Fourth Annual Business+Impact Showcase Features 35 Impact Organizations
As part of Business+Impact’s mission to make students aware of all the impact opportunities across campus, B+I welcomed incoming and returning students from across campus to its fourth annual Business+Impact Showcase on Sept. 14. Students met with 35 exhibiting organizations from U-M in areas of interest like social justice, equality, sustainability, social entrepreneurship and economic development.
If you weren’t able to make it or would like to learn more, a complete list of exhibitors and descriptions is available in this article, and a photo album is on Flickr.
MBA2 Gordon Impact Scholarship – Apply by Sept. 26
Application due
11:59 pm, Sun, Sept. 26
Are you an MBA2 committed to addressing complex social challenges? This year the Skip and Carrie Gordon Scholarship Fund will award three scholarships to MBA2s who demonstrate a dedication to impact. Applications are open now and due by Sun, Sept. 26.
Claire Babilonia (MBA ’21), Tieranny Baker (MBA ’21) and Kevin Finnegan (MBA ’21) each received $5000 Gordon Scholarships in 2020-21.
A Summer of Impact: Insights from Impact Studio & B+I Summer Interns
In the summer of 2021, Business+Impact supported 55 student interns with multiple regional and global organizations and within our +Impact Studio. In the +Impact Studio nearly 30 students used design and business to make an impact. Read about the lessons learned developing and prototyping impactful ventures in the Applebaum Impact Design Fellowship and Founders Program, and read about the first +Impact Studio Summer Demo Day. Right here in Detroit, students in the +Impact Studio for Local Business developed consulting products that made a big impact for Detroit’s small business owners. Additionally, learn about how Michigan Ross students are putting design tools to use such as Adobe XD to use as part of the UM Adobe Creative Campus.
Students from Ross and Ford created impact through virtual or onsite internships, where they developed skills in business and policy that expanded their horizons exponentially and created value for numerous impact organizations. Read these snapshots of student experiences from this summer and see photos from their experiences.
Ross: A Conversation on Affordable Housing
Fri, Sept. 17 @ 12:30 pm ET
Online
Ross: Nobel Prize-winning economist Esther Duflo on “Good Economics for Increasingly Uncertain Times”
Mon, Sept. 20 @ 6 pm
Hill Auditorium
Ross Admissions: UpClose Diversity and Women’s Weekend
Thurs, Aug.19 @ 5 pm ET
Online
Inaugural DEI Awards
Wed, Sept. 29 @ 2:30 pm
Robertson Auditorium
Ross School of Business
B+I is proud to be a sponsor of these awards, instituted in 2021, which celebrate and honor research related to diversity, equity and inclusion conducted at the Ross School of Business, at every stage of the academic journey. Also established in 2021, the annual J. Frank Yates Diversity and Inclusion Teaching Excellence Award, honors a member of our teaching faculty who demonstrates a commitment to diversity and inclusion and makes a significant positive impact on the learning and personal growth of our students.
Each award winner, in addition to being recognized for their contributions to diversity, equity and inclusion, will present a short TEDx-style lightning talk.
REGISTER HERE
Interested in Healthcare and Entrepreneurship? Join Blueprints For Pangaea!
Speed Dating
Thurs, Sept. 16 @ 6 – 8 pm
Ross School of Business
Originally a finalist in the Michigan Business Challenge – Social Impact Track, Blueprints for Pangaea is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that ships excess, unused medical supplies from U.S. hospitals to areas in need overseas. The application for the Fall 2021 cycle can be found HERE, or on their website, blueprintsforpangaea.org, under the “Apply Now” tab. The deadline to apply is Saturday, September 18th at 11:59PM EST. Interviews will be conducted in person on September 24th and 26th on an invite-only basis.
APPLY HERE
Getting to Know the New Michigan Ross Interim Dean
Brain food: Michigan Medicine hosts month-long food drive to help kids learn and serve neighbors in need
Wildfires, Communities & Climate Change
Material Hardship and Mental Health Following the COVID-19 Relief Bill and American Rescue Plan Act
U-M welcomes first Anti-Racism Collaborative postdoctoral fellows
GM is recalling all its Bolts, but there’s no need to panic about EV safety
Climate benefits vs. burdens: Which products are best suited for emerging carbon capture technologies?
Low vaccination rates persist in Detroit households with children
Equity considerations must be an integral part of energy research and development, Parthasarathy tells Congressional committee
Kristin Seefeldt Discusses Food Insecurity with WXYZ Detroit
Shawna Lee Receives the Diversity and Inclusion in Men in Families Research Article Award
U-M awarded grant to support Detroit entrepreneurs in bridging digital divide
Detroit unemployment sits at 25%—lower than pandemic peak, twice pre-pandemic rate
Package delivery robots’ environmental impacts: Automation matters less than vehicle type
U-M Ford School launching Center for Racial Justice, aims to help address societal challenges
SPOTLIGHT
Donna Harris (MBA ’99)
Donna Harris is an investor, technologist and serial entrepreneur whose work and investments have helped thousands of startups worldwide to grow and scale while solving some of our greatest challenges. She is currently serving as Founder and CEO of Builders and Backers, but also is a General Partner in 1776 Ventures, a venture capital fund she co-founded, which is investing in more than 30 countries on five continents, and she is also a Venture Partner at Praxis. We caught up with her recently to discuss her thoughts on her work since she graduated from U-M’s Business School.
A Searchable Platform for All Things Impact at Ross and Across Campus
The Business+Impact Gateway provides you with a single location for all things impact. Here you’ll find all of the activities, people and key partners working to use their learning to make a real impact in the world.
