Kellogg’s Net Impact Club awarded Graduate Chapter of the Year

Net Impact, the global organization that seeks to empower a new generation to drive social and environmental change on campus and throughout their members’ careers, has named Kellogg School of Management’s Net Impact Chapter the 2016 Graduate Chapter of the Year. Out of 250 chapters worldwide, Kellogg received this distinction based on students’ commitment to and activity in the social impact space.

“Kellogg is renowned for having a collaborative and student leadership culture. Our amazing Net Impact Club exemplifies Kellogg’s strength and commitment to the role of business leadership on social impact and progress,” explained Megan Kashner, Director of the Social Impact Program at Kellogg.

Kellogg’s Net Impact Chapter showed its commitment to social impact during the 2015-2016 academic year by increasing its membership by 50% and volunteering over 12,000 hours at more than 120 organizations. During the school year, Net Impact hosted more than 100 events and launched the first-ever Empathy Week and Social Impact Hub Venture Challenge.

“The Net Impact community is very much woven into Kellogg’s culture. About 75% of students are part of the club, but it's more than that. The Net Impact Club represents students who want to make a difference in various ways: through internships or full-time careers, through social innovation in the corporate world or through volunteering, consulting or mentorship,” said Shar Jaidev ‘16, Kellogg’s outgoing Net Impact VP of Careers. “Kellogg students care deeply about social issues at home and abroad, and it's been amazing to see how much student engagement in social impact has grown and how students take what they get at Kellogg and apply it to the real world.”

Each year, the Chapter of the Year Award recognizes the most active chapter in four categories: undergraduate, graduate, professional and international. Net Impact Central identifies the top three chapters in each category based on annual chapter reporting and extends a competition invitation where finalists create a short online presentation and an activities report outlining their chapter’s accomplishments. The Chapter of the Year distinction is determined by an online vote and a panel of judges, and is awarded to the chapter that has most significantly impacted their community and furthered the Net Impact mission.

"Winning Net Impact Graduate Chapter of the Year is a huge honor for us! It recognizes not only all the work the club has done this past year, but also the strong social impact community at Kellogg,” said Duda Cardoso, outgoing Chapter President. “Business schools have an important role to play in educating future leaders who will create social impact throughout their careers. This award acknowledges Kellogg’s role in pushing that sector forward to use the power of business and management to drive social impact."

The commitment to social impact does not end with this award. Several graduating club officers and chapter members have accepted offers at impact companies and organizations like Acumen, Starbucks, Clinton Health Initiative, Unilever and IFC (World Bank). Others have launched their own social enterprises which were incubated in Kellogg, such as SharED, The Graide Network and Grou. These high achieving students will bring their social impact perspective and skill base to all their important endeavors.