MBA Corner: Tell us about the Africa Business Alliance (ABA). Sam: ABA is meant for anyone with an African interest and anyone with a globalization interest. Africa, similar to the BRICs [Brazil, Russia, India and China] is becoming a relevant player in the emerging market space. For instance, the United States anticipates getting up to 25 percent of its fossil fuels from Africa in the near future. Africa has not only become a major supplier of raw materials, commodities and services to high-growth economies, it has also become a very attractive market for multinational corporations. China has taken the lead from the United States in capitalizing on these opportunities. Through our efforts at ABA, we hope to expose students to Read More
Monthly Archives: October 2011
MBA Corner Interview: Africa Business Alliance officers Sam Imende and Cyril Tay
10/26/2011 – 8:18 am
Center for Sustainable Enterprise Welcomes 4 Outstanding New CSE Fellows
10/25/2011 – 9:29 am
The Center for Sustainable Enterprise is pleased to welcome four new CSE Fellows: Blakely Blackford (MBA 2013), Maura Farver (MBA 2013), Sid Padgaonkar (MBA 2013) and Will Roberts (BSBA 2012). These four exceptional MBA and BSBA leaders will work collaboratively with the CSE team and the current CSE Fellows Mia Farber (MBA 2012), Adam Hart (MBA 2012), and Jena Collier (BSBA 2012) to advance the Center’s strategic priorities, strengthen the critical bonds between CSE and UNC Kenan-Flagler students, and incorporate student interests into CSE programs and activities. Learn more about the new CSE Fellows below. Blakely Blackford (MBA 2013) My first North Carolina degree was a BA in English from Davidson College. When I moved to New York to work for Read More
On the INSIDE at the Clinton Global Initiative
10/24/2011 – 7:32 am
By Lisa Jones-Christensen I was in New York two years ago training Acumen Fellows and while I was there the taxi drivers explained the constant delays and terrible traffic by telling me it was the week the UN was in session and the Clinton Global Initiative was occurring. That year, I suffered the traffic and the delays but never knew what happened inside the CGI or even where it took place. This year was different, as it was an unexpected honor to be invited to participate in an information panel session entitled: Doing Well by Doing Good: How to Partner to Save Lives While Driving Profitable Growth. It was a panel with me and Dr. Linda Scott of the Said Business School at Read More
Kenan-Flagler Sustainable Enterprise Training Will Make you a Leader
10/19/2011 – 7:44 am
By Michael Alden, Grant Thornton Senior Associate, MBA 2010 I checked with Tracy Triggs-Matthews and she suggested our communication be blogged to share with all so here goes: I’ve put my Sustainable Enterprise training to good use – I recently measured my company’s ($1 billion in revenue, 5,000 employees, 50+ offices) carbon footprint for the first time. I helped submit a successful proposal to our CEO that we measure it to address client inquiries about environmental strategy, to identify cost reductions, and to keep us current with our competitors. I helped set the boundaries for Scope 1,2,& 3 emissions, and then I personally called building engineers and property managers in over fifty cities across the country to obtain electricity and Read More
MBA Social Features Ashok Jayaram’s (MBA ’11) Belaku Eye Hospitals
10/18/2011 – 11:59 am
By Milana Khodorkovskaya, NYU Stern MBA 2011 Ashok Jayaram was a software engineer in India, but has always done the best he could to offer his knowledge and a helping hand to those in need. Indeed his involvement with a charitable eye hospital and b-school training led him change his path and become an entrepreneur. He and his partner have founded a hospital chain that provides quality eye care in many rural parts of India. He sat down with MBAsocial to talk about his venture – Belaku Eye Hospitals – which he launched in 2010, a year prior to graduating with his MBA from UNC Kenan-Flager Business School. Ashok also shared his path to entrepreneurship, tips for aspiring social entrepreneurs, Read More
Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility: Dr. McElhaney’s Specialty
10/11/2011 – 12:44 pm
By Valerie Minor, MBA 2012 Class begins with a video. It is an unusual video. Employees of Kentucky Fried Chicken are wearing pink boas and dancing the Charleston with the iconic KFC bucket—a bright pink one. They wear buckets on their feet, buckets on their heads–a chorus line of KFC employees with pink buckets. The camera movement is jerky and uncoordinated, the dancers are unrehearsed, the music is cheerful, but the whole production is awkward, very awkward. “What do you think?” Prof. McElhaney queries the class, “What is this about?” Our responses are tentative; we are concerned, but hesitant to criticize. After all, we are here to learn about Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and this is one example. Is this Read More
Life Cycle Assessment from McColl to Bangkok
10/10/2011 – 9:50 am
by Piya Kerdlap, UNC Institute for Environment Thailand Field Site at King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT) Sawadee from Bangkok, Thailand! My name is Piya Kerdlap and I am from Eastchester, New York. I am a 3rd year environmental science major currently at the UNC Institute for Environment Thailand Field Site at King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT). I have just finished my coursework for the semester at The Joint Graduate School for Energy and Environment (JGSEE) and from now until the end of November I will be working on my capstone research project at the university on solar thermal water heating technology for Thailand’s entire residential sector with two other UNC environmental science majors. One of the Read More
Kenan-Flagler Called Out in Forbes Orientation Speeches for Class of 2012
10/04/2011 – 11:22 am
Forbes, New Words of Welcome for the Class of 2012 Kenan-Flagler’s Orientation speaker, Lowry, gets more national notice: “A the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, Adam Lowry, the co-founder of Method, an innovative eco-friendly cleaning-product company, was the choice of keynote for the first year M.B.A. orientation. His presentation drove home the fact that it’s OK to be different and edgy, and emphasized strongly the importance of building businesses that are an engine for global social and environmental change. The feedback from students was universally positive.” We knew he was awesome. Now more people do too.
TerraVITA2011 a Resounding Success: Local Food Event Wows Crowds
10/04/2011 – 10:49 am
Chapel Hill By Mia Farber, MBA 2012 Last weekend 500 local food fanatics and 25 of North Carolina’s best known chefs convened in Chapel Hill’s Southern Village neighborhood with the goal to EAT and DRINK, LIVE and GROW, while celebrating our region’s agricultural abundance. The event is designed as a fundraiser for TABLE , CFSA and CHOP and brought in $4,500 from a silent auction for the deserving non-profit organizations dedicated to advancing local food infrastructure in the Piedmont. TerraVITA has been closely tied to UNC KFBS since its inception, with Sarah Vendt MBA ’11 helping to organize the inaugural event and Mia Farber MBA ’12 taking over that roll for this year’s celebration. Also in attendance were KFBS students Read More