Breakout Session Panels

Humanizing Supply and Demand: Perspectives on Fair Trade from Farm to Shelf

Small-scale farmers around the world - from Belize, the Dominican Republic, and Ecuador to Ethiopia, India, and Vietnam – typically receive very low prices for the cocoa, coffee, tea, bananas, and other crops they produce. This panel will explore how access to the Fair Trade market has provided additional income to hundreds of thousands of otherwise marginalized producers throughout the developing world, enabling them to feed their families, send their children to school and pay for housing and health care.

Improving Economics of Renewable Energy Investment

This panel will explore potential investment opportunities in the renewable energy space. Renewable energy sources include solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, biomass, hydrogen/fuel cell and nuclear. Soaring fossil fuel prices and public frustration at our economy’s dependence on foreign oil have created a window of opportunity for alternative sources of energy and greater interest in investment in renewable energy projects. Panel discussion will address the benefits to society attained through wider use of renewable sources, potential costs we might face, actions the government should take to encourage investment in this area, the capacity for these energy sources to become mainstream, and identifying the most promising sources of renewable energy. The panel will discuss how investment in this area has evolved and how it might change in the future.

Uris Hall
Room 142

Financing Community Development: Private, Public, Nonprofit

The sources of community development finance in the United States are increasingly varied, and the techniques for community development finance increasingly sophisticated. This panel will take a look at innovative programs that have financed affordable housing and have created jobs in economically distressed communities in the United States. Panelists from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors will discuss their investment objectives and the criteria they use to determine success.

Uris Hall
Room 330

Charter Schools: Breaking the Cycle of Poverty and Illiteracy

The first charter school was established in Minnesota in 1991. Today there are 3,000 charter schools in the US and Territories. This panel will provide an in-depth look at the financing, planning, operations and governance of charter schools. The panel will discuss the mechanics of establishing and leading effective charter schools, the impact of charter schools on public school reform, and the role of charter schools in ensuring that our most impoverished children learn and achieve at high levels.

BREAKOUT 2 — 10:30am to 11:45am

Ecotourism

Ecotourism is defined as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.” This panel will explore the field of ecotourism and its impact on economic growth in developing countries through the intersection of business and local societies. Topics covered will include ecotourism as a tool for poverty alleviation and cultural preservation, traveler’s education and philanthropy, development and land use planning, and preservation of natural surroundings.

Measuring Impact for NGOs

Social sector organizations are increasingly seeking to quantify the impact of their programs. Defining impact and identifying successful nonprofit organizations is important to foundations, individuals, government agencies and nonprofit managers. This panel will discuss the definition of impact and social return on investment with a variety of stakeholders.

Investing in Social Ventures

This panel will give students and entrepreneurs alike the opportunity to learn about social venture capital. Topics will include the criteria used by social VCs to evaluate social enterprises, and the Do’s and Don’ts of attracting investment from social VCs. Panelists will discuss social VC activity in healthcare, energy, education and other industries, as well as their firms’ investment strategies. Organized by the Global Social Venture Competition.

Formulating Effective Strategy for Nonprofits

Managers in the nonprofit sector are challenged with improving the overall effectiveness and impact of their organizations. Strategy formulation enables managers to assess what must be done to prepare the organization to meet its goals and achieve its mission. Thoughtful and effective strategy formulation not only helps identify goals, but also helps identify the strengths and weaknesses of the organization, existing opportunities and challenges, and the resources required to accomplish its goals. This panel will explore how managers should think more strategically about their organization, how to link strategy formulation with the mission and goals of the organization, and how to identify actions that will execute both mission and strategy.

LUNCH PANELS AND WORKSHOPS — 12:00pm to 1:15pm

Grab a box lunch and join us for these informative sessions:

Recent Columbia Business School alumni from a variety of Social Enterprise fields will provide insight into their networking experiences during the job hunt, discussing what worked, what didn't work, lessons learned from the process, and general advice on how to effectively network.

Peer-Based MBA Resume Review
Uris Hall Room 331

Based on the premise that employers gain a strong impression from a quick read of a resume, the Peer-Based MBA Resume Review is structured to provide participants with 4 short reviews by peers who are pursuing a similar career track. Individuals will exchange resumes and share comments and suggestions in a "speed-dating" structure. The reviews will focus on key words, experiences, and concepts, rather than format. Tables will be formed around sectors such as: Education, Nonprofit Consulting, International Development, Community Development Venture Capital, Microfinance, and Nonprofit Finance. (Suggested for Graduate students and recent post-graduates.)

International Development Field Work
Uris Hall Room 142

Hear from Columbia Business School students who worked on innovative projects around entrepreneurship and microfinance in Nicaragua, Nigeria and Madagascar. They'll discuss the rewards and challenges of working in developing countries, lessons learned and how they intend to stay involved throughout their careers.

BOTWINICK PRIZE AND KEYNOTE - 1:30pm to 2:45pm, Uris Hall Room 301

Joan Bavaria, Founding President and CEO, Trillium Asset Management

BREAKOUT 3 — 3:00pm to 4:15pm

Financial Sustainability of Microfinance

This panel will examine the future of microfinance in terms of its financial sustainability and its viability as a profitable business. Some proponents are drawing parallels to the evolution of the sovereign bond market, while others are citing evidence that microfinance is already being integrated into the mainstream financial system through innovative bank-NGO partnerships, securitizations and loan guarantees. Are these claims premature? What is the level, extent and seriousness of Wall Street’s involvement in microfinance? Can microfinance institutions survive as regulated, profit-making financial entities and still meet their core objective of alleviating poverty?

Uris Hall
Room 142

Incorporating CSR into Corporate Culture

This panel will focus on the challenges of incorporating Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives across different corporate cultures. Panelists will be asked to address what their biggest obstacles have been and how they have resolved internal conflicts. In light of growing pressure to report on CSR programs and to be accountable to outside stakeholders, panelists will also be asked to describe how their roles have changed over time to meet these demands.

The Role of Education Leaders in Meeting the Public School Crisis

With the crises facing our nation's public schools, the role of education leaders as "change agents" has become an important component in efforts to raise student achievement. Some of the initiatives undertaken by both school districts and nonprofit organizations to create such leaders include superintendent and principal leadership training. Panelists will discuss the role and impact of education leaders at various levels of our public school system and the main levers for driving change.