OSU Net Impact Promotes Positive Action Through Business
As environmental awareness becomes increasingly widespread, organizations fostering green initiatives seem to be popping up everywhere. At Ohio State University (OSU) in Columbus, a number of student-run organizations are spreading environmental awareness and promoting sustainable development. One such organization, housed within the Max M. Fisher College of Business, is the OSU Chapter of Net Impact, a student-run organization with the goal of promoting positive action through business.
Net Impact’s mission is “to make a positive impact on society by growing and strengthening a community of leaders who use business to improve the world.” As one of the world’s greatest networks of like-minded business students and professionals, Net Impact members are current and emerging leaders in corporate social responsibility, social entrepreneurship, nonprofit management, international development and environmental sustainability. Since its creation in 1993, Net Impact has grown to span six continents, including more than 200 chapters with a membership base of more than 10,000.
The OSU Net Impact works on:
• Events – Hosting summits with global leaders and thinkers including the 2009 Alleviating Poverty Through Entrepreneurship Summit and OSU Sustainability Week.
• Awareness – Hosting a biweekly speaker series.
• Initiatives – Conducting consulting projects with companies such as Pepsico, Fireman’s Fund, Owens Corning and Ride for World Health.
• Development – Working with university administrators on creating a sustainability curriculum.
The capstone of OSU’s Net Impact academic year was the week long event OSU Sustainability Week. The week was kicked off in May with a dinner and discussion with GE Energy CFO Dan Jenki. On Tuesday, students gathered for a viewing of Who Killed the Electric Car with an introduction by Aparna Dial, the director of the Department of Energy Services and Sustainability at OSU. Wednesday’s offerings included a Waste to Profit Symposium, the opportunity to attend a class on sustainability in the newly built leadership in energy and environmental design (LEED) certified 4H Center on campus, as well as Marketing “Sustainability” presented by the American Marketing Association with guest speaker Richard Crabtree of the Columbus design firm, Salvato Coe + Gabor. On Thursday, student participants were engaged in a white paper competition in which they proposed ways to make OSU more sustainable. The week concluded with students and professionals gathered for what can be seen as the first large scale meeting of Net Impact professionals at OSU with a series of panel discussions.
For more information, visit www.osunetimpact.org or www.netimpact.org.