BSC Global Entrepreneurship Week Speed Networking Recap

(Pictured Left to Right are BSC Associates Kara Gravinese, Jordan Bowman, Bailey Pollard, Malhar Shah, Sarah Henderson, and BSC Director Jessica Yinka Thomas.)

Raleigh Founded was alive with NC State students and local entrepreneurs for the Business Sustainability Collaborative Global Entrepreneurship Week Speed Networking event. The networking event on November 9th was an opportunity for graduate and undergraduate students to meet with Triangle-based impact entrepreneurs. Malhar Shah led the planning of the event where 53 students interacted with 9 local business leaders to make meaningful connections and have conversations about the future of business. 

The attending local partners included included: 

• The founder at Windlift, Rob Creighton, has consistently produced high-quality, ground breaking technologies while cultivating strategic relationships across both private and government sectors. 
• Rosalinda Cruz, Founder and Chief Business Development Officer of The Asor Collective, which helps underrepresented leaders in fashion with strategic planning and advising.  Its mission is to support a more diverse and inclusive sustainable fashion industry.
• Eric Henry, president of TS Designs, launched Creative Screen Designs in 1978 while attending North Carolina State University. Two years later, he merged companies to incorporate TS Designs. TS Designs was the first certified B Corp in North Carolina.
• Maria Kingery the co-founder of Southern Energy Management (SEM). She has helped pioneer the residential energy efficiency and solar industries in North Carolina and beyond. In 2009, Maria led Southern Energy Management to become a Certified B Corporation. 
• Kyle Linton, the co-creator and Executive Director of Our Wave. Our Wave is a non-profit that provides a means for survivors of sexual assault to share their stories, find healing within a supportive community, and empower change across the globe. 
• Danielle Mayber, joined  Raleigh Founded, a certified B Corp, as the leasing manager in 2019. In addition to running the Centennial location, Danielle handles leasing for all Raleigh Founded properties.
• The Interim Executive Director at Innovate Raleigh, Clark Rinehart, who is a highly relational leader, working to make the world a more equitable place. 
• Doug Speight, CEO of Triad Growth Partners, which is a cleantech venture studio committed to environmental innovation, and Founding Partner and CEO of Annex Tech Partners which is a divestment & joint venture studio.
• Aaron Thaddeus, the founder of Two Dots creative studio, designs inclusive content and experiences to transform brands at scale.

Sarah Millsaps, a first year Jenkins MBA student, enjoyed the event saying “I count it as a success anytime I leave an event more curious than when I arrived. By that measure, the BSC Social Impact Networking event was a great success! As an MBA student, I benefited from the chance to connect with accomplished and thoughtful changemakers, students and entrepreneurs alike. As a Raleigh native, I left the event feeling even more pride in all that is taking place in my hometown and state; from NC grown cotton to digital grounding spaces in which to share stories of sexual violence.”

The lead organizer of the event, Malhar Shah, a BSC associate and Jenkins MBA student, recounted the event as a success saying “There will be a point in future, where in order to survive long term, businesses will have to reimagine capitalism and shift towards a bigger focus on how environmental, and social factors affect them. It gives me so much energy when, through events like these, us at the Business Sustainability Collaborative are able to connect future business leaders with thought leaders and entrepreneurs in our local Raleigh community, to make those early connections to use businesses as a force for good.”