Agenda
Thursday, March 1, 2012, Noon – 9 p.m.
Stamp Student Union, University of Maryland
| Noon – 1
p.m. |
AFTERNOON KEYNOTE (Stanley Litow,
IBM) |
| 1 – 2 p.m. |
Breakout Session 1 (see details
below)
*including extended Carbon War Room Workshop and a discussion with Bill
Drayton (by invitation) |
| 2 – 2.15
p.m. |
LIGHT REFRESHMENT BREAK
(Sustainable Campus Tour Departs ) |
| 2:15 – 3:15
p.m. |
Breakout Session 2 *including
extended Carbon War Room Workshop (see details below) |
| 3:20 – 4.45
p.m. |
Breakout Session 3 (see details
below) *Including Fish Bowl Discussion (by invitation) |
| 4.45 – 5
p.m. |
BREAK |
| 5 – 6 p.m. |
EVENING KEYNOTE (Letitia Webster,
VF Corporation) |
| 6 – 7 p.m. |
Breakout Session 4 (see details
below) *including Social Entrepreneurship Business Pitch Competition and
extended Design Thinking Workshop |
| 7 – 8 p.m. |
Breakout Session 5 (see details
below) *Including a discussion with Bill Drayton (by invitation) |
| 8 – 9 p.m. |
Fish Bowl Discussion (by
invitation, details below) |
| 7 – 9 p.m. |
Networking Reception *Including a
web feed with Kevin Bacon at 7 p.m. |
Breakout Session 1: 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.
Launching a Social Enterprise
An interactive discussion about the process of developing a social enterprise
plan, from brainstorm to rollout. Students should be able to identify practical
steps to get their “cocktail napkin” idea organized and rolling. Experts provide
feedback on their quick-draft idea and process, and offer suggestions for improvement.
Crowdsourcing to Change the World
In today's quickly changing tech-driven world, the term "crowdsourcing" has emerged
in the entrepreneurial vernacular; namely, utilizing the tools of interconnectivity
to inform decisions at a quicker rate with more degrees of freedom than ever previously
possible. However, crowdsourcing is much more than massive polls. This panel focuses
on the state of the movement. From changing nation states to connecting donors to
entrepreneurs, where are we now and where are we going?
Confirmed Panelists:
- Manmeet Mehta, Program Officer, Global Giving
- Alex Budak, Co-Founder, StartSomeGood.com
Public Private Partnerships in Addressing Africa’s Development Challenges
This session offers a look at private public partnerships in Africa as a means
of tackling Africa’s development challenges. The audience should come away with
knowledge of new approaches to addressing some of Africa’s most pressing developing
challenges, particularly in the area of private sector led growth.
Confirmed Panelists:
- Jason Bauer, Director, Private Sector Development, Millennium Challenge Corporation
Carbon War Room Workshop: Breaking Down Market Barriers (Extended)
The Carbon War Room uses the Business Model Canvas to convey a business model
development methodology to participants to engage with clean-tech and renewable
energy companies, as well as MBA and other graduate students. This approach was
developed by Alex Osterwalder, author of 'Business Model Generation.'
The Workshop will provide real-world examples of successful business models,
and will allow participants to start “practicing” business model innovation
during breakout sessions. The goal is to understand how a product or service can
be offered in new and novel ways, thereby increasing sales, while also yielding
an environmental benefit in the form of a measurable reduction in GHG emissions.
Approach:
The Business Model Canvas is a strategic management and entrepreneurial tool.
It allows you to describe, design, challenge, invent, and pivot your business
model. Participants will use this tool to better understand the challenges faced
by clean-tech and renewable energy companies today in scaling their businesses.
After the workshop participants will:
- Understand why business model thinking is important today and how it
goes beyond mere product innovation.
- Understand and have applied a systematic approach to business model
development.
- Have discussed several examples of successful business models and be
able to use the tool for their own entrepreneurial and academic endeavors.
Confirmed panelists:
- Matt Cullinen, Senior Associate, Research & Intelligence, Carbon War
Room
- Jigar Shah, CEO, Carbon War Room
Breakout Session 2: 2 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Venture Philanthropy in Education
Education reform is yet another example of how the marriage of best business
practices with purpose driven goals can create wonders. In this panel we will
discuss roles played by venture philanthropists who strategically fund and
support the new ideas of education entrepreneurs and those education leaders who
are taking these new ideas and scaling them into district wide solutions that
revolutionize society.
