The Social Enterprise Symposium was created all because four University of Maryland students set out to answer the question: “How can business create positive change in the world?”

The 6th Annual Social Enterprise Symposium (#SES14) returns to the University of Maryland on Friday, March 7, 2014. Sponsored by the Center for Social Value Creation at the Robert H. Smith School of Business, the Social Enterprise Symposium is unlike any other event on campus.

Winners have been announced for the $75,000 TS/UM Social Innovation Challenge to help address some of society’s most pressing issues in three key areas: hunger, education and sustainability.  Broadcaster Tavis Smiley partnered with the University of Maryland to launch the inaugural event. 

1.  Be Entertained MBA Monte Carlo Night February 22, 2014 Ritz Carlton, Washington, D.C. 2. Be Inspired Social Enterprise Symposium March 7, 2014 Stamp Student Union

For many Smith students, an ideal career is one with more than just a big salary. They want a career that aligns with their values and supports a mission they feel passionate about.

There was certainly a sense of accomplishment at the ChangeTheWorld.org Symposium and Reception hosted by the Center for Social Value Creation (CSVC). After a semester-long consulting engagement with nonprofits across the country, student consultants were eager to discuss the impressive outcomes of their work. In the beginning of the fall semester, students were grouped in teams and then paired with nonprofits through ChangeTheWorld.org, a program run in partnership between CSVC and Grassroots.org.

Learning a new skill and then applying that skill to create new, real-world solutions in one weekend is a remarkable accomplishment for anyone. Last weekend, that’s exactly what a group of 40 motivated students did at the 2nd annual College Park Sustainability Jam. Students used the principles of Design Thinking to develop prototype solutions to a myriad of sustainability issues.

The Cupid’s Cup business competition this year expanded beyond the university to award cash prizes to the most promising entrepreneurs in the country. But the April 5 competition, sponsored by Under Armour founder and CEO Kevin Plank ’96 and hosted by Smith’s Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship, found its top winner close to home.

During the week of November 18–22, the Smith School will participate as a partner in Global Entrepreneurship Week – the world’s largest celebration of innovators and job creators who launch startups that bring ideas to life, drive economic growth and expand human welfare.

Last week at the Net Impact Conference in San Jose, the Smith Undergraduate Net Impact chapter (SUNI) at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business was awarded 2013 Undergraduate National Chapter of the Year. The Net Impact conference is a national convening of nearly 3,000 students and professional leaders using their careers to change the world.