‘A step in the right direction’

11/19/2009 - For the first time since 2003, the Kellogg Net Impact Community has been named Net Impact “Chapter of the Year” for 2009.

Students from the Kellogg School accepted the prestigious award at the 2009 Net Impact Conference, which took place Nov. 13-14 at Cornell University’s Johnson School in Ithaca, N.Y. The Kellogg Net Impact Community includes Kellogg Board Fellows; Business with a Heart; the Education Industry Club; the Emerging Markets Club; the Environmental Sustainability Business Club; the Global Health Initiative; Kellogg Corps; the Neighborhood Business Initiative; and the Net Impact Club.

“The Kellogg Net Impact Community is extremely proud to have won the Net Impact Chapter of the Year Award,” said Soumya Korde ’10, president of the Kellogg Net Impact Club. “It was a collaborative effort of the member clubs that allowed Kellogg to demonstrate its commitment to social responsibility and social impact. We believe that this award is a step in the right direction to make Kellogg the business school for social responsibility and social impact.”

Chapter of the Year award recipients are selected based on their accomplishments in management, activities, membership, impact and Net Impact network. Chapters are scored on a 100-point scale.

The Chapter of the Year Committee praised the Kellogg Net Impact Community for providing experiential learning and career opportunities to students; hosting meaningful events and conferences; and leveraging Kellogg constituents to make a difference in the Kellogg community. In particular, the committee cited the Innovating Social Change Conference, the CHEST Case Competition, the Social Impact Club Career Trek, the Kellogg Green Living Guide and Kellogg Corps, among other programs.

“Past leaders and current leaders have collaborated — and continue to collaborate — with clubs inside and outside the community,” said Korde. “We want to provide programming that appeals to as much of the Kellogg student body as possible. Faculty, administration and alumni have also been supportive in encouraging students to find volunteer and career opportunities in the social sector.”

In addition to receiving the Chapter of the Year Award, the Kellogg School tied with the University of Texas for first place in the Net Impact Challenge, which was sponsored by Nestle Waters North America.

Kellogg students Kate Jackson ’11, David Morse ’11 and Keith Schuricht ’11 presented their plan for increasing recycling rates on campus by 50 percent within three years and achieving 100 percent recycling rates for covered materials within seven years. The Kellogg team beat student teams from nearly 35 universities, including MIT and Cornell University.

Headquartered in San Francisco, Net Impact is a global organization of students and professionals who are committed to using business to improve the world. The Kellogg School hosted the Net Impact Conference in 2006 and was a runner-up to the Chapter of the Year award in 2007 and 2008.