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November Net Impact Conference at Vanderbilt To Be Largest Such Gathering Ever of Socially Responsible Graduate Business Students and Professionals
NASHVILLE and SAN FRANCISCO (September 20, 2007)– This year’s Net Impact Conference, the world’s largest gathering of socially responsible graduate business students and young professionals, will attest to the dramatically increased interest among leading corporations in corporate social responsibility. More than 30 major organizations, an unprecedented number for this fast-growing event, have pledged their support and sponsorship for the conference, hosted by the Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management on November 1-3.
“More and more corporations are realizing that social and environmental responsibility are critical to making sound business decisions,” said Liz Maw, executive director of Net Impact. “These corporations will be working with a new generation of business leaders who are more committed to addressing social and environmental issues impacting our world.”
The upcoming conference – entitled “Building a Sustainable Future: What Will You Do Next?”– will bring together over 1,800 participants who will focus on corporate social responsibility, social entrepreneurship, international development, and nonprofit and environmental management. There will be over 300 speakers and 90 panels, and keynote speakers include Yvon Chouinard, Founder of Patagonia; Charles O. Holliday, Chairman and CEO, DuPont; Magatte Wade-Marchand, Co-founder of Adina Beverages; and Tensie Whelan, Executive Director of the Rainforest Alliance.
Taking note of the unprecedented support and participation that this year’s Net Impact Conference is garnering, Jim Bradford, Owen dean and former industry CEO, commented, “The dramatic growth in interest in CSR among students at Owen and other leading B-schools parallels the growing significance of these ideals within the business community. Organizations are very interested in supporting these individuals and their ideas as they strive to change how the world conducts business, and in harnessing their passion in pursuit of strategic and responsible business goals.”
“Our growth in sponsors this past year has been enhanced by new sponsors like The Dow Chemical Company and FedEx, which are increasingly receptive to a partnership that connects them with emerging leaders and management priorities,” Maw added. “Our sponsor roster reflects top companies including Hewlett-Packard, Herman Miller, The Home Depot, McDonald’s, Microsoft, and Starbucks, all highly focused on social responsibility and other values that Net Impact has fostered for 15 years.”
A comprehensive list of sponsors for the 2007 Net Impact Conference – along with details about the curriculum and registration information – is available at www.netimpact.org/conference, and major sponsors of this year’s event include:
TITLE SPONSOR
Dow Chemical
EXECUTIVE SPONSORS
FedEx Corporation
Hewlett-Packard
Herman Miller
The Home Depot
McDonald's Corporation
Microsoft Corporation
Starbucks Coffee Company
United Way / United eWay
ASSOCIATE SPONSORS
Brown-Forman
Chiquita Brands International
Dell
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
SUPPORTING SPONSORS
Autodesk
Booz Allen Hamilton
Calvert
Cherokee Investment Partners
Exxon Mobil Corporation
Google
Mattel
McKesson Corporation
Timberland
United Technologies Corporation
The Walt Disney Company
VANDERBILT SPONSORS
Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc.
Coca-Cola Enterprises
DuPont
Johnson & Johnson
The Tennessee Fund (A Fund of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee)
MAJOR IN KIND SPONSORS
Gap
International Paper Company
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The Annual Net Impact Conferenceis designed to help attendees expand their vision of what is possible as they set their course through the world of business. It mobilizes students and professionals through an exciting array of keynotes, panels, case studies, simulations, and special events. Participants leave with a fresh perspective on the role of business in society, a new appreciation for their individual role as an emerging business leader, and a strong connection with a network of like-minded colleagues.
Net Impact, headquartered in San Francisco, CA, is an international nonprofit membership organization comprised of new leaders who are committed to using the power of business to improve the world. Its network spans the globe with more than 10,000 members in 99 countries on 6 continents including 150 student and professional chapters in 90 cities and 116 of the world’s leading graduate schools. Members believe that business can both earn a profit and create positive social change. Net Impact offers a portfolio of programs to help members transform this ideal into measurable results. For more information, visit Net Impact's web site at www.netimpact.org.
Vanderbilt Owen School of Managementis ranked as a top institution by BusinessWeek, The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News & World Report, Financial Times and Forbes. For more information about Owen, visit www.owen.vanderbilt.edu.