At the University:
OFFICE OF CAMPUS SUSTAINABILITY
Earthfest
Thurs, Sept. 23 @ 10 am – 2 pm
The U-M Diag
Earthfest celebrates sustainability initiatives across U-M and the surrounding communities, while providing an inclusive platform to educate and engage the campus community on opportunities to support sustainability and environmental justice on campus and in our daily lives. Earthfest is organized by representatives from the Office of Campus Sustainability, School for Environment and Sustainability, Student Life, and Graham Sustainability Institute.
More Info
CEW+
5th Annual CEW+ Advocacy Symposium: Accessing and Navigating Systems
Tues, Sept. 28 @ 8:30 am – 1 pm ET
Online
Join CEW+ virtually for its annual fall advocacy symposium themed Accessing & Navigating Systems. This event is free and open to all activists, advocates, and allies. This year’s symposium will feature opening remarks on Advocating for Your Financial Future by Christina R. Cutlip, PhD, Senior Managing Director, Head of Client Engagement and National Advocacy at TIAA, and the Mullin Welch Lecture given by C. Nicole Mason, PhD, who currently serves as the president and chief executive officer of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR).
More Info
RACKHAM GRADUATE SCHOOL
Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda: Moving Beyond Failure and Actively Cultivating a More Equitable Academy
Tues, Oct. 5 @ 3 – 4:30 pm ET
Online
Through session activities, participants will reflect on what failures of this kind indicate about the educational environments in which they occur and how such reflection might prime them to reshape the spaces in which they have responsibilities. This workshop is designed for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. For faculty and staff, please contact RackhamEvents@umich.edu to see if we can accommodate your attendance.
Register here
U-M DETROIT CENTER
A Breath of Fresh Air
Thurs, Oct. 7 @ 4 pm, Sept. 5 @ 2 – 4:30 pm ET
Online
Pure Michigan is a phrase used to attract visitors to the state. As the industrial hub of Michigan, Detroit isn’t seen to be as pure as the rest of the state. The environmental challenges in Detroit are not just industrial. They range from Climate Action to Green Infrastructure, with a lot in between. Join us as we explore the environmental challenges of Detroit with some of the leaders taking action in the city.
RSVP Today!
In the Impact Community:
Volunteer with Detroit Youth
Apply by Fri, Oct. 1
Give Merit’s mentorship program, FATE, is looking for University of Michigan students to become mentors for high school students in Detroit who attend the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy. Mentors help facilitate workshop activities where students learn skills in business, marketing, and design-thinking while also supporting their mentees as they develop personally and academically.If you are interested in mentoring for the FATE Program this academic year, email Rachel Mazzaro at rmazzaro@meritgoodness.com for more information!
Centering Justice
“It’s Okay to Not be Okay”
Wed, Sept. 15 @ Noon – 1:30 pm
Online
Wed, Oct. 13 @ Noon – 1:30 pm
Online
From the first wave of COVID-19 to the rekindling of the Black Lives Matter movement, our communities have been in constant flux. Each month, the New Center will think about a theme that we hope will resonate with what’s on your heart and mind. At the core of our sessions are the questions, “What does it look like to live in a just and thriving society? How must we shift to move toward this vision? “
More Info
Net Impact Climate Ambassador Certification
Net Impact Climate Ambassadors will learn to use data and Climate Interactive’s tools to model scenarios that mitigate the worst impacts of climate change. Ambassadors have a 3 part experience: learning cutting edge climate data and tools, building relationships with climate-concerned Net Impact members from around the world, and amplifying impact by leading presentations to communities and climate decision makers worldwide. Submit your interest with the form below to be notified first when the application is live.
VF Sustainability Case Competition
Register for the competition Fri, Oct. 1
at 5 pm ET
Download the case
Virtual Case Competition: Sat. Oct. 23
This virtual case competition will expose participants to a specific sustainability-related challenge that VF and its brands face and give them the opportunity to develop a plan to address it. The competition judging will consider the strength of the plan and the creative ideas for solving the central issue of the case. $10,000 in cash prizes will be awarded to the top finalists.
Detroit Month of Design
The entire month of September
Detroit, MI
Today, Detroit designers are focusing on the future, creating solutions to complex problems, and accelerating our transition into a better world. 2020 changed how we live and this year’s festival will be a reflection of that change. This September, Detroit Month of Design is back for its 11th edition. The 2021 festival will offer events and experiences that can be enjoyed outside, indoors, or from the comfort of home.
Nominations for Notable Women in Banking
Nominations due:
Fri, Sept. 24
Candidate Applications due:
Fri, Oct. 1
Nominations are now open for Crain’s Detroit Business’ Notable Women in Banking award program, celebrating Michigan women executives who have distinguished themselves by innovating, advancing and impacting banking in our state. Winners will be profiled in a special section of the Dec.13 issue of Crain’s Detroit Business. Part of the criteria is asking if the nominee has made positive and substantial contributions to her industry and/or community.
Michigan Angel Summit
Mon, Oct. 4 @ 9 am – 4 pm
Sheraton Ann Arbor
Tickets: $150
The fourth annual Michigan Angel Summit has valuable information for people considering angel investing and those who have been investing in entrepreneurs and startups for years. We’re pleased to welcome our keynote guests, Scott Shane of Comeback Capital and Commissioner Hester M. Peirce of the U. S. Security and Exchanges Commissions.
D-Prize Global Competition for Poverty Intervention
Application Due:
Sun, Oct. 17 @ Midnight
The world has already invented products and services to end poverty. Yet we have found dozens of proven interventions with large delivery gaps. Millions of people still don’t have access. Can you design a new business or NGO that delivers a proven poverty intervention at scale? Submit your idea to build a new organization and solve one of our Distribution Challenges below. We will award the most promising teams with up to $20,000 USD to launch wherever extreme poverty exists.
Some images in this newsletter are Pre-COVID.
