Valeria Widjaja is an HBA’22 Candidate and the Ivey HBA Social Impact Club Conference Director.
The 2022 Ivey Social Impact Conference focused on the theme of RIPPLE, which explored concepts of accountability and responsibility.
While we may view ourselves as one person or part of an organization, we are interconnected within a larger ecosystem called society. When we start imagining ourselves tied in this web together, it is impossible not to see the externalities of our actions, thereby forcing us to realize we always hold some level of responsibility.
When we inspire more people to explore the social impact, we create even greater waves of positive change in our communities.
Key Takeaways
Educate & Frame
James Arreak, EMBA '20 shared his stories and experiences as a residential school survivor. He called us to be careful. As business students, we must be intentional with our decisions and understand how they impact real people. We have a responsibility to understand that we are part of the problem and be motivated to fix it.
Inspire
A panel of industry professionals examined the real meaning of success, and described how they took a leap into careers outside of the sphere of consulting and investment banking. The panel included Ashley Wang, HBA ’19, who is in social finance, social entrepreneur Nadia Ladak, HBA ‘20, and Isabel Taylor, MES ’21, who works in the public sector.
Their underlying sentiment prompted us to question the norms in how business and society operates to find the solutions needed for change.
Empower
Conference workshops ranged from learning about well-being economies to impact assessment. Participants were introduced to new skills and thought processes, preparing them for a journey of continued learning and self-growth under a new (or renewed) social mission.