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he steps up to the podium, looking crisp,
like a CEO in the making, in a white Empowering student teams to build new ventures
blazer, while others in the class sport
ST-shirts and shorts.
“We are the Eller Think Tank team,” Katie from the ground up helps entrepreneurs launch
Alhadeff proclaims. The 20 other students stop
doodling. They sit up, put down their phones and common-good businesses.
listen.
Turning serious, Alhadeff states the social
problem her team selected. Although the Eller
College of Management is already a top U.S. away from leaving that to charity where the rich
business college, her team had to propose a way, give to the poor. Businesses are finding they can
in theory, to improve it. They designed an in- increase market share by doing the right thing, by
house academic-help center. leveraging the market and nonmarket benefits of
Alhadeff, a senior, asks her team to describe a company.”
their plans, complete with budgets, revenue In 2016, the new director of the McGuire
projections and sustainable impacts. Center for Entrepreneurship, Remy Arteaga,
This was one of the team presentations in recognized the certificate’s value as soon as he
MGMT 380, Social Innovation Organizations, arrived. He wanted to nurture the MGMT 380
part of an emphasis at Eller’s McGuire Center emphasis on putting business skills to work
for Entrepreneurship on innovating for social in nonprofits. “I call them ‘common-good’
impact. organizations,” he says. “They should be known
In May 2017, McGuire issued its first Social by their work, not their structure.”
Innovation Certificate, or SIC. Business majors From the start, he insisted that social-impact
like Alhadeff can earn the designation on their courses were central to McGuire, a 33-year-old
transcripts, signaling to employers that they center within Eller. “There are very few options
could start or run a company that can make a for those working in bringing about greater
difference, not just a profit. Twenty-five students common good to enhance their knowledge, skills
are in line to earn the certificate. and mindset. The mindset to bring about change
To get the SIC, students must complete and manage uncertainty is critical to solving
nine units in small-business development some of the world’s biggest problems.”
and consulting, social innovation, nonprofit Word is spreading fast about the program.
consulting, management of effective nonprofit Eller has had an outpouring of interest in their
organizations, or social entrepreneurship. Nonprofit Leadership Certificate this spring, with
It’s the only program of its kind in the U.S. 84 applicants from local nonprofits and space for
with a fully local focus, says its director, Cindi just 48 people.
Gilliland, an Eller professor of management While these social impact offerings are new
and organizations. Others stress hypothetical as formal educational tracks for the McGuire
problems or national issues, while McGuire Center, the long established New Venture
Center student teams work on a real social or Development Program — a year-long, hands-
environmental need in the Tucson region. on program that empowers student teams to
One team started an animal welfare coalition build new ventures from the ground up — has
that obtained a $2 million grant for spay-and- been helping students launch common-good
neuter work in a zone hard-hit with strays. businesses for years.
Another worked on refugee resettlement in To round out its social entrepreneurship
Pima County, creating resume workshops for job programs, Eller launched its new public-private
seekers and fixing bicycles to take them to job partnership with Impact Hub San Francisco at an
sites. event in early March. Eller will deliver graduate-
Gilliland, who began offering social impact level social impact entrepreneurship education
projects in her organizational behavior class in to the members of Impact Hub’s purpose-driven Photo, from left: UA senior Tripp
2007, says that more businesses are realizing coworking community. Matt Van Horn ’06, who Twyman explains the science behind
that social impacts are good business. “They’re cofounded the ride-sharing company now called the startup Algoe Chemicals to Kimya
Dastoori and Riem Kidane at the 2018
looking to make cleaner, greener products and Lyft as well as the June smart oven, was part of a McGuire Innovation Expo.
help people at the bottom of the pyramid, getting panel discussion at the event.

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