Confirmed Panelists:
- Mark Grovic, General Partner, New Markets Venture Partners
- Shirley Marcus Allen, Partner, Venture Philanthropy Partners
Sustainable Campus Tour!

(In partnership with the UMD Office of Sustainability)
2 – 3 p.m.
Departing from Stamp, the tour will include the Cumberland green roof, Epley
Moss Filtration system, and the School of Public Health Garden. Guided by our friends
at the Office of Sustainability
The Business of Creating Stronger Communities
What role do businesses play in shaping communities where people want to work,
live and play? In this session panelists will discuss the ways in which businesses
can value to communities, and help shape the long-term economic and physical development
of cities.
Confirmed Panelists:
- Morgan Greenhouse, Founder & CEO, Verdehouse
- Katie McConnell, Senior Associate Finance & Economic Development,
National League of Cities
- Andrew Yu, International Marketing Agent, Fairfax County Economic
Development Authority
- Michael Mallinoff, City Manager, City of Annapolis
E-Waste: From Problem to Profit
Upon the release of the iPhone 4, Apple sold 1.7 million units in its first 11
days. Many customers purchased these new phones, discarding their 'outdated' phones
to the trash. As new technology releases become more frequent, Electronic Waste
(E-Waste) is a problem that begs to be addressed. It is fast becoming one of the
top environmental issues in today's marketplace, and to some, a thriving business
opportunity. Through the lens of some organizations already making strides in this
emerging industry, this session will explore the challenges and opportunities in
transforming E-Waste from problem to profits.
Breakout Session 3: 3:20 p.m. – 4: 45 p.m.
College Park Impact Workshop: Addressing Local Challenges
College Park Impact offers students an opportunity to help transform a local
company or nonprofit facing a complex business or sustainability challenge. Leaders
of local organizations will be selected and invited to share their challenges, framing
a single question for workshop participants to address through a facilitated creative
problem solving / design thinking process. The session will open with a brief overview
of the goals of the problem solving process, and then be carried out by 4-6 problem
solving facilitators - one designated for each of the local organizations sharing
their challenge. It is expected that anywhere from 10 to 15 Symposium participants
will comprise each of the problem solving groups.
More Than Money Career Workshop
Today, there are more careers than ever for you to have a positive impact on
our world. But how do you know whether a career in Corporate Social Responsibility
(CSR), in social enterprise, or in nonprofit is a better fit for you? How can you
best position yourself for career options that are rewarding both financially and
personally? Come and learn more about how you can best assess which sustainability
career path is a better fit for your goals, and how you can successfully compete
for jobs that will enable you to turn your values into value in the CSR, social
enterprise or nonprofit sectors.
Led by: Mrim Boutla, Co-Founder, More than Money Careers
Documentary and Discussion: To Be Announced!
Fish Bowl Discussion 1 (By Invitation)
Featuring guest speakers from the afternoon break-out sessions
Fishbowl discussions offer an opportunity for more substantive engagement between
industry professionals select students. Small discussions groups comprised of a
student moderator, industry professional, and 5-10 students will engage in industry
specific conversation facilitated by "hot topics" cards drawn from a fish bowl at
the center of a high-top table. Invited and interested students must sign up in
advance to attend.
Breakout Session 4: 6 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Social Entrepreneurship and Global Health
Discussions in this panel will expose students to some of the most recent innovations
being used to address today's global health challenges. By the end of the session,
students should be working on developing a definition for social entrepreneurship
and an understanding of how a diverse range of skill sets can be employed in innovations
for global health.
Confirmed Panelists:
- Marguerite Farrell, Health Officer and the Private Sector Team Leader, USAID,
Global Health Bureau
Measuring and Reporting Sustainability
This panel aims to explore best practices and understand problems in sustainability
measurement and reporting that organizations face. Given the recent development
of various metrics, indices and reporting guidelines used in non-financial reporting
is it feasible to disclose corporate sustainability efforts through quantifiable,
auditable metrics that address 1) social, 2) environmental and 3) economic sustainability
perspectives? Will it be possible to integrate sustainability reporting into financial
reporting of an organization to show the impact of sustainability efforts on performance?
