International Impact Investing Challenge for Grad Student Social Entrepreneurs

May 9, 2012 by Robin Eschler

[HTML1]
Jamie N. Jones is the founder and Director of the International Impact Investing Challenge, a university pitch competition focused on social entrepreneurship. She is the Assistant Director of the Social Enterprise at Kellogg (SEEK) Program, where she works with students, alumni and members of the community to apply business principles to affect social change.

This event challenges graduate students to propose and defend a sustainable business with an investment strategy of interest to institutional and impact investors. The selection panel is composed of experienced institutional investors and current officers of foundation funds, endowments and other organizations including the Calvert Foundation, Impact Assets, and the US Pension Fund. The final results were:
First place:
Rural Electrification with Renewable Energy (REwiRE) from the School of International Policy Studies at Stanford University
Second place:
Upskill Capital from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University
Finalist teams:
Pacific Impact Bond Fund from the Anderson School of Management at University of California, Los Angeles
Residential Managed Energy Services Agreement (R-MESA)Fund from the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago

Listen and learn more by visiting our Socially Conscious blog.

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: impact investing, social enterprise, social entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurship, social impact, social impact assessment, socially conscious, socially conscious investing, sustainable business, sustainable investment

About Robin Eschler

Robin L. Eschler, the founder of Social Impact Marketing, started her career in developing foundational marketing strategies for companies of all sizes, from Fortune 500 to individual entrepreneurs and local businesses. She has developed and implemented international campaigns to launch high tech products and services and guided new business owners to successfully navigate the difficulties of growing a business.

Her life-long passion for helping others led her into nonprofit work for over a decade. Early on, she recognized the need for nonprofits to adapt to a rapidly changing world in which technology dominates and for-profit business practices are central to success. Her determination to help social causes in a sustainable way led to her creation of the Women's Radio show Socially Conscious Investing.

Impact investing in for-profits with a mission of social change such as the fight against extreme poverty is a blossoming business sector around the world. With the economic decline, it's clear that Wall Street requires change. Social impact investing addresses that need in a way that provides financial and social ROI.

As the Host of Socially Conscious Investing on WomensRadio, Robin's goal is to educate people about the growth of social impact investing and social venture. Interviews are conducted with socially conscious business experts including foundations and nonprofits, social venture investment firms, micro-loan organizations, investors, educators, authors and social entrepreneurs.

This show's mission is to help change the world through sustainable business practices that contribute to the economy, combat poverty, end hunger and provide better lives to all.

Twice, Robin has been recognized and received the highest honorary award that Rotary International gives, the Paul Harris Award, for service above self. Her community work has included developing local programs for disadvantaged populations such as foster children, troubled teens, and people with disabilities.

Visit our Facebook Page to "like" and join our community and discuss our episodes.