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NC State Net Impact Chapters Receive Gold Chapter Standing

NC State’s undergraduate and graduate Net Impact chapters both received 2016 Gold standings in recognition of their outstanding performance in the past academic year. It is the second consecutive year that the two NC State Net Impact chapters have received this prestigious recognition.

“Of our network of over 300 chapters worldwide, Net Impact’s Gold chapters represent the brightest, most committed impact leaders who are making a difference on their campuses and in their communities,” says Net Impact CEO Liz Maw. “These chapters are inspiring and equipping young people to use their careers to lead our world to a more sustainable and equitable future.” Only 38 percent of Net Impact chapters worldwide received Gold standing this year.

NC State’s road to gold

Gold standing is based upon the chapter’s ability to meet a rigorous set of requirements based on the activities, programs and network contribution the chapter provides in the past academic year. In 2015-16, Net Impact as a whole led a multitude of events and programs that positively impacted each their communities.

The graduate chapter hosted a Net Impact Lunch and Learn series that connected students with leaders in sustainable businesses in the areas of biofuels, B Corporations, and other topics. The graduate chapter’s leadership team members were Liz Bowen, Anindo Chaterjee, and Padmaja Soundararajan, all 2016 Jenkins MBA graduates. 

NC State’s undergraduate chapter’s activities included a number of exciting and impactful events such as partnering with the B Corp Clinic, an initiative of the Business Sustainability Collaborative based in Poole College and led by BSC Director Jessica Thomas. The B Corp Clinic is designed to connect students with aspiring B Corps who are interested in improving their environmental and social impact. Leadership for the undergraduate chapter was provided by Ryan Kilgore, a senior in chemical engineering, and Amelia Fujikawa and Julie Gerton, who both graduated with bachelor’s degrees in environmental science in May 2016.

Kilgore said the most significant event for him this past year was the Hunger and Food Waste Forum that the NC State chapters helped organize and present in March 2016, in collaboration with NC State’s Sustainability Office.

Kilgore and Bowen arranged for a panel presentation with six experts working to tackle issues of hunger and food waste. “Utilizing an ‘un-conference’ format, the Forum was designed to start a conversation on the key issues which link hunger and food waste,” Kilgore said. 

“I’m very proud of the entire leadership team for all their hard work in providing opportunities for students to engage in social and environmental issues in the context of our business education,” Thomas said. “I think the recognition speaks to the long tradition around social and environmental impact at NC State and the broad reach of the Net Impact club across the entire NC State student body. I look forward to continuing to work with the chapters to amplify their impact in the coming academic year.”

Separate from the Gold status award, the undergraduate Net Impact chapter also received a $5,000 grant from the John Deere Foundation, to help support the chapter’s efforts in the 2016-2017 academic year.

Kilgore said Net Impact has helped him with his personal and professional development. “Net Impact encourages young people to use the power of business to create a more socially and environmentally sustainable world. I carried that direction with me to my internship at Procter & Gamble by joining a sustainability team and taking on substantial projects that have implications for the bottom-line and the environment.”

Learn More

About Net Impact National

About the NC State Net Impact Chapters