Kennedy School but led by a professor with a Harvard MBA. We were passionate and committed to our vision, so we plowed forward. We bootstrapped the entire conference with few resources and were surprised when the conference attracted more than 200 attendees, including non-Harvard students.
Can you share a particularly memorable experience or highlight from the conference you organized?
Neither of us got much sleep the night before the conference, despite successful ticket sales and a balanced budget. We both remember the energy of the room that day – it was a beautiful, sunny day, yet the buzz in the conference rooms was palpable and kept people engaged and inside. We also fondly remember the opening remarks by Professor Christine Letts from the Hauser Center and the Kennedy School of Government. Professor Letts applauded students for building a bridge across the river and across the public / private sectors at Harvard. She stated that, “Commitment is born in rooms when people come together.” She challenged students to move out of their comfort zones and leverage economic and social power to which we already have access. The last highlight was when the keynote speaker, Christopher Gabrieli from Bessemer Venture Partners, stated that the Boston area was the “Silicon Valley for Nonprofits.”
What do you think the impact of the conference has been on attendees and the community over the last 25 years?
We hope that SECON started an enduring dialogue on social entrepreneurship that has spurred innovation, cross-discipline thinking, and collaboration across the river. We both believe that social impact requires the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to work together. The world continues to become complex and interconnected, so collaboration across all sectors is necessary to drive meaningful change. While our careers have focused primarily in the private sector, we have led brands that cared about being good citizens with impact that transcends the bottom line.
How do you think the field of social enterprise has evolved since the first conference?
The idea of "social enterprise'' has only gotten bigger and more complicated since we started SECON – whether you call it venture philanthropy, social impact, purpose marketing, or ESG. Consumers demand more of brands and employees of the places they work – they want businesses to better reflect their values and personal beliefs. Similarly, nonprofit organizations view companies as partners, not just donors, and look towards executives to help them improve their offering and impact. Nonprofits also have learned about measurement from companies and have adopted formal measurement systems to track progress. There are definitely more public, private, and nonprofit partnerships that are driving growth, change, and impact. Consumers are also increasingly sophisticated and want to identify with companies and brands that align with their personal beliefs. They expect companies and brands to invest in and have ESG partnerships that align with their values.
SECON 2024
Conference organizers: Aaisha Shah (MBA ‘25) and Simona Stancov (MBA ‘25)
What motivated you to take on the role of organizing the 25th conference?
Aaisha: Organizing SECON stems from my desire to leverage my private section experience for social impact and my passion for bringing people together with purpose. SECON is a premier conference on social enterprise, impacting communities not just in the U.S. but globally, through diverse attendees, speakers, and organizing team members. The 25th edition marks a significant milestone celebrating HBS’ and HKS’ commitment to social transformation. By chairing SECON, I aimed to anchor my MBA experience in meaningful action by collaborating with inspiring students and changemakers to not only celebrate our past achievements but also set the stage for future innovations.
Simona: Social impact has been a guiding force in my life, and organizing SECON was a natural extension of my social impact journey. The issues we face today are intimidating in both their complexity and scope, and I believe efforts like SECON are essential to tackling them effectively. By learning from people with different backgrounds, challenging our assumptions about the “right” solutions, and encouraging collaboration across seemingly disparate groups, I know we can both deepen and broaden our collective social impact. The opportunity to create supportive, thought-provoking spaces that inspire and mobilize people to do good was a highlight of my first year at HBS.
Can you share a particularly memorable experience or highlight from the conference you organized?
Aaisha: My favorite part of the conference is meeting attendees and hearing about their grassroots initiatives. I have two highlights. One was meeting a Japanese social entrepreneur who felt so inspired by the first SECON he attended in 2003 that he has attended each subsequent edition for the past 20 years. Another was an attendee who has been a local changemaker for decades, often feeling that progress was slow and people's interest waned over time. The conference re-energized her, reigniting her passion and renewing her faith that the next generations will achieve even greater impact. These stories of impact are what make the conference truly special!
What is your vision for the future of the social enterprise conference?
Simona: I believe that social impact is simply the habit of caring about and showing up for others across our various roles, and that’s how true change happens. My vision for the future of SECON is that organizers and attendees find innovative ways to bring more people into discussions and plans for how we can better care about and show up for others. When I participate in upcoming conferences, I hope our conversations extend beyond historically divisive labels to ask questions that matter to everyone: How can we make our air and water cleaner? How can we support people to be healthier and happier? How can we give and receive the best from one another?
