April 2022 Newsletter

Jerry Davis and Andy Hoffman in front of the corporate background.

Social Impact Book Chats Coming up

Jerry Davis: “Taming Corporate Power in the 21st Century”
Thurs, Apr. 21 @ 5 – 6 pm ET
Virtual Event


Andrew Hoffman: “Management as Calling”
Wed, May 11 @ 5:30 – 6:30 ET
Virtual Event


Join us for two great book chats about social impact books, written by Ross faculty, which came out in 2022.

In the first book chat, “Taming Corporate Power in the 21st Century” author Jerry Davis and Michigan Ross/SEAS professor Andy Hoffman examine corporate power in the 21st century, and how to eliminate outdated thinking and tame the modern corporation.

In the second book chat, “Management as Calling” author Andy Hoffman discusses with Michigan Ross Business+Impact Faculty Director Jerry Davis his challenge for future business leaders to think differently about their career, its purpose, and its value as a calling or vocation, one that is in service to society.


Ross female grad student in from the the National Forest Foundation, with backpack.

Student Loan Repayment Program for Full-Time MBA Alums in Social Impact Careers

Through the Impact Advantage Program, alumni of the Michigan Ross Full-Time MBA Program (2021 grads and after) who pursue a career in the public or nonprofit sectors can apply for student loan repayment assistance. For those graduates accepted into the program, Impact Advantage will cover a portion of their Ross-related loan obligations — $7,500 per year for five years — while they are employed full-time at a social impact organization.

Applications for this program will be accepted in October, 2022, but all of you upcoming graduates should save the date!

More info


Four Ross students gathered around Impact Studio table with Moses Lee and a rep from the Applebaum Family Phlanthropy.

+Impact Studio News!

We’re excited to share that Plucky Comics, a venture in the +Impact Studio Founder’s Program, is having a launch party on 4/20 to celebrate the release of their first print comic. Plucky Comics is a series of comics that highlight and celebrate the lives of Black queer historical figures. You can read more about their work, buy merch, and pre-order the comic!

You can learn about another studio team, Dualete, and their work with UM hockey goalie Erik Portillo, in this Buffalo News article.

We have welcomed visitors this month in the +Impact Studio, including Dr. Marcus Harris from UM-Dearborn, Lecturer of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, who brought a class of students to the +Impact Studio for a design thinking workshop with Haley Phillips and Loren Townes Jr. And on Fri, Mar. 25th, Julia Belznak, the new Director of Applebaum Fellows and Community Development for Applebaum Family Philanthropy visited with Applebaum Fellows and Founders at their regular co-working session.

The +Impact Studio Podcast just dropped a new episode,”Capital: New Ways to Finance Your Business,” which features interview of Ross Professor Andrew Wu by +Impact Studio Faculty Director Jerry Davis on the subject of radical changes in capital funding models, where apps are entering the field and nearly cutting out banks entirely

As we reach the end of the academic year, our +Impact Studio class held a Demo Day (see photos) this week, and our Applebaum Fellows held a party and awards event last week (see photos).

And finally, the Detroit Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Project (DNEP) +Impact Studio for Local Business is getting ready to kick off their summer programming for undergrads with local Detroit businesses. The program runs May 4-June 24.

Ross Event Highlights:

Ross: Dean’s Open House
Fri, Apr. 29 @ 12:30-2 pm
Davidson Winter Garden

Photo of the main traffic circle in MCity, a driving course.

Alumni: MCity Tour
Tues, May 3 @ 5-6:30 pm
MCity

SPOTLIGHT

Whitney Martin (MBA ’16)Photo of Whitney Martin (MBA 2016).


Whitney Martin is Vice President of Sales and Service Delivery at Accion Opportunity Fund, a San Jose nonprofit that leads the nation in providing small businesses — especially those run by entrepreneurs of color, immigrants, and women—with access to capital, networks, and coaching. Ms. Martin was very involved in the social impact scene at Michigan Ross while she was a student.  She was president of the Center for Social Impact’s Advisory Board,  VP for the Women in Leadership Conference, part of Ross Net Impact, Detroit Revitalization and Business Initiative (Detroit R&B) and the Emerging Markets Club, and took part our Nonprofit Board Fellows program.

