In 2023, the HBS Association of Boston (HBSAB) is commemorating its Centennial Year with activities and events aimed at celebrating a century of alumni accomplishments, exploring the trends shaping the future of business, and challenging the ways the club itself can evolve to provide the best services and opportunities to its members in a rapidly changing world.

"In this, our one hundredth year, we've stepped back to ask ourselves: How can we actually provide more value to our membership and the general public?" says HBSAB's co-president Gautam Ramchandani (MBA 1977). "Our three major priorities this year are to reflect, learn, and act so we can craft a better future for the HBS Association of Boston."

To that end, Ramchandani says the club has hired a consulting firm to survey alumni members to better understand how the club can serve them at various stages of their careers and family lives. In addition, the club recently established the Younger Alumni Committee to help increase engagement with more recent HBS grads.

The club has also launched a new monthly panel discussion series called "The Future of…," which offers experts' perspectives on emerging technologies, demographic shifts, and macroeconomic developments and highlights the leadership skills required to navigate a potentially turbulent future.

The first of these discussions featured HBS senior lecturer David Edelman exploring "The Future of AI and the Customer Experience." Upcoming discussions in the series include "The Future of Leadership in the Digital Era," "ChatGPT and the Future of AI," and "The Future of Sports Apparel with Fanatics." Ramchandani says the series may even include an exploration of the future of dating.

A major marquee event to celebrate a century of alumni accomplishments is currently in planning stages for next fall, and Ramchandani says it will focus on the HBS theme of "Business as a Force for Good."

"We'll feature some of the excellent work going on at the School, and hope to include Dean Datar as well as several other prominent alumni," he says. "We're creating a Centennial Celebration Committee, and we invite our alumni to please join us. This is a once-in-a-hundred-year opportunity to participate in the growth of the club."

Interested alumni can reach out to the club's admin, Jason Schrank, at jason@hbsab.org.

After a full year of activities and events marking its 75^th anniversary, the HBS Club of Dallas is capping off its milestone year with a gala dinner featuring former CEO of GE Jeffrey Immelt (MBA 1982) as the keynote speaker.

According to club president Nancy Schmitt (MBA 1991), registration is underway for the formal event, to be held at the Gleneagles Country Club in Dallas on April 29, 2023. The evening will also feature a video documentary of the club's 75th year, a time capsule, a presentation on the history of the club, recognition of the pro-bono work done by its Community Partners program, commemorative gifts, and even a few signature cocktails.

"We expect this evening to be festive, fun, and inspiring," says Schmitt. "It's been a special year. Everything we've done has had some 75^th anniversary component."

Celebrations kicked off last May with the club's first signature event—a fireside chat on "The Future of Dallas," featuring Cullum Clark, an urban economist and thought leader on the future of cities.

Since then, Schmitt says the club has worked hard to produce and present a range of programming, including virtual panel discussions and a four-session Special Interest Group (SIG) on real estate investing in the fast-growing Dallas/Fort Worth market, several group tours behind the scenes of Texas companies such as Central Market, a major local grocery chain, and Chip and Joanna Gaines' Magnolia in Waco. The club also relaunched its Women's SIG, started a book club, and held its first off-site retreat for members of its six Alumni Forums.

"We also started the Dallas Explorers Club," adds Schmitt. "It's a way to build awareness of Dallas as a multicultural city by exploring different restaurants."

A Digital Healthcare Conference and the club's third annual Energy CEO Summit—featuring some of the biggest names in the energy sector—are set to take place in the month prior to the dinner.

Over the course of the year, the club has been documenting its many gatherings and activities to include with club historical archives for a documentary film to be presented at the gala dinner in April. This will include footage from a special luncheon where some of the club's earliest members, some in their 90s, share their memories. The film, along with some other commemorative memorabilia, will then be added to a new time capsule the club will set away for its 100^th anniversary. "We've had a lot of fun with this," says Schmitt.

Eight alumni comprise the club's 75^th celebration committee. They include Schmitt, Brian Buffington (MBA 1985), Graham Gardner (MBA 1981), Rose Hasham (ALM 2010), Jack Langenberg (MBA 1999), Mary Lovell (MBA 1979), Gil Marmol (MBA 1978), and Van Sheets (MBA 1983).

The HBS Club of Houston celebrated its 75^th anniversary on February 25, 2022, with its first in-person gathering since the beginning of the pandemic. More than 75 alumni and guests attended the cocktail party, which was held at the River Oaks Country Club in Houston.

"It was a really fun evening, and just so nice to bring everyone together in person after so long," says the club's immediate past president Megan Stidman (MBA 1999). "We had wine and appetizers, some door prizes, and a surprise video greeting from Dean Datar. He expressed his gratitude to the alumni for being involved with the club and for giving their time, talent, and treasure over the years. He said 75 years was a tremendous milestone, and he recognized it took tireless leadership and commitment by alumni throughout our club's history. He also expressed his heartfelt admiration and appreciation for our club. Just the fact that he took the time to record that for us meant a lot. Everybody enjoyed it."

With over 300 members, Stidman says the Houston club is very active with a wide range of programs and special interest groups, including an Executive Speaker Series, a breakfast forum, a Women's Leadership Group, Alumni Angels, Alumni Forums, and Community Partners.

At the close of the evening, everyone in attendance received a commemorative mug with a fortune cookie inside. The fortune read, "Life is one long jubilee. Happy 75^th Anniversary!"

To celebrate 50 years since it was founded, the HBS Club of San Antonio is creating a series of events that pay homage to the many ways HBS alumni have helped make San Antonio what it is today. Pointing to major companies founded or cofounded in the city by alumni, such as Clear Channel Communications and Southwest Airlines, club president Madison Mauze (MBA 2006) says there have been many great accomplishments over the last 50 years that can be traced back to HBS.

"We're looking to celebrate San Antonio through the eyes of HBS," says Mauze. To do that, the club has convened a planning group of 10 alumni volunteers, including Mauze, which will produce three major events over the spring and summer based on the HBS mission to educate leaders who make a difference in the world. These could be panel discussions, or fireside chats with leaders in the San Antonio business community. Then in the fall, the club will hold a formal 50^th anniversary gala. "We haven't sorted all the details yet, such as who we might have as a guest speaker. Do we invite a faculty member, or a local business leader? We're working on it."

Mauze says the club will organize the events with the guiding principles of community service, innovation, and leadership in mind. The club hopes to kick off the festivities in April with a discussion with a local business historian, to be held in a downtown high rise with spectacular views of San Antonio.

"Our 50^th anniversary is a great opportunity to activate our current membership," Mauze says. "We have approximately 250 alumni in the San Antonio area, but we don't see a lot of them. This will give them a reason to get out and come join us. We even have one of the founding members of the club, Tom DeBrooke (MBA 1970), who is on our board and very active here in San Antonio. He's a great advocate for us. To honor him, we want to make sure it's a great celebration. We've got a big vision and now we're ready to bring it to fruition."

Is your alumni club planning a milestone celebration? You can let us know by contacting clubsteam@hbs.edu.

Post a Comment