Heinz College's ISI Sponsors Summit Participation

Release Date: Apr 27, 2009

The Institute for Social Innovation at Heinz College recently sponsored the participation of six Heinz College students in the Social Enterprise Alliance’s Summit in New Orleans. Students attending the Summit from April 15-17 had the opportunity to hear from top practitioners in the field of social enterprise and make connections with social entrepreneurs from around the United States, Canada and even a few European countries.

Social enterprise has several definitions, but generally refers to nonprofit organizations that have market-based approaches, such as income-generating businesses. It represents a way for nonprofits to diversify their income sources.

The students who attended the Summit were Mona Abdel-Halim, Emily Robare, Jessica Obergas, Joshua Swiss, Corinne Gray and Heinz College Social Innovation Fellow Samantha Bushman.

“It was a great opportunity to meet interesting people from across the country involved in engaging and exciting new social enterprises,” said Obergas, a Heinz College Public Policy and Management student.

Abdel-Haim, pursuing a joint degree in Public Policy from Heinz College and Business Administration from Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School, is planning to start her own social enterprise and said the conference experience was very valuable.

“It was great for learning about the regulatory side of starting a social enterprise,” said Abdel-Haim. “It was also a good opportunity to network. I’m looking to start my enterprise in the Bay Area, and it was wonderful to meet other social entrepreneurs and hear what they’re doing, and see how big the field is.”

The Institute for Social Innovation (ISI) at Heinz College was established in 2006 to educate the next generation of leaders focused on creating sustainable solutions to social problems. Its aim is to bring a uniquely Carnegie Mellon perspective to the field of social innovation, emphasizing interdisciplinary problem-solving, service learning and applied research that harnesses the latest science and technology. The ISI has sponsored new courses in social enterprise and innovation, business plan and case competitions and hosted a variety of speaking engagements on topics in related to social innovation.

Photo (from left): Mona Abdel-Halim, Emily Robare, Jessica Obergas, Joshua Swiss and Corinne Gray. Not pictured: Samantha Bushman.

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