READ MORE

Black woman explaining something to Black man in group setting.

Board Fellows Partner Organization Info Sessions

Tues, May 17 @ Noon
Dearborn Room
UM Detroit Center


Thurs, May 19 @ Noon
Blau Hall Corner Commons
Ross School of Business

Are you a nonprofit organization in Southeast Michigan that is curious about the Board Fellowship program? Graduate student Fellows serve as non-voting board members during the academic year and complete a strategic project that can provide valuable capacity in areas such as strategic plan implementation, sustainability strategies, business plans, and dashboards. These sessions provide an overview for prospective organizations interested in participating during the 2022-23 academic year, and feature insights from nonprofit leaders currently participating.

RSVP for Either Session


Top view of six diverse people whose shadows are creating a ranking chart.

Ross DEI Research Awards

Mon, Apr. 25 @ 3-4 pm
Robertson Auditorium
Ross School of Business

B+I is a proud sponsor of these awards, first 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


Man and two women from diverse backgrounds hanging out of an SUV in front of a colorful background.

Ross Open Road Hits the Road Again!

The Open Road at Ross program is back on the road, and there are six teams of MBAs taking part in the road trip experience this year. Open Road is an action-based social entrepreneurship program taking place in May, where students drive from state to state meeting socially- and environmentally-driven entrepreneurs. Students spend one week on-site in each location, working closely with the entrepreneur, to provide a solution or recommendation to a business problem they are facing. Open Road @ Ross is a student club powered by Ford and co-sponsored by Business+Impact and the Zell Lurie Institute.  

Check our Summer newsletter for more information on the teams and their journeys!

Picture of Ross Impact Gateway website

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. 

IMPACT GATEWAY

At the University:

 

CENTER FOR SOCIALLY ENGAGED DESIGN

Be a Graduate Facilitator This Fall

Apply by
Sunday April 24

The Center for Socially Engaged Design (C-SED) is seeking candidates to join their team of graduate facilitators in September. They are seeking master’s and doctoral students to facilitate and manage engagement with faculty and student teams utilizing C-SED resources. Facilitators will gain knowledge in socially engaged design practice, experience in conducting workshops, planning and implementing educational experiences, and developing customized design content.

More Info


GINSBERG CENTER

Storytelling for Social Change

Apply for Summer now

Storytelling for Social Change (SFSC) aka “Story Camp”, a pilot program from the Ginsberg Center. You can learn more about this summer opportunity, available to both graduate and undergraduate students, and how to participate below. To sign up to participate please fill out the form here. If you have questions, please email ginsberg.match@umich.edu.


More Info


GINSBERG CENTER

Learning in Community Workshop

Leaning in Community logo in front of a dark blue background.

Thurs Apr. 28 @ 3-4:30 pm ET
Virtual Event

The Ginsberg Center offers multiple workshops to support students and staff who are working with communities through courses, student organizations or independently. Learning in Community (LinC) is an educational workshop and training series focused on supporting those interested in community engagement, social justice, democratic engagement, advocacy, activism and philanthropy. This April’s session is on “Entering, Engaging, and Exiting Communities.”

More Info


OFFICE OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION

Moving Forward Together

Diverse group of students sitting on the grass on campus with the logo "Moving Forward"Thurs, May 12 @ 11:30 am – 1 pm ET
Virtual Event

Following five years of our DEI strategic planning efforts, it is important to hear insights from faculty to understand what worked well, what are opportunities for improvement and how we can innovate for the future? Join Vice Provost for Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer, Robert Sellers to discuss and share ideas for the transition to DEI 2.0, leadership transitions and the university’s ongoing commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

More Info


SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

Women’s Lives, Women’s Health Across the Lifespan

Photo of various ages and races of women facing the camera, wearing pastel colors.Thurs, May 12 @ 1:30 – 4:30 pm ET
M1020 SPH II and online in Zoom

