Socially-conscious entrepreneurs and business leaders who have successfully combined profitability with environmental stewardship and social responsibility in their business practices will be the spotlight of Pepperdine University’s 2014 Socially, Environmentally, and Ethically Responsible (SEER) Symposium on November 7th in Malibu, CA. The one-day event, to take place on Friday, November 7^th, will feature C-level executives offering practical, real-world advice from diverse areas including healthcare, sports, entertainment and non-profit industries, to name a few.

The Fourth Annual SEER Symposium continues its exciting exploration into next generation business strategy, gathering the experiences of a broad spectrum of world-changing innovators, executives, thought-leaders and entrepreneurs to engage, challenge and inspire its audience of MBA students and members of the business community. This year’s theme, Positive Entrepreneurship, strikes at the heart of SEER thinking, expressing one’s values and tapping into one’s strengths to start businesses that solve problems, generate profit and create a life of meaning.

“The symposium is a platform to introduce some of the brightest, most inspirational, socially-minded, and successful business leaders in today’s industries to Pepperdine students, faculty and the region’s socially responsible business community,” says co-host Dr. Michael Crooke, former CEO of Patagonia, Executive Professor of SEER Business Strategy at Pepperdine University, and founding faculty lead of the SEER Certificate program available to MBAs at the Graziadio School of Business. “Positive Entrepreneurship—first coined by SEER Symposium speaker Gregg Latterman—focuses on values and positive impact providing an exciting foundation for a virtuous cycle through all four quadrants of the SEER cycle.”

The 2014 SEER Symposium provides a forum for exploring the complexities of issues such as sustainability, corporate social responsibility and ethics – and how to tie those disciplines to entrepreneurship, innovation and producing a superior product that generates financial growth.

“At the heart of this symposium is discussion around one of the most common business problems – translating innovation into impact,” says co-host Dr. Larry Cox, Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship, Lead Faculty of Entrepreneurship Programs. “SEER principles offer a roadmap for businesses and entrepreneurs that can guide creation of a unique business approach and a truly great product or service.”

SEER Symposium Speakers Include:

Nikhil Arora and Alejandro Velez, Founders, Back to the Roots, advocate for sustainable products that inspire millennials and their kids to reconnect with food and ask the question, "Where does my food come from?" with their award-winning products, the Mushroom Kit and AquaFarm, sold in over 2,500 retailers nationwide, including Whole Foods, Home Depot, Costco, Nordstrom, Target, Safeway, and Kroger.

John Figueroa, CEO, Genoa Healthcare, heads the nation’s market leading behavioral health specialty pharmacy company serving more than 300,000 individuals with severe mental health illnesses.

Sal Giambanco, Partner, Omidyar Network, leads the human capital and operations functions at the philanthropic foundation, and works to develop and scale the talent at Omidyar Network and its portfolio organizations.

Naveen Jain, Founder of Moon Express, World Innovation Institute, iNome, TalentWise, Intelius, and Infospace, is driven to solve the world’s biggest challenges through innovation. As an entrepreneur, philanthropist and technology pioneer he is a regular contributor to Forbes, WSJ, INC. and Huffington Post.

Michelle Kydd Lee, Director, Foundation for Creative Art Agency (CAA), uses the natural resources in the entertainment, sports and corporate worlds to create positive social change in communities across the nation.

Gregg Latterman, Founder and CEO, Aware Records, driven by the desire to find the best-unsigned musical artists in the country, consistently identifies some of the hottest emerging bands in the music industry and exposes them to the mainstream media.

Stig Severinsen, 4-time World Champion Freediver and Author of Breatheology: The Art of Conscious Breathing, collaborates with leading scientists from around the world to unlock new secrets on the human body and mind, and is always pushing the limits of human physiology and psychology by setting new Guinness World Records.

In addition to the exceptional panel of speakers, this year's program will include the inaugural SEER Symposium Fast Pitch Competition with the chance to win $1,000. The SEER Symposium Fast Pitch Competition gives start-ups the opportunity to get their idea in front of a panel of experts from the entrepreneurial and lending communities.

Registration:

The 2014 SEER Symposium will be held on Friday, November 7, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., at Pepperdine University, Drescher Graduate Campus Auditorium, 24255 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, CA 90263. To register visit: http://bschool.pepperdine.edu/events/seer-symposium/

About Pepperdine’s Certificate in Socially, Environmentally, and Ethically Responsible (SEER) Business Strategy
Many sustainable business programs have focused attention on "the triple bottom line" – People, Planet, Profits. The Certificate in Socially, Environmentally and Ethically Responsible (SEER) Business Strategy, offered to Pepperdine's Full-time MBA and Fully Employed MBA students, goes a step beyond and adds a fourth factor to the equation: Product. This certificate program focuses on the complexities of sustainability, corporate social responsibility, and ethics, and how these tie into producing a superior product that generates financial growth. More information: http://bschool.pepperdine.edu/programs/full-time-mba/seer/

About Pepperdine University Graziadio School of Business and Management
A leader in cultivating entrepreneurship and digital innovation, The Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University focuses on the real-world application of MBA-level business concepts. The Graziadio School provides student-focused, globally-oriented education through part-time, full-time, and Executive MBA programs at our 5+ Southern California campuses, Northern California campus, as well as through online and hybrid formats. In addition, The Graziadio School offers a variety of Master of Science programs, a Bachelor of Science in Management degree completion program, Presidential and Key Executives MBA and executive education certificate programs. Follow the Graziadio School at www.facebook.com/pepperdine.graziadio and https://twitter.com/graziadioschool

Pepperdine University Graziadio School of Business and Management

Pepperdine University Graziadio School of Business and Management

Pepperdine University’s MBA Certificate in Socially, Environmentally, and Ethically Responsible (SEER) Business Strategy, led by lead faculty and former Patagonia CEO Michael Crooke, allows students to complement their MBA degree with courses and activities that will prepare them to incorporate their own values and ethics into a successful career in 21st century business; apply SEER values to companies large or small, across a diverse range of industries; and lead the next wave of great organizations.

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