Social Enterprise Conference at Harvard

?? The Social Enterprise Conference is TOMORROW! ?? We are thrilled to have an incredible lineup of speakers ready to inspire and share their expertise. We’re excited for the insightful discussions, networking opportunities, and the chance to dive into all things social enterprise. Don't miss out – see you there!?

?? How to Change the World: Four Global Perspectives Get ready for an inspiring conversation at the Social Enterprise Conference, where four incredible thought leaders will share their powerful insights on how to make a global impact: Nino Enukidze (Georgia) – Co-founder of Coding School for Women, which empowers women and girls through AI literacy and tech education. @Bhumi Pednekar (India) – Actress & environmental advocate driving change through sustainability initiatives. Hector Mujica (USA) – Google.org's Head of Economic Opportunity, championing pathways to digital economy jobs. Kate Fitz-Gibbon (Australia) – Expert on gender-based violence, leading the fight for policy reform and prevention. The conversation will be moderated by Javad Mushtaq, impact investor and co-founder of WE& Capital. Join us as they share their perspectives on creating meaningful change, tackling the world's most pressing challenges, and empowering communities globally. Don’t miss it! Get your tickets today: bit.ly/SECON2025

Congratulations to our 12 Global Impact Pitch Competition Finalists! Join us to support these incredible startups spanning climate, healthcare, AI, and education. Watch them pitch live this Sunday, March 9th! Get your tickets here: bit.ly/SECON2025

We have an incredible keynote conversation to share! Join James Arbib, Co-Founder of RethinkX, for a visionary keynote "Rethinking the Future - Beyond Scarcity," that challenges how we think about technology and its role in shaping society’s future. James will explore how technology disruptions can unlock solutions to some of the world’s most pressing problems. James Arbib is the co-author of Rethinking Humanity and the founder of Tellus Mater Foundation, a philanthropic foundation exploring disruptive technologies. As a leader in forecasting societal change, James brings a unique perspective on technology’s potential to transform our world. The conversation will be moderated by Vladimir Lukic, Managing Director at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), a global leader in tech transformation, AI, and digital strategy. Don’t miss this forward-thinking keynote—register now at bit.ly/SECON2025!

Join us this weekend, March 9th, for an exciting and thought-provoking panel discussion on AI with Purpose: Innovating for a Better World! We're thrilled to welcome Thom Kenney, a National Security Fellow and Belfer Center Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, Douglas Hamilton, Head of AI and Engineering at Nasdaq, Leisel B., Senior Technical Advisor at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and Ben Brockman, Lead Director of Data Science and AI in the pharmaceutical space. The discussion will be moderated by Bruce Schneier, Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School. This dynamic panel will explore how artificial intelligence can be harnessed responsibly to address some of the world’s most pressing societal challenges. From optimizing disaster response to democratizing education, AI has the potential to revolutionize how we tackle global issues. However, it also raises important ethical considerations around bias, transparency, and workforce displacement. Register today to secure your spot at bit.ly/SECON2025!

?? Planting Change: Innovating for Human and Planetary Health Get ready for an inspiring keynote with Ethan Brown, Founder & CEO of Beyond Meat, as he shares his journey from clean energy to revolutionizing the food industry with plant-based protein. His vision to replace animal protein with plant-based alternatives has transformed not only the food aisle but the way we think about health, sustainability, and animal welfare. Max H. Bazerman, Harvard Business School Professor and award-winning author, will moderate this powerful conversation on how innovation in food systems can shape a better future for people and the planet. Join us for insights from one of the leading forces in sustainable innovation!

Join us for an insightful conversation with top impact investors and thought leaders as they discuss the critical role of finance in driving systemic change! We're excited to welcome Stephan Nicoleau, Managing Director at FullCycle VC, Tracy Palandjian, CEO & Co-Founder of Social Finance, and Michael Schlein, President and CEO of Accion. The conversation will be moderated by David Wood, a senior researcher at the Social Innovation + Change Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School and an adjunct Professor of Policy at Harvard Kennedy School. Don't miss this opportunity to hear from the changemakers driving innovation, sustainability, and equity in finance. Register today at bit.ly/SECON2025!