In-person and virtual attendance options available for the 2022 MaryFran Sowers Memorial Symposium, featuring the career of Siobán D. Harlow, PhD (Professor Emerita of Epidemiology, Global Public Health, and Obstetrics & Gynecology). Keynote address, “Women’s Lives, Women’s Health Across the Lifespan”, will be presented by Nancy Fugate Woods, PhD, RN, FAAN (Professor Emerita, Univ. of Washington School of Nursing; Co-Director, de Tornyay Center for Healthy Aging.) Following the keynote, short presentations will follow from Drs. Kristin Dunkle, Michael Elliott, and Alexis Reeves. 

Learn more


POVERTY SOLUTIONS

Poverty Solutions Speaker Series

Logo of multicolored blocks and the name "Real World Perspectives on Poverty SolutionsComing this Fall
Register Now

Real World Perspectives on Poverty Solutions introduces key issues regarding the causes and consequences of poverty through a lecture series featuring experts in policy and practice from across the nations, with the goal of building a community of learners to engage in these issues together.  It is listed as a one credit class, and is open to all students.  Sessions will take place on Fridays at Noon at the School of Social Work this Fall.

Register Now


In the Impact Community:

Public Allies

Logo of a hand and the phrase "Public Allies Metro Detroit: Everyone Leads"Apply Now

Public Allies Metro Detroit is a program of the U of M-Dearborn, and a proud member of the AmeriCorps national service network. The program is made possible through funding of the Corporation for National and the Community Service and Michigan Community Service Commission. Apply now for fall opportunities.

Application info


 

A Career of Impact: Investing in Yourself and Your Community

Intersecting blue circles and the words "Net Impact"Wed, Apr. 27 @ 1 pm ET
Virtual Event

This in-depth, multi-workshop event explores how you can create positive social impacts and support regeneration through your career, your investments, and the ways in which you network and build connections with others.  Gain a better understanding of the social impact career landscape, trends, and predictions for emerging career fields. Learn about the ways in which your banking, investment, and other financial decisions can promote positive impacts for your community and the planet. 

Register Here


Climate Breakthrough Project

Large group of various people raising hands.Apply by
Sat, Apr. 30

The CBP is looking for highly motivated, innovative, strategic, and tenacious individuals or teams (small teams, two to four people) with a record of success.Awardees must be breakthrough thinkers who can envision and implement solutions with global impact and push beyond what others consider possible. While candidates may not know the exact strategy they will pursue with their award, the expectation is that they will have at least a few potential ideas ready to explore.

Apply now


D Prize

Picture of dandelion with spores blowing and the words "D-Prize: Distribution Equals Development"Early Submission Date:
Sun, May 15 @ Midnight PT

The world has already invented ways to end poverty, yet the best interventions are not being distributed at mass-scale. Can you design a business or NGO that addresses subjects from education to health access? If selected, you’ll be awarded up to $20,000 to launch a pilot in any region where extreme poverty exists.

Info and Application


Climate Leadership Conference

Cartoon of water earth and sky with the words "Climate Leadership Conference"May 24-26
Washington DC

The annual Climate Leadership Conference is North America’s premier event dedicated to addressing the climate crisis through policy, innovation, and business solutions. Hosted by the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) and The Climate Registry, the conference brings together forward-thinking leaders from business, government, academia, and the non-profit community to explore energy and climate solutions and opportunities, and to showcase climate leadership.

Info and Registration


Social Enterprise Alliance Summit 2022 Call for Speakers

Green-blue background with the words "Summit of Summits: Business as Unusual"Apply to Speak Now!

The Summit is Social Enterprise Alliance’s flagship conference. The 2022 Summit is September 7th – 9th and will be hosted primarily online. Summit sessions will revolve around Human Wellness, Advocacy and Policy, Access to Markets, and Innovative & Adaptive Practices

Info and Application




Some images in this newsletter are Pre-COVID.