Putting Values into Practice at Social Impact Week
Phuong-Nghi Pham ’26 reflects on her experience organizing a weeklong event series exploring different paths in impact-oriented careers.
How can MBA students leverage our skill sets for good across every sector? Many of us were drawn to Yale SOM because of its mission to educate leaders for both business and society. But social impact work should not be reserved for only roles in government and nonprofits, or those with “Impact” in the title. Driving positive change in our society takes cooperation among people at all levels, and there is a vital role for every SOM student to play.
Coming from a nonprofit and social impact consulting background, I have seen firsthand how cross-sector leaders can cultivate an ecosystem of trust among stakeholders who may have different approaches and incentives. It is challenging work, but these conversations are essential to bring together otherwise unlikely partners to achieve meaningful outcomes that cannot be obtained by market forces alone.
As a leader within the Net Impact Club, I had the exciting opportunity to shape Social Impact Week—our marquee event series—and to weave these threads into thought-provoking yet practical conversations for SOM students. Bringing this vision to life was a team effort; I’m grateful for the guidance from our Net Impact leader Rebekah Wellons ’26 and invaluable partnership from Jose Magaña ’26 for all details large and small.
When designing this year’s Social Impact Week, my goal was to broaden the definition of what it means to make a difference. I wanted my peers pursuing banking, tech, consulting, and other traditional paths to see that their past experiences and the skills they are honing here at SOM are powerful tools for mission-driven work. Whether today or 10 years from now, that door is always open for exploration.
This theme of cross-sector collaboration was the heartbeat of this year’s Social Impact Week. Hosted annually in December by the Net Impact Club, this week allows the SOM community to engage in impact-focused dialogue and exposes students to a wide range of impactful career paths. Our 2025 theme, “Purpose in Practice,” highlighted practitioners who lead with integrity and care for both short-term and long-term impact.
The week featured panels and social activities, culminating in a day of service led by EmJ Joseph ’26, during which students volunteered at nonprofits across New Haven. We were honored to host 13 distinguished speakers—including five SOM alumni, three Yale World Fellows, and a Yale College alum—bringing experiences across impact investing, social entrepreneurship, technology, and other purpose-driven careers.
Social Impact Week kicked off with a panel titled “Purpose Pivot,” moderated by Mariana Rivas ’27. Stephen Nabinger ’18 and Lily Dodd reflected