The Business Ethics Society will be hosting its second annual Business Ethics Case Competition on Friday, April 12. The goal of the event is to further examine the role of ethics in business and apply them to real world situations. There will be teams of 3-4 students, and there will be cash prizes of $750 for the 1st place team, $250 for the 2nd place team, and $125 for the 3rd place team. In addition, lunch will be provided for each competitor. To register, please email Connor Davies (cwd4kq@virginia.edu) or Josh Kite (jmk5cc@virginia.edu). If you would like to participate but are unable to form a team please send BES an email and they will do its best to place you on a team.
The event starts at 11 AM in Rouss-Robertson Hall and features 3 rounds of competition, with a break for lunch after the first round. More details will be given closer to the event date. No prior preparation will be required. New cases will be assigned at the beginning of each round, and each team will be given time to prepare with their team and develop their argument. Then teams will compete against each other with a combination of written arguments, presentations, and debate.
If you have any questions about the event, please feel free to reach out to any of the BES Executive Board members. We have high hopes for this event and hope to see y’all out at the competition.
Check out Alexis Ohanian, co-Founder of Reddit and Hipmunk, talk about entrepreneurship this Friday.
Entrepreneurs, Innovation and Exits
Led by U.Va. Alumni Alexis Ohanian (‘05) and Brian Stengel (‘89)
Friday, April 19th @ 2:00 p.m.
Join Alexis and Brian for a discussion about their experiences with the start-up scene! Alexis is a start-up founder and investor (reddit, Breadpig, Hipmunk), and Brian is Head of Digital Media M&A for Waller Capital Partners.
Want to tackle real problems faced by members of the Charlottesville community through entrepreneurship? Sign up the Social Entrepreneurship Case Competition to learn about an issue affecting Charlottesville’s International Rescue Committee and develop an innovative solution. You can register as a pre-formed team of 4-6 students, or register individually to be placed on a team. The winning team will earn a $200 cash prize!
Wednesday, April 10th
Case Competition Kick-Off
6pm @ Gibson 211
Register to compete HERE by Wednesday, April 3
Check out this video from SE@UVA and SEED about Impact Investing!
The Social Entrepreneurship@UVA (SE@UVA) Student Steering Committee’s mission is to advance social entrepreneurship curriculum and extracurricular programming for students across the University. After winning a $55,000 grant from the Jefferson Trust Foundation, SE@UVA has funded three courses for this academic year, brought notable speakers to Grounds, and is developing other initiatives in the various schools of the University. Moreover, SE@UVA collaborates with faculty, administrators, alumni, foundations, social enterprise practitioners, and other students to achieve our mission.
Want to learn how to make an IMPACT at UVA and beyond? Are you interested in social entrepreneurship? Come out to the IMPACT conference, sponsored by Global Development Organization and Engineering Students Without Borders.
**SIGN UP**
Join us for a week of hands-on events:
Monday, April 8th
Keynote Speaker Breanna DiGiammarino, Indiegogo
+
Social Hustle Kick-Off
6pm @ Nau 101
Register for the social hustle HERE by Friday, April 5
Tuesday, April 9th
Social Hustle Wrap-Up
7pm @ Nau 211
Wednesday, April 10th
Case Competition Kick-Off
6pm @ Gibson 211
Register to compete HERE by Wednesday, April 3
Friday, April 12th
Case Presentations + Closing Reception
7pm @ Newcomb Hall Kaleidoscope
SIGN UP AT WWW.IMPACTUVA.COM
What do butcher shops and one of the “50 Most Innovative Startups Globally have in Common”? The answer is UVA’s Starter of the week, Michael Fahner. As the CEO of Pledge4Good, Michael is helping to give the age-old act of charitable giving a much needed update. Pledge4Good functions as a for-profit platform for charitable giving. This innovative business model allows the company to grow while bringing in more revenue for non-profits. Instead of focusing on large donations, Pledge4Good focuses on utilizing social media for microdonations. Some 67% of nonprofits bring in less than $1,000 per year using social media, but Pledge4Good’s business model finds a way to harness the power of social media for fundraising. Pledge4Good’s model is based off the idea of donating for 3-pointer’s scored during a basketball game. The Co-Founders thought that this achievement-driven-donation could be implemented on a larger scale using an online platform. For example, a person may donate one dollar for every pound lost or mile run. These accomplishments are then shared through Facebook and Twitter where friends are encouraged to donate.
With a father who owned a butcher shop, Michael was exposed to entrepreneurship at an early age. His path to entrepreneurship did not follow that of Pre-Commerce and the McIntire School of Commerce. Instead, Michael is an English and Political Philosophy, Policy and Law double major with a minor in history. Michael explained that these areas of study all focus on analytical thinking which gives him a unique edge in identifying new markets and innovative advertising. Being a student entrepreneur is extremely difficult, so Michael has some pointers for other Undergraduate Entrepreneurs:
- Take Fridays Off! – Devote your entire day to your company.
- Spend 35 hours per week working on your company.
- Be Tenacious! – Don’t be afraid to talk to your professors. Tell people about your company!
- Be Flexible. –Your co-workers are students too.
- Communicate quickly, effectively, and often.
Pledge4Good is not simply another online giving platform; it revolutionizes what was often seen as a very impersonal way to give. While its business model is ground breaking, it is Pledge4Good’s ability to use the power of human achievement and friendship to create large change in the world through small donations. Check out Pledge4Good, and “do a little bit of good everyday”.