2012年11月6日火曜日

2012 Net Impact Conference (Social and Environmental Sustainability)

Class of 2014のNickです。

Last weekend, a group of about 35 UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA students attended the annual Net Impact Conference in Baltimore, MD. Net Impact is a non-profit organization for students and professionals who strive to use business skills toward furthering social and environmental sustainability goals. UNC Kenan-Flagler’s strength in the sustainability field was a major factor in my decision to enroll here, so I was looking forward to the conference as an opportunity to learn more broadly and deeply about sustainability, as well as to meet like-minded students and professionals. After attending our Thursday morning classes, three other first-year students and I piled into a car and hit the road for the six-hour drive up to Baltimore.

The Net Impact Conference featured a variety of breakout sessions with speakers, panel discussions, and workshops on a wide range of sustainability topics. These sessions were a great way to hear directly from senior representatives of companies and organizations who are at the forefront of sustainability initatives. As an Operations concentration at UNC Kenan-Flagler, I was particularly interested in a Saturday session entitled “Small Decisions, Big Impact: Sustainable Supply Chain Choices.” At this session, represetnatives from a major multinational pharmaceutical company, a large regional bank, and the U.S. Postal Service all offered their thoughts on implementing environmentally responsible supply chains as a bottom-line profit driver. There was also a lengthy Q&A session during which the panelists responded directly to questions from attendees.

Another highlight of the weekend was the wealth of networking opportunities. On Friday, over 90 companies and organizations set up booths at the Net Impact Expo. I was able to connect with representatives from four companies near the top of my list for summer internship opportunities, in addition to learning more about other attending companies. I also enjoyed meeting students from other MBA programs. After our arrival on Thursday night, we joined a mixer for students from UNC Kenan-Flagler and Duke’s Fuqua School of Business. Each breakout session was another opportunity to meet interesting new people and expand my network.

As with any event of this nature, the most memorable highlights are frequently the least expected. While walking between conference rooms on Friday afternoon, I noticed a familiar face among the crowd. In a split second, I immediately identified her as my prom date from my junior year of high school. We had not been in touch in over ten years. She is now a first-year student at Yale’s School of Management, and we were able to catch up over lunch the following day. I hadn’t expected to reconnect with old friends at the conference, but doing so was certainly a welcome surprise. I am already looking forward to next year’s event.

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