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And so it goes. My first year of the MBA program is officially over. And by officially over, I mean most likely officially over after I get my last three grades in a few weeks.
What a year it was. The first semester was lessons in the MBA core classes. But it was also Social Venture Consulting projects..it was working with my team at the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship. It was becoming aware of the need for business skills in a non-profit arena. It was watching the work my team did directly impact an organization. It was seeing how teaching young kids and giving them a feeling of their worth, can make a difference in their lives and in the lives of people in their communities. It was learning how to spell entreprenurship.. Or get kind of close enough. (I let this one ride on spell check..just to keep it real)
There was the North American Net Impact Conference–held at the Wharton School of Business..meeting literally hundreds of so-very like minded peers involved in this new, changing, exciting, and challenging world of sustainable business. It was connecting with them and sharing ideas and learning ..and growing..and learning some more.
It was working with a clean-battery startup called FlexEl…working with brilliant engineers who are designing next generation batteries that are cleaner and more efficient than anything we have seen before.
Then it was victory.. at last..when my team won our entrepreneur club’s business case challenge–by developing a texting tool for a local small business called Compcierge.
And it was of course being a part of the Dingman Center at the University of Maryland..connecting with not only passionate and driven MBA students..but the many undergrads who have more dedication than you’d ever think a 18-21 year old would have.
So that’s the first year. I remember when I started my journey way (way?) back last August and I was speaking on the phone with Melissa Carrier, my soon to be boss at the Dingman Center. She asked me what I want to do in business school. I said, rather sheepishly, I’d like to maybe, you know, kinda, sorta ..start my own sustainable business ..someday. Which to me, seemed akin–at the time– to saying I’d really like to win the lottery someday. Melissa said, ‘we’ll here you’ll develop the tools to do it’. And I remember thinking at the time, ‘there are tools?’ This is something I can actually practice and develop? Yes. Late nights (its 3am now..who’s counting? it’s noon somewhere in the world) lots of new coursework. new situations. new concepts (umm..yes, SMART goals..keep them “R”ealistic) And sure, there have been ups and downs, like any development process. You keep speeding ahead until you hit a ceiling and then you break through it and move again. Its really good that sustainable business works that way. I like stuff I can practice.
And so it is. One full year of practice in the art and practice of social enterprise. One more to go.
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