April 23 & 24, 2015
Thomas J. Dodd Research Center
Eversource Chair in Business Ethics
Connecticut Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
In October 2014, Connecticut joined a growing number of states that empower for-profit corporations to expand their core missions to expressly include human rights, environmental sustainability, and other social objectives. As a new legal class of businesses, these “benefit corporations” join a growing range of social entrepreneurship and enterprise models that have the potential to have positive social impacts on communities in Connecticut and around the world. Designed to evaluate and enhance this potential, SE2 will feature a critical examination of the various aspects of social entrepreneurship, as well as practical guidance on the challenges and opportunities presented by the newly adopted Connecticut Benefit Corporation Act and other forms of social enterprise.
Participation is free, but space is limited.
Symposium
Thursday, April 23, 2015
School of Business
Scholars from business and other academic fields will meet to discuss working papers on the governance, regulation, and operation of benefit corporations and related issues concerning the implications of social enterprise for corporate governance, corporate social responsibility, and social entrepreneurship.
Participation is by invitation only.
Presenters include:
Mystica Alexander, Bentley University
Norman Bishara, University of Michigan
Kate Cooney, Yale University
Lucien Dhooge, Georgia Institute of Technology
Gwendolyn Gordon, University of Pennsylvania
Gil Lan, Ryerson University
Diana Leyden, University of Connecticut
Haskell Murray, Belmont University
Inara Scott, Oregon State University
Practitioner Conference
Friday, April 24, 2015
Thomas J. Dodd Research Center
Policy makers, social entrepreneurs, and experts from Connecticut and throughout the country will share strategies and best practices for establishing and running successful enterprises with a strong social responsibility mandate. Presentations will include tutorials in the various regulatory and certification classifications of enterprises and advice and inspiration from current social entrepreneurs. Participants will also have the opportunity to work in small groups on specific challenges to building social responsibility into their enterprises.
Participation is invited from business, human rights, and other students on campus, as well as from entrepreneurs and professionals within the community interested in establishing new social enterprises or enhancing the social mission of existing businesses.
Participation is free, but space is limited.
Schedule
8:30AM-9:45AM Mapping the SE2 Landscape: Connecticut and Beyond
9:50AM-11:05AM State of the Art: Connecticut’s Entrepreneurs and Innovators
11:10AM-12:25PM Making Business Work for All: National Leaders in Social Enterprise
12:30PM-1:30PM Breakout Working Groups – Lunch (Registration Required)
1:30PM-3:00PM Breakout Working Groups – Discussion (Registration Required)
Topic 1: Supply chain transparency and accountability
Topic 2: Labor rights and workforce relations
Topic 3: Environmental sustainability in the workplace and the world