Hunger and food insecurity. Racial justice. Youth and education. These issues have served as the central organizing topics for Project Impact, the new virtual discussion series launched in late 2020 by the HBS Alumni Association of Boston (HBSAB).

Each virtual panel discussion features several leaders from nonprofit organizations who are taking on big social problems, innovating solutions and having significant impact.

“Our goal is to educate, motivate and inspire our alumni to take action in their own communities,” says Christina Thirkell, Director of Strategic Programs for the HBSAB. Thirkell worked with outgoing HBSAB President, James Driscoll (PLDA 15) to develop and organize the series last year, after COVID-19 forced all club activity online.

Driscoll says Project Impact is something the club would produce even if there wasn’t a pandemic, as it is another chance for alumni to find inspiration.

“This is about truly authentic leadership stories, from people whose work is amazing,” says Driscoll. “Coming from HBS, we are the establishment. We have the networks and the resources. The speakers in the program, very often, have no networks and little resources. Yet they see a problem and say ‘I’m going to fix that.’ And they’ve done it with amazing results There’s no better role model.”

For the panel, Hunger and Food Insecurity: Action Against Hunger, HBSAB Vice President and panel moderator David Harris (MBA 1984), talked about addressing the complexities of hunger during COVID-19 with panelists Ajay Relan, founder of #HashtagLunchbag, an effort to feed the homeless and hungry through social media and self-directed volunteer groups; Aidan Reilly, cofounder of the Farmlink Project, which connects farmers to food banks to reduce food waste and feed needy communities; Anne Hayes, executive director of The Food Project, which deploys youth and young adults from diverse backgrounds to work on farms and in urban gardens to build a just and sustainable food system; and Tom J. Tierney (MBA 1980) from The Bridgespan Group, which provides leadership development consulting services to nonprofits.

The panel, The Quest for Racial Justice: Making This a Movement, Not a Moment, moderator Ivy Jack (MBA 2004), Head of Equity Research at NorthStar Asset Management, discussed systemic racial inequities, the murder of George Floyd, and the growing movement for justice and change with panelists from organizations on the front line. They included Omar Blayton, CFO of Sunwealth, a solar impact fund that invests in solar power for social and climate impact; Donna Gambrel, CEO of Appalachian Community Capital, a small business lender for underserved communities; and Genevieve Martin, Executive Director of Dave’s Killer Bread Foundation, which works on second-chance employment for individuals impacted by the criminal justice system.

For the April 6 event on Youth and Education, club member and former Chair and CEO of Young & Rubicam Brands, Ann Fudge (MBA 1977) moderated for a panel including Annemarie Quezada, Head of Mother Caroline Academy, a private, tuition-free school for girls in grades 4-8 from limited financial means; Eric Dawson, founder of Peace First, a youth-led peacemaking initiative; and Sarah Hemminger, CEO and Cofounder of Thread.org, which deploys volunteers to serve K-12 students needing meals, transportation, tutoring and others necessities. Their conversations focused on the many ways the organizations continued to serve their communities during the most critical days of the pandemic.

In all of the programs, the goal has been to give the featured speakers an audience for their work and ideas, while giving the HBS community an inside look at what Driscoll calls “authentic leadership stories.”

In each conversation, panelists have shared their stories then answered specific questions from attendees. Thirkell says an average of 100 people have attended each event, which are open to the general public as well as all HBS alumni. The Project Impact organizers are finalizing details for their next panel on mental health, slated for late May. The program will continue after a summer break.

“We see no need to stop presenting the program,” says Thirkell. “These are individuals and organizations that don’t normally get a platform like this. They’ve done so many incredible things and are having an impact both locally and globally.”

HBS Professor David Yoffie talks about platform businesses during HBS CLub of Japan's virtual Fellowship Program event.

The HBS Club of Japan recently held a virtual event in support of the club’s fellowship program, featuring a keynote lecture on platform businesses by HBS Professor David Yoffie.

Established in 2016, the Japan Fellowship Program currently supports one student from Japan each year to attend Harvard Business School, according to Tatsuo Kawasaki (MBA 1995), the program’s director. The club has a goal to raise $1 million through alumni donors in order to send two students to HBS each year.

“This virtual event was held to enhance awareness of our program among the HBS community in Japan,” says Kawasaki.

In addition to Professor Yoffie’s talk, the event featured a conversation between HBS Admissions Director Eileen Chang, past fellowship recipients, and donors focused on the impact and meaning of the fellowship. In total, 108 alumni and potential donors participated.

“The many voices in this discussion represented powerful messages that this will continue to be a crucial part of our community,” says Kawasaki. “And Professor Yoffie's presentation was intellectually stimulating [and led to] a very engaging Q&A session.”

The HBS Club of Japan is one of 30 HBS alumni clubs & associations that contribute $1 million in scholarships and fellowships to more than 100 HBS students every year.

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