As managing director for the Social Impact Initiative (WSII) at Wharton, I have the

opportunity to meet with a wide range of current and prospective students interested in
issues such as poverty reduction, education reform,financial inclusion, community
development. Their questions have a common theme. What will I learn at Wharton that
will help me understand the root causes of pressing social problemsand what needs to
be done to address these problems? What opportunities are there to apply what I learn,
and to get an understanding of the challenges? How do I prepare myself to continue to
make a difference after I graduate, either in my career or as a leader in my community?
What we end up talking about is the range of opportunities at Wharton. Our new Social
Impact Fellows provide MBA students with an opportunity to create and implement new
initiatives at Wharton. Another new WSII initiative focusing on innovative social finance
will connect student-run activities of the Wharton Social Venture Fund with a broader
range of innovative approaches to financing social change. The Nonprofit Board Leaders
Program provides second year students with an opportunity to sit on the Board of a local
nonprofit. Students can apply their business skills through a variety of local and global
consulting projects, coursework, and co-curricular opportunities. TheBendheim Loan
Forgiveness Program encourages graduates to commit themselves to a career with
nonprofits by providing financial support. Social entrepreneurs are encouraged through
the offerings of Wharton Entrepreneurship. Multiple student clubs provide opportunities
to engage with the community, with students across this great university, and with
leaders in social impact. The pathways and range of offerings are as diverse as our
students.
So what our students come to realize is the importance of the shared knowledge they
develop at Wharton. Because when it comes to the issues addressed by social impact
initiatives, the problems are obvious, the solutions much less so. But the Wharton
approach is characterized by a commitment to critical analysis and to rigorous
evaluation. Were committed to research and data, and to looking beyond the obvious.
We encourage our students to understand models that can be creatively applied to new
situations. Through the combination of course work and experiential learning, we help
our students move from data to knowledge, from knowledge to action, from action to
impact. An alum running a charter school points to the importance of her finance courses
in her daily decisions. For another alum, strategic management helps to provide
guidance for an organization that provides employment opportunities for those
considered unemployable. Another uses Wharton training to engage volunteers in youth
mentoring. Still another provides consulting specifically focused on social-mission
organizations. Others have created innovative triple-bottom line businesses. The variety
of approaches and opportunities is inspiring.
This is the kind of thinking that is going to help to address the most pressing problems
facing society. This is knowledge that makes a difference. This is knowledge for social
impact. This is Wharton.
Want to learn more? Join our Admissions team and some of our wonderful alums at
our Social Impact Panel on October 9th at 7 PM in Washington, D.C.
Sherryl Kuhlman, Ph.D., WG01
Managing Director, Wharton Social Impact Initiative