In This Issue

▪ From the Founder
▪ News & Spotlight
▪ Upcoming Events
▪ Opportunities
▪ Contact Us

From the Founder & Executive Director

An Election to Celebrate?
By Professor Dennis R. Shaughnessy

It was a difficult and challenging election week for many of us on campus, with many students emotionally expressing their concerns about the message sent by the election’s outcome. As we now know, Secretary Clinton won the popular vote, while Mr. Trump won the electoral vote. The margin in each case was razor thin and one can argue that the election results just confirm the divide that exists in our country.

I’ve been asked by many students to comment on the outcome of the election. Our classes in social enterprise and social responsibility of business emphasize the importance of fundamental values like inclusion and engagement, shared success and equality, and treating others with respect and dignity. It took a little extra effort on the day after this profoundly divisive presidential election, but I was able to find reasons to celebrate the Presidential Election 2016.
Read more here.

News & Spotlight

Student Spotlight: Kayla O’Neill, Community Service to Social Entrepreneurship
By Emily O'Connor

Before coming to Boston to attend Northeastern University, Kayla O’Neill grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina. Kayla is now in her senior year of college majoring in International Affairs and Business with a concentration in Marketing. On top of her double major, Kayla will also graduate in May with a minor in Global Social Entrepreneurship. Last week Kayla and I met in the Curry Student Center to talk more about how she became interested in social entrepreneurship during her time at Northeastern and how she envisions its role in her career after college.
Read more here.

Co-op Spotlight: It Only Takes One
By Brooke O'Connell

It only takes one person to see a problem and take action to come up with a solution to bring positive impact to the lives of thousands. This is what One Acre Fund Co-Founder, Andrew Yuon, did and continues to do. Read more here.

Student Reflection: Poverty, Inc.
By Jackie Rothmeier

Poverty, Inc. is a documentary created by Michael Matheson Miller that dives deeply into the ideas of global charity, social entrepreneurship, and integrity. While many see global charity rooted in an overarching moral integrity, much of its influence and contribution in developing states has negative consequences that must be addressed. We, the viewers, are given a context in which to trace our ideas about charity and its overall impact in the global poverty industry.
Read more here.

Boll & Branch: Disrupting the Bed You Sleep In
By Maria Bermudez Pizano

Innovative ideas often come true when they are a solution to a problem hitting close to home. Having a recurring problem without an existing solution is a powerful driver of inspiration and it is likely to occupy one’s thoughts for long hours a day. At least this was the case for the founders of Boll & Branch, a home-textile company that has managed to disrupt the industry by imposing their own rules and creating sustainable luxury.
Read more here.

Landing Opportunity: Welcoming Refugees with Job Training
By Kayla O’Neill

As the global refugee crisis drags on, a handful of innovative social initiatives are popping up to address the critical needs of the small percentage of refugees being resettled in the United States. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has registered 14.4 million refugees around the world, and of these refugees, less than one per cent of cases are submitted for resettlement in countries like the United States. Each year, the U.S. offers opportunities to refugee individuals and families to resettle in cities across the country. In 2016, the federal government increased its refugee resettlement numbers, providing more opportunities as the global refugee crisis reached a peak.
Read more here.

Raspberry Pi, A Sweet Technology Solution for the Poor
By Aekta Shah

We live in an age where technology is ever growing and becoming a necessity in the lives of many people around the world. New improvements and innovations are rapidly being released in the tech industry and they do not appear to be slowing down anytime soon. What are the benefits of this for the poor? “New technology” and “innovation” sound pretty expensive! Fortunately, organizations and companies such as the UK-based Raspberry Pi Foundation are taking advantage of innovation in order to make technology more affordable and accessible.
Read more here.

