The conference began with a focus on practice and grew to have a greater focus on research. Now, a key goal is bridging the two. “The conference gave me a new understanding of the connection between the research that is being done in the field and what we study in the classroom,” MSSE ’24 Olivia Salcedo said.
Among the many accomplishments over the last 20 years, Kickul and Bacq discussed the development of community — like-minded individuals coming together in a space that felt welcoming, nurturing, and instructive.
MSSE student Adrienne McCurrach ’24 was surprised by the depth of the entrepreneurial ecosystem gathered in Lausanne. “It was incredibly invigorating to see the expansive ecosystem at work,” she said. “It was so wonderful to be there together [with my classmates], speaking a common language around SE, and finding ourselves in deep discussions about experiences that had already happened, ones that were currently happening, and about what our futures might look like.”
The SE conference featured keynote speeches from leaders in SE education Johanna Mair, Rachida Justo, and Kai Hockerts.
"Why do we care what drives social entrepreneurship?” Associate Professor at IE University Justo said. “Because it could have real consequences for the type of SE we create. Many social enterprises come from underrepresented people and places, but we don’t speak their language when we do our research.”
Participants were also able to attend paper development workshops, such as Greif Center Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship Jennifer Walske’s presentation on “Changing the Paradigm for Performance in Impact Investing.”
“As we see huge growth in funds moving into impact investing worldwide right now, there is greenwashing of what this term [impact investment] actually means,” Walske said.
To ensure impact investments are actually tied to tangible social and environmental progress, Walske said it is important to look at how and when we measure impact and how it compares to collection of financial data. “How can you create change if you are not measuring it?” Walske asked.
The conference closed with a takeaways panel featuring legacy keynote speakers Helen Haugh, Lisa Hehenberger, Anne-Claire Pache, Filipe Santos and Tyler Wry. The speakers noted how the depth and rigor of the research has increased over the last 20 years, as has the strength of the community.
Whether in the past or in the future, however, there is one value that remains consistent and bolsters the field’s growth. “The huge value that you [the Social Entrepreneurship Conference] has provided to the community is that it is legitimate to study social entrepreneurship in an academic context,” said Pache.
As Kickul closed the conference, she looked forward to what’s ahead.
“As we look to the next 10 years, we’re asking what is going to be the new research that helps practitioners but also helps move policy,” Kickul said. “How do we get our work out of a vacuum into a greater space where we can inform governments and policymakers, where we can really effect change that helps families, communities, and society at large?”
