8.16.2007 - 04:00pm ET

The 2007 Net Impact Conference features over 100 presenters with keynote speakers including Yvon Chouinard, Founder of Patagonia; Chad Holliday, CEO of DuPont; and Magatte Wade-Marchand, Co-founder of Adina Beverages.

(CSRwire) NASHVILLE and SAN FRANCISCO - August 16, 2007 – This November, graduate business students, faculty and administrators from B-schools around the globe will join with corporate and nonprofit professionals for the 2007 Net Impact Conference, the world’s largest such gathering focused on corporate social responsibility, social entrepreneurship, international development, and nonprofit and environmental management.

Entitled "Building a Sustainable Future: What Will You Do Next?" the event will be hosted by the Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management on November 1-3, 2007.

With an enhanced curriculum and plans for an enriched participant experience, the forum promises to be among the most successful in the organization's history and a sell-out for the fourth year running. In addition, Net Impact will demonstrate its own commitment to environmental responsibility through a "green" experience for participants that will include organic meals, extensive recycling options and an overall carbon-neutral event.

"The next generation of business leaders is poised to use their skills and ideas to effect tremendous change in the world today," said Elizabeth Maw, executive director of Net Impact, the San Francisco-based international nonprofit organization now entering its 15th year. "The Net Impact conference provides an unparalleled opportunity for business school students and professionals to engage in the issues and jumpstart their own ideas on sustainability and responsible business practice."

Keynote speakers, enhanced curriculum and new opportunities

The 2007 conference will be the most dynamic yet, with keynote speakers including Yvon Chouinard, Founder of Patagonia; Chad Holliday, CEO of DuPont; and Magatte Wade-Marchand, Co-founder of Adina Beverages. Overall, the conference will include more than 300 speakers and 90 panels, all geared to challenge participants to think about how to make the world more sustainable through business practice. Other highlights of the conference include:

A Career Expo featuring leading companies and nonprofits.

Continued growth of interest in social responsibility

This year's Net Impact conference takes place amid ever-increasing interest among current and future business leaders in the principles and potential of corporate social responsibility. In a recent Net Impact survey of more than 2,100 students worldwide, 81 percent believe companies should try to work toward the betterment of society and nine out of ten respondents said that business leaders should factor social and environmental effects into their business decisions. Even more telling, 79 percent of the students said they will seek socially responsible employment at some point during their careers and more than half will do so immediately after graduation.

"The role of business in society continues to mature, and there is significant interest in these issues among students and businesses alike," said Jim Bradford, dean of the Owen School and former industry CEO. "This year's event will provide a valuable opportunity for these groups to come together to realize the goal of truly changing how the world does business."

Additional information about this year's conference - including details about the curriculum and registration information - is available at www.netimpact.org/conference.

The Annual Net Impact Conference is designed to help attendees expand their vision of the possible as they set their course through the world of business. It mobilizes students and professionals through an exciting array of keynotes, panels, case studies, simulations, and special events. Participants leave with a fresh perspective on the role of business in society, a new appreciation for their individual role as an emerging business leader, and a strong connection with a network of like-minded colleagues.

Net Impact, headquartered in San Francisco, CA, is an international nonprofit membership organization comprised of new leaders who are committed to using the power of business to improve the world. Its network spans the globe with more than 140 student and professional chapters on 6 continents in over 80 cities and 110 graduate schools. Members believe that business can both earn a profit and create positive social change. Net Impact offers a portfolio of programs to help members transform this ideal into measurable results. For more information, visit Net Impact's web site at www.netimpact.org.

Vanderbilt Owen School of Management is ranked as a top institution by BusinessWeek, The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News & World Report, Financial Times and Forbes. For more information about Owen, visit www.owen.vanderbilt.edu.

For more information please contact:

Liz Maw, Executive Director
Net Impact
+1 415 495 4230 x306
www.netimpact.org

Amy Wolf, Senior Public Affairs Officer
Vanderbilt University
+1 615 322 6397
www.owen.vanderbilt.edu

For more CSR news and information from this organization:

Corporate Social Responsibility Profile for Net Impact

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