We're honored to share an amazing slate of panelists for our Education & Workforce track! Jair Ribeiro, Founder & President of Associa??o Parceiros da Educa??o and Casa de Saber, Marta McAlister, Global Head of Commercialization & Enablement at Google for Education, and Drew Bent, Co-Founder at Schoolhouse.world will come together for an enlightening conversation moderated by Nathalie Gazzaneo, Co-Director of The Project on Workforce at Harvard. The panel discussion, "AI and the Workforce of Tomorrow: Preparing for Evolving Job Demands," will dive into how education providers and learning platforms can prepare the labor market for evolving job demands. As automation reshapes industries, education providers must prioritize agility, inclusivity, and lifelong skill-building to bridge widening talent gaps. This track will spotlight partnerships between employers, edtech innovators, and policymakers to design adaptive curricula, micro-credentialing systems, and AI-powered learning tools. Be a part of the conversation! Register at bit.ly/SECON2025!

We're honored to share another incredible keynote speaker, Maren Costa, Netflix star of Buy Now! A Shopping Conspiracy. Don't miss her talk, "Mobilizing Maximum Impact: A Roadmap for Systemic Change." To drive real change, we need power—not just ideas, policies, or tech solutions. Maren Costa shares hard-earned lessons on what works (and what doesn’t) in fighting systemic injustice. She exposes the crisis we face—corporate greed, inequality, and climate collapse—and debunks common false fixes. The key? Collective, strategic action. Drawing from her experience organizing tech workers at Amazon, Costa lays out a roadmap for mobilizing maximum impact: build teams, leverage your strengths, and escalate bold actions. The stakes couldn’t be higher, but together, we’re unstoppable. Maren Costa is a climate justice leader, workers’ rights advocate, speaker, advisor, and tech organizer, known for challenging corporate power to drive systemic change. She is featured in the recent Netflix documentary Buy Now: The Shopping Conspiracy, where her fearless mission to challenge consumerism and fight for corporate accountability takes center stage.? A former Principal Designer at Amazon, Maren co-founded Amazon Employees for Climate Justice (AECJ), forcing Amazon to commit to net-zero emissions and spurring Jeff Bezos’s $10 billion Earth Fund. Now, as Board President of AECJ and a leader at WorkforClimate.org, Maren mobilizes tech employees to pressure corporations for bold climate action, and is currently organizing a retreat for 50 climate action NGOs from around the world to strategize for maximum impact. With over 20 years at Adobe, Amazon, and Microsoft, Maren has advanced human centered design, earned 16 patents, and left a lasting impact on the industry. Maren left Big Tech to focus on movement-building. She ran for Seattle City Council in 2023, advancing a climate justice and workers’ rights agenda. A sought-after speaker at major universities and global conferences, as well as multiple podcasts and films, Maren shares her expertise in systems change, sustainability, design thinking, corporate responsibility, and how to organize tech workers to counter Big Tech’s unchecked power. A lifelong advocate for equity, she holds degrees in English and Women’s Studies from St. Olaf College and a User-Centered Design certificate from the University of Washington. She is also a mother and step-mother, navigating both the tech and activist worlds while raising four teenagers. Maren’s work is grounded in the belief that climate solutions must address the root causes of injustice—from colonialism and white supremacy to neoliberal capitalism—and that collective worker power is the key to real change. Register today at bit.ly/SECON2025 to be part of the discussion!

Our Climate & Food track has an outstanding panel to share, featuring Ryan Rapp, Operating Partner at Flagship Pioneering, Avery Cohn, Senior Partner at Ode, and Wesley Spindler, Managing Director, Global Sustainability Leadership at Accenture. The conversation will be moderated by Audrey Atencio, Portfolio and Investment Strategist at Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation. The discussion, "Cultivating the Future: Bold Ideas Reshaping Food and Climate," will examine the dual role of global agricultural systems as both a driver of climate change and a catalyst for innovative solutions. This track will explore cutting-edge climate-adaptation strategies, circular economy models, and policies that align decarbonization with food security. Don't miss this exciting session! Register today at bit.ly/SECON2025!