About SEEK

Timothy Feddersen, Director of SEEK and the Wendell Hobbs Professor of Managerial Economics & Decision Sciences, teaching the SEEK course "Values and Crisis Decision Making."   Photo © Nathan Mandell

The Social Enterprise at Kellogg (SEEK) program reflects the converging challenges that managers face today as they strive to be socially responsible global leaders in their chosen fields. Kellogg created the SEEK program in 2005 to provide a rigorous, relevant experience for students interested in the intersection between management and society across all organizations and industries. SEEK is focused on building leadership skills and awareness to help Kellogg graduates be socially responsible global leaders.

In today’s global society, individuals move among sectors, often participating in multiple sectors simultaneously. A good example of this phenomenon is a management consultant serving on the board of a local nonprofit or a finance professional working with a microfinance entity. Accordingly, SEEK draws on Kellogg faculty from multiple disciplines — distinguished scholars in political economy along with other Kellogg experts who have a significant research interest in social enterprise, ranging from social psychology to public policy, social enterprise and non-profit management. Our faculty has developed the SEEK curriculum to give students the skills to manage successfully in a variety of for-profit corporation positions including management consulting, corporate social responsibility, financial services and consumer products; nonprofit organizations such as educational institutions, social service agencies or consulting firms; and governmental entities including local, state and federal agencies.

The program also supports numerous, ongoing student activities regarding the intersection of leadership and managerial decision-making within the broader social environment. Kellogg School students are highly involved in this arena, as demonstrated by the more than 100 members who are active in the student-run Social Impact Club. In 2004, the Net Impact Club took first place in the Chapter Service Award and second place in the Chapter of the Year Award at the 12th Annual Net Impact Conference. With more than 10,000 members, Net Impact is the leading network of business students and professionals devoted to using the power of business to create a better world. Students also have leadership opportunities through SEEK’s affiliation with the Kellogg School’s research centers including the Center for Nonprofit Management and the Ford Motor Company Center for Global Citizenship.

SEEK is committed to helping graduates obtain positions in the public and nonprofit sectors through several specific programs as well as through the Career Management Center. The Loan Assistance Program helps students by reducing the educational debt burden that some-times limits graduates from pursuing positions within these sectors and the Beacon Capital Fellows Program provides graduating Kellogg students fellowships in various nonprofit institutions. Fellows work closely with senior management developing unique projects that will generate measurable results to the organization and ultimately to the community.