Specific Ways To Engage With the TFC
Social Enterprise Consulting
We believe that poverty is a personal problem for everyone, and the purpose of the Social Enterprise Consulting (SEc) group is to provide concrete opportunities for students to leverage their individual strengths and skill sets in order to positively contribute to a proactive solution. The SEc matches students with social enterprises with real strategic, development, human capital, or operational needs, trains them on how to be responsible partners, and supports them throughout their consulting engagement.
The 2020-2021 Social Enterprise Consulting (SEc) application is not yet available.
Project Pyramid
Project Pyramid, a Vanderbilt University organization, creates a community that addresses issues of poverty in an interdisciplinary classroom and through sustained partnerships with local and international organizations. Its members learn to recognize multiple poverties from one another in the classroom and from individuals and organizations that encounter poverties first hand. Students respond to knowledge gained in the classroom and through collaborative partnerships by engaging in action to alleviate poverty.
The 2020-2021 Project Pyramid application is not yet available.
Hult Prize Case Competition
The Hult Prize Foundation is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to launching the world’s next wave of social entrepreneurs. It encourages the world’s brightest business minds to compete in teams to solve the planet’s biggest challenges with innovative ideas for sustainable start-up enterprises. The Hult Prize Competition at Vanderbilt is a preliminary for regionals. The ultimate national prize is $1M in seed funding.
The 2020-2021 Hult Prize Case Competiton registration is not yet available.
Committee Involvement
Our center would not be possible without the support and engagement of our student leaders. Each of our board members are supported by an interdisicplinary student committee which helps to strategize, plan, and execute our mission for the year and beyond. Committee level involvement gives students the space to build upon strengths, explore different worldviews, and connect with students from varied disciplines.
The 2020-2021 Committee Member Application is live now!
Emerging Impact Leaders Fellowship
The Emerging Impact Leaders Program brings together a multidisciplinary cohort of students to examine – and position themselves within – the intersection of business and social change. Dinner sessions are designed to create space for critical thinking and challenging conversations about the role of the market in society. These dinners will foster intentional, tactical introspection as students learn to articulate their motivating values and connect them to their career paths. Through case studies, content discussions, and conversations with industry leaders, students will gain insights and practical tools for creating social impact in the corporate, social enterprise, nonprofit, and policy sectors. Overall, the program is designed to equip students with the frameworks they need to engage critically with questions of social impact and foster social change in their careers – whether they work for a corporation, an NGO, or something in between.
More application details coming soon!
MIINT
MBA Impact Investing Network & Training
Be part of Vanderbilt’s Impact Investing team! MIINT is an experiential lab designed to give students at business and graduate schools a hands-on education in impact investing. It is an initiative of Bridges Impact Foundation, and is conducted in partnership with the Wharton Social Impact Initiative.
For anyone interested in impact investing, this is an opportunity to learn from experienced impact investors through guided training. It’s also a chance to form Vanderbilt’s first Impact Investing team and compete with top business schools globally for a chance to win $50,000 for an existing early-stage company. In addition, students will network with current and future leaders in impact investing and gain access to impact investing jobs and internships.
The 2020-2021 MIINT application is not yet available.
Treks
TFC Treks are student-led experiential learning trips with interdisciplinary groups of Vanderbilt graduate students. The goal of these experiences is to connect students with a variety of cross-sector approaches to social entrepreneurship in different cities. Join a trek to engage with peers, alumni, professionals, and organizations creating market-based solutions for social impact!
Summer Fellowships
Through TFC Summer Fellowships, Vanderbilt University graduate students bring their expertise and education into meaningful action with partner organizations focused on social enterprise, which may not otherwise devote resources to interns. In partnership with TFC leadership, students seek and match with partner organizations based on fit to gain valuable work experience integrating business and social impact, while receiving a stipend and support from the TFC.
Conference Sponsorships
The Turner Family Center for Social Ventures is excited to be able to facilitate student learning beyond campus by providing partial reimbursement for student attendance at social ventures focused conferences across the country.
The TFC provides funding for projects aligned with its mission of alleviating poverty through market-based solutions. If you have an idea that you think fits perfectly with our organization, let’s start the conversation.
Project Sponsorships
The TFC provides funding for students to complete projects aligned with its mission of alleviating poverty through market-based solutions. If you have an idea that you think fits perfectly with our organization, let’s start the conversation by contacting our staff or emailing tfc@vanderbilt.edu
Office Hours with Center Staff
The TFC staff host weekly office hours to help you engage and learn more about the center, while exploring options for how to maximize your time at Vanderbilt and in your career. All office hours are held via Zoom for the Fall 2020 semester, and until further notice.
OFFICE HOURS WITH KATHLEEN, TFC ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
OFFICE HOURS WITH MARIO, TFC DIRECTOR
On Thursdays, TFC Director Mario Avila holds advising hours to speak with students about their future careers and how to leverage time in graduate school to gain exposure to opportunities in social impact work. Schedule time to meet with Mario on Thursday afternoons in his office at Owen.
“Mario has been an invaluable resource for developing the confidence to go after less available opportunities.”
– Student Feedback from Office Hours
SIGN UP FOR OFFICE HOURS WITH MARIO
SIGN UP FOR OFFICE HOURS WITH KATHLEEN
Networking & Social Events
Monthly Lunch & Learn events, Sips & Social Ventures social hours, and Featured Speaker Series provide graduate students with the opportunity to connect with the TFC and with one another. Check out the calendar to join us for the next one!
