Graduate Chapter

Net ImpactAt the center of sustainability-related student activities is the Net Impact Club. Net Impact is an international nonprofit organization whose mission is to inspire, educate, and equip individuals to use the power of business to create a more socially and environmentally sustainable world. Spanning six continents, Net Impact membership makes up one of the most influential networks of MBAs, graduate students, and professionals in existence today.

CESR exists to advance the Leeds School’s commitment of preparing future leaders to confront social, environmental, economic and ethical challenges faced by modern business. CESR sponsors the University of Colorado Net Impact Graduate Chapter, providing funding, faculty and public partnership resources.

The CU Leeds Net Impact Chapter is recognized as a GOLD Chapter, which is achieved by only 10% of 3000+ chapters worldwide. Under the umbrella of its charter, Net Impact leads four distinct initiatives that bring students closer to the nexus of business as a tool for achieving powerful impact for all stakeholders.

Net Impact Initiatives

- a student run Impact Consulting Firm. Each year Leeds MBA’s source, select, scope, and deliver projects for impact organizations, both nonprofit and for profit.

Past Clients: Intercambio, Colorado Grey Water, Pixan, Mi Casa Resource Center, The Social Entrepreneurship in Equitable Development and Sustainability (SEEDS), Naya Skincare, Museum of Natural History, Women’s Wilderness Institute, ReWork, Vertile Foundation

 - a placement program for MBAs to sit on metro area nonprofit boards. Each MBA brings a wealth of business knowledge to the organization and executes a capacity building project for the growth and stability of the organization

Nonprofits: The Women’s Wilderness Institute, Boulder Chamber Orchestra, Boulder Farmers Market, I Have a Dream Foundation, Boulder History Museum, Voices for Children CASA, Acorn, Community Resource Center, Women’s Education Foundation, Thorne Ecological Institute, YWCA of Boulder County

 - is an MBA consulting effort in partnership with B Lab. Students work with companies to complete the B Impact Assessment and recommend strategies for improvement and alignment with core competencies thereby creating value and growing the B Impact movement.

The Sustainable Business Partners Student Manual was recently updated by CESR and CU Boulder to create a comprehensive tool for student teams to measure the impact of socially-minded companies. Read more here.

Past Clients: Rally Software, Newton Running, EcoSyste.ms, Madhava Sweetners, Door to Door Organics, E Source, Geological Society of America, Green House Data, Ireland Stapleton

 -is the premiere MBA competition focused on solving real-world sustainability business cases and attracts over 40 universities from around the world.

Net Impact Activities and Events

Both Net Impact and CESR host activities and events that introduce students to the diverse impact business field and provide education and support to help students realize impact principles in their future professions.

  • ClimateCAP is the Global MBA Summit on Climate, Capital, and Business, bringing together emerging leaders, changemakers, and trailblazers from around the world to assess the impact of climate change on a business and investment level. This opportunity will enable and inspire students to transform industries and markets into an innovative and sustainable space. 

  • Net Impact Conference is a premiere event with thousands of Net Impact members from all over the world that features speakers, interactive sessions, and networking in the entire spectrum of social and environmental stewardship.

  • New Venture Challenge is a joint effort with the Law School and Silicon Flat Iron’s Center to raise, define and distribute the annually awarded social impact prize. This is given to the student venture that best meets the social and environmental metrics as defined by the group. Previous Winners: Surya Conversions, Second Family


Undergraduate Chapter

CESR Fellows is an undergraduate Net Impact affiliated student group. For more information on CESR Fellows, visit their webpage.


Interested?

For more information about any of these programs, or to request to work with a student team, please contact the CESR office.