What I Learned by Attending Harvard's Social Enterprise Conference

Have you ever had the opportunity to attend an event, but the timing did not work out in your favor? This was always the case with Harvard's Social Enterprise conference for me. As a Campbell Business student, I have been encouraged to attend this conference throughout my college career, but I did not take the opportunity due to schedule conflicts and other obligations. However, Harvard held the conference virtually this year, making it more convenient for me to attend and gain insight from each panel session. I attended three panel sessions during the conference: Innovations in Mental Health, Innovations in Education, and Encouraging and Supporting More Women Entrepreneurs. Each of these sessions provided me with a plethora of different perspectives on various social dilemmas.

Here is what I learned from each panel session:

Innovations in Mental Health

It is no surprise that the COVID-19 pandemic has led many individuals to feel more isolated, depressed, and anxious about the future. The Innovations in Mental Health panel shined a light on a group that many individuals often seem to overlook regarding mental health---adolescents.

Not physically being in a classroom has led students' mental health to decline, as Erin Ganju of Enchinda Giving highlighted. She spoke about how devastating it is for students to not be in school during the pandemic since they are missing out on the outreach programs that many schools provide. She went on to convey how there may be an increase in learning loss due to COVID-19. As a college student, her insights resonated with me, as I have often felt less motivated by online tasks which were previously in-person.

Another panelist, Manish Sisodia, conveyed that many young people have been asking, "What's next?" given their need to find jobs. He encouraged creating ways to develop the skills of young adults, as well as encouraging entrepreneurship.

Innovations in Education

Although I am not an educator, I found each panelist's findings insightful as I believe there is plenty of reform needed in the education system. Deirdre Quanstrom advocated for teaching through Minecraft, while Natalia Castillego spoke about how Duolingo has changed how individuals learn languages. Quanstrom explained how students can learn to build a better world through the power of play. This struck a chord with me since I feel that more creativity should be encouraged more in school. When I was in middle and high school, I was always eager to play a game on Kahoot! or Quizizz as opposed to taking notes, only to temporarily memorize the material for a test.

However, while games are a great way to change up how teachers deliver lessons in the classroom, educators should not be fully reliant on games. Another panelist, Bron Stuckey, emphasized how games should not carry all of the complexity in learning. Stuckey encouraged that more research needs to be done on education, and teachers need to find different ways of assessing students.

Encouraging and Supporting More Women Entrepreneurs

As a female pursuing a career in business, I was especially glad that this was one of the panel topics. When asked why there is still a disparity in funding women entrepreneurs, I heard several insights I had not considered. Alicia Robb highlighted that many investors want to invest in businesses that resonate with them and look like they do. Additionally, John Sage spoke about pattern recognition, and how we should understand where those barriers exist. He gave an anecdote of a young, black female entrepreneur who pitched her business to a group of white male investors who made lewd, suggestive comments about her once she completed her pitch.

When the panelists were asked about the most important area to tackle to level out the playing field, they discussed education policy, risk-taking, and telling the stories of successful female entrepreneurs. Esha Sahai emphasized that we should focus more on education and education policy for women. She also discussed how we should tackle gender-based policies and gender pay gaps.

However, the portion of this panel that resonated with me the most is when the panelists were asked about the advice they would give to female college students who aspire to become entrepreneurs. Alicia Robb emphasized the importance of not only seeking out startup ecosystems but going out into the world. One thing she said truly stuck with me:

"The more we show up, the more other women are going to enter." -- Alicia Robb (Founder and CEO, Next Wave Impact)

Her words not only made me feel empowered but inspired me to remain persistent in my search for an internship, and moving forward in my career. Additionally, John Sage advised ignoring all the naysayers who tell you that you cannot achieve greatness and to get involved in startup ecosystems. Therefore, Robb and Sage's advice fueled a fire within me that will help me to achieve success as I strive to become an entrepreneur.

While I attended panels that all covered different subject matter, I feel that attending the Social Enterprise conference gave me more of an understanding of issues we are currently facing in society, and how I can try to combat these problems in my career.