By: Lisa Walker Homeownership rates are 65.4%, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, leaving a little over a third of people living in rentals. If you're one of those renters, evaluating the eco-friendliness of the available units is an important part of finding a place. Although you can’t make major changes to your apartment (like adding solar panels, for example), there are smaller adjustments you can do that can have an impact on the environment. And if you’re unhappy with

“But when I ask white students how they know they’re white, the answer is almost always the same: silence. White students often stop short, unable to identify and articulate the cultural, political, economic and historic clues that tell them they are part of whiteness, let alone what being part of whiteness truly means. I let the silence grow. It gets uncomfortable. Then I step in to suggest that this phenomenon — not the individual student — is a significant part of America’

Cristina Bernardo Kullberg is the new Emzingo|U Executive Director. By Emzingo Group We are delighted to announce that as of September 2019, Cristina Bernardo Kullberg is the first-ever Executive Director at Emzingo|U! “As an alumni, a long time team member, and a true believer in our mission to inspire, prepare, and connect the next generation of responsible leaders, I am very excited to take on this role and help build the next chapter of Emzingo|U. Embarking on our tenth y

Four Lessons from Nobel Peace Laureate Muhammad Yunus By Elvira Carvajal Muhammad Yunus believes entrepreneurs will save the world. Awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006, known as “Banker to the Poor”, founder the first ever social business, Grameen Bank, internationally recognized as a world leader, the list could go on and on… Prof Muhammad Yunus also recipient of the US Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal But the most amazing thing about Muh

Building, Testing, and Learning to Boost Impact and Innovation. By Elvira Carvajal What is Lean? It is very probable that if you’re savvy in the startup world you’ve heard about “Lean”, or Eric Ries’s book ˝The Lean Startup”. It is not a new hype or trendy word that’s going to be soon forgotten, actually it’s a concept that has been around for quite some time, since the early 20th century! The core idea of Lean is to maximize customer value while minimizing waste. Simply put,

Why companies need to define their purpose. Insights from Doing Good Doing Well. By Elvira Carvajal The rules of the game have changed! “MAXIMIZING SHAREHOLDER VALUE IS LIKE BREATHING: YOU NEED IT TO SURVIVE, BUT IT IS NOT YOUR PURPOSE, IT IS NOT WHAT YOU LIVE FOR.” David Grayson A purpose serves as a bridge: it connects us mentally and emotionally to why we do what we do and gives us a reason to do it. We as humans are all purpose maximizers, but we need to know what motivat

Reflections on AshokaU 2019 By Cristina Bernardo Kullberg This year’s AshokaU Conference asked some really difficult and powerful questions: How do we make the field of social entrepreneurship more diverse, equitable, and inclusive? How do universities, and entrepreneurs interact with local communities in a respectable and fair fashion? And perhaps with the most challenging force, from the words of one Canadian professor – how do we decolonize social entrepreneurship? These t

The Future of Work: 10 Considerations for Leaders in Business and Academia. By Drew Bonfiglio. My brilliant MIT professor brother-in-law, Jeff, loves to use Alexa as his in-home Turing Test. (We also need to credit him for the elimination of the penny, whenever that finally happens. But that’s a conversation for another day). When we’re hanging out at Jeff’s, eating pancakes –which are amazing by the way–, he tests Alexa’s skills. I am often as disappointed as I am impressed

JOURNEYS: AN EMZINGO-U ALUMNI SERIES This article is part of a series written by Emzingo-U alumni to offer a first hand testimony of their experiences during our university programs. By Karina Viquez. Social Entrepreneur and passionate about sustainability, Karina completed the Emzingo Social Impact Trek to New York City during her International MBA at IE Business School. With previous experience in the Automotive and Pharmaceutical industries in Latin America, she is aiming

JOURNEYS: AN EMZINGO-U ALUMNI SERIES. This article is part of a series written by Emzingo-U alumni to offer a first hand testimony of their experiences during our university programs. By Sophia Lahey As part of the 2018 Global Impact Fellowship in Peru, Sophia consulted with the nonprofit, Kantaya, to increase awareness and funds in the United States. Kantaya provides afterschool education and programs to children in the vulnerable community of Ventanilla with outstanding res

JOURNEYS: AN EMZINGO-U ALUMNI SERIES. This article is part of a series written by Emzingo-U alumni to offer a first hand testimony of their experiences during our university programs. By Isaline Nguyen. After graduating from McGill University with a Bachelor of Commerce and competing as a Varsity synchronized swimmer, Isaline pursued a Master in Management at IE Business school. There she joined the Impact Learning Trek in South Africa, as part of her program’s global immersi

An honest conversation with Aparna Bhat Strategy and Finance Consultant at Agora Partnerships, Emzingo alumna, Aparna Bhat, has been involved in the social sector for most of her career. Leveraging her international experience –ranging from India, to South Africa, to Mexico– she offers in-depth consulting support to high-potential companies and entrepreneurs working to solve some of the most pressing social and environmental challenges in Latin America. During 4-month terms,

Why Businesses Should Use Design Thinking to Advance the Sustainable Development Goals. What do the Sustainable Development Goals have to do with business or design thinking? For businesses that care about people and the planet, plenty! By Krista Aspiras. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were established by the United Nations to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all. The 17 goals, adopted by 193 participating UN countries, lay out the global a

A B-Corp’s personal story. By Maryem Sáder. Emzingo has recently been awarded by the comprehensive B Impact Assessment in the 2018 Best for the World as one of the top global companies creating the most positive impact on its customers. We are honored to be part of this distinguished group! And even though every path is unique, we’d like to share a few things that have helped us come to where we are today. 1. We’re all humans: focus on creating value with a human-centered app

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Emzingo Honored by Comprehensive B Impact Assessment for Bringing Most Positive Impact to Our Customers June 12, 2018. Emzingo has been recognized as one of the top global companies creating the most positive overall impact on its customers. Based on a fully independent, comprehensive assessment administered by the nonprofit B Lab, Emzingo is honored to be part of the Best For Customers list, which includes businesses that earned a Customer

Guess who can name all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 169 associated targets that come with them? If you’ve answered “no one”, you’re right! That’s just too much for most people to absorb, particularly if your primary responsibilities at work are not focused solely on sustainability, corporate citizenship, etc. Although thinking about all of them  can be quite daunting, the SDGs can serve as inspiration for your company’s sustainability strategy and instill a