Confirmed Panelists:
- Kristen Sullivan, Partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP
- Jeff Senne, PwC
- Catherine Sheehy, UL Environment
- Carmen Niethammer, International Finance Corporation, World Bank Group
*Social Entrepreneurship Business Pitch Competition
Be: The Next Big Thing
All
year, student entrepreneurs have been pitching socially-minded business ideas to
entrepreneurs-in-residence— ideas with positive impact beyond profit
maximization and providing jobs. At the 4th Annual Social Enterprise Symposium,
five Finalists will be presenting their business ideas to a panel of expert
social entrepreneurship judges for a chance to win up to $1250 of seed funding,
co-sponsored by the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship.
After presenting at an informal Pitch Dingman session, students may apply for
consideration as a Finalist by submitting(a) a six minute PowerPoint or Prezi
deck, (b) a 100 word description of the venture, and (c) a 100 word description
on progress developing the venture since first attending a session. Applications
should be e-mailed to Alla Corey NO
LATER THAN 5 p.m. on February 15th. For tips on how to prepare a business pitch
presentation, click here. Finalists will
be notified on February 21st and receive coaching from the Dingman Center team
before the competition.
*Design Thinking for Breakthroughs in Innovation (extended session)
Originally practiced by firms like Ideo and Apple, Design Thinking has led to
innovative breakthroughs to social problems. The workshop will cover what design
thinking is, how it works, why it works, and share some vivid stories where it has
been applied to create social value.
Led By: Heather Fleming, Founder, Chief Executive Officer, Catapult Designs
Networking Reception! Featuring: WEB FEED with Kevin Bacon at 7 p.m.
7 – 9 p.m.
Featuring: A web feed from Kevin Bacon speaking about his efforts with
SixDegrees.org and
NetworkForGood.org. Brought to you
by our friends at the School of Public
Policy.
We invite attendees to join the Networking Fair
at the Social Enterprise Symposium for a chance to mingle and network with
for-profit and non-profit organizations who are leading the effort on corporate
social responsibility, sustainability and more.
Breakout Session 5: 7 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Financing Renewable Energy
This session will offer a look at feasible and implementable strategies that
enable the financing of global renewable energy projects such as solar, hydro,
wind, and biomass in developed countries and emerging markets. It will explore
infrastructure development able to sustain projects over the long term,
technology advancement and innovation, and the cost of capital as compared to
traditional energy generation.
Confirmed panelists:
- Geoffrey S. Underwood, Director, Solar Asset Acquisition at
Constellation Energy
Sustainable Chocolate Sourcing
This session will explore three different models in sustainable chocolate sourcing.
We will explore how each company's target market, supply chain and scale impacts
how they source their cocoa and their interactions with cocoa farmers. The session
will include a chocolate tasting that compares chocolate sources from around the
world and a discussion of the different markets for sustainable chocolate and other
goods.
Confirmed Panelists:
- Tim McCollum, Co-Founder, Medacasse Chocolate
- Erin Gorman, Founder/Former CEO Divine Chocolate USA and Vice Chair, Board
of Director, Divine Chocolate
The Economics of Ecosystems (Payments for Ecosystem Services)
It is argued that much of the world’s environmental degradation occurs
because the cost associated with the use of natural resources is distorted by
market systems. Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) attempt to fix this
distortion by attributing a monetary value to ecosystem service like clean
water, carbon sequestration, and agrobiodiversity. This session will explore the
concept of PES – one that requires major value shifts in the business world –
and consider market opportunities and ways to get more private companies
involved.
Confirmed Panelists:
- Nathalie Walker, Manager , Tropical Agriculture, Forests and Climate Project,
National Wildlife Federation
- Clayton Ogg, Director, Conservation Economics and Finance, Defenders of Wildlife
A Discussion with Bill Drayton, Founder of ASHOKA (By Invitation)
A special discussion for students actively involved in change-making and social
value creation at UMD and beyond. Talk with Bill Drayton, CEO and founder of Ashoka,
about his role in defining social entrepreneurship, and what it means to be a change
maker today.
Select Session: 8 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Fish Bowl Discussion 2 (By Invitation)
Featuring guest speakers from evening break-out sessions.
Fishbowl discussions offer an opportunity for more substantive engagement between
industry professionals select students. Small discussions groups comprised of a
student moderator, industry professional, and 5-10 students will engage in industry
specific conversation facilitated by "hot topics" cards drawn from a fish bowl at
the center of a high-top table. Invited and interested students must sign up in
advance to attend.