Convoy of Hope Image for Hurricane Matthew Blog post 1

LuminAID: Give Light, Get Light
By Ritu Bhargava

Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere and the most disaster prone in the Caribbean. This is due to geographic factors as well as endemic violence, corruption, and political instability contributing to the country’s poor infrastructure (Jones, 2016). After the catastrophic earthquake in 2010, over 1.3 million Haitians were resettled in makeshift tent camps, worsening crime, poverty, and sexual violence against women and children (Kuehnast, 2010). Overcrowding, lack of privacy, and weakened family and community structures are constant problems in the Haitian tent camps. These challenges are also easily exacerbated among the 1.6 billion people worldwide lacking access to electricity (LuminAID, 2016).
Read more here.

Third Sector Capital Partners and Pay for Success
By Danielle Antico

Third Sector Capital Partners is “accelerating America’s transition to a performance-driven social sector.” Well that sounds good to me, but how do they do it? As a fourth year student studying management and entrepreneurship, with a passion for social entrepreneurship, I decided to join the Third Sector team in July as their inaugural co-op to find out.
Read more here.

4 Meaningful Food Companies: Buying and Investing
By Molly Kennelly

As we enter this Thanksgiving season, many people give thanks by looking for ways to leave a positive mark on society and in their communities. Fortunately, there are many food companies that operate ethically and work with an impact in mind, allowing customers and investors to do well while eating well. The following four food companies represent social enterprises deserving of investment and B Corps, companies that meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.
Read more here.

Upcoming Events

SEI Speaker Series: Davis Smith CEO Cotopaxi
Wednesday, November 30th, 7-8p, Shillman Hall 305
Cotopaxi is a BCorp that creates innovative outdoor products and experiences, and use their profits to fund sustainable poverty alleviation and environmental sustainability in Ecuador.

buildOn
Tuesday, November 15th, 1-4p
Join us in volunteering at ReVision Urban Farm! Victory Programs' ReVision Urban Farm is an agriculture project aiming to increase access to nutritious and affordable produce for shelter residents and community members. We will be working on one of the urban lots to prepare the plant beds for winter. Sign up here.

Room to Read
Tuesday, November 15th, 6:30p, Hayden Hall 322
Come see the film "He Named Me Malala." Follow Room to Read on Facebook and Instagram to stay updated.

buildOn's Masquerade Ball
Friday, December 2nd, 8-11p, Spontaneous Celebrations at 45 Danforth St
Join us the end the semester right with a Winter Ball that supports global education! Put on your mask and semi-formal attire to dance the night away.

Tickets will soon be available on myNEU for $8 (undergrads) and $10 (all others). ALL proceeds support the Northeastern buildOn Chapter in fundraising to build a school abroad.

For any questions, please contact us buildon.northeastern@gmail.com and find the event on Facebook here.

Opportunities

New Course Offering: Innovations for Social Change
ENTR 3212 is a four credit, mid-level seminar course designed for all majors being offered in Spring 2017. It focuses on different principles for affecting social change and how innovative approaches to asking big questions have allowed for new ways of framing problems and defining solutions.

This is the first SEI co-taught course by Professor Sara Minard and Third Sector Capital Partners co-founder and CEO George Overholser. It applies to the Global Social Entrepreneurship minor and the Social Entrepreneurship track as part of the BSBA entrepreneurship concentration.

Please reach out to Danielle Antico at antico.d@husky.neu.edu for any questions.

Idealist Job Opening
Idealist is searching to fill their Senior Project Officer – Cooperative Finance position. Learn about the position here.

Co-op Opportunity
Cambodian Volunteers for Community Development - The CVCD is searching for a Microfinance Analyst Co-op. This position is located in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Email e.chewning@northeastern.edu for more information.

Do you have News for SEI?

Contribute to the SEI monthly newsletter! Contact Ritu at bhargava.r@husky.neu.edu for more information.

Contact Us

For all inquires, please contact the Social Enterprise Institute at sei@neu.edu.

For more information, check out the SEI Website.

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Boston, Massachusetts 02115
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Disclaimer: The content of this newsletter is developed by undergraduate students. Submissions are solicited and in some cases edited by students, with the guidance of SEI staff. Nothing herein has been specifically endorsed by the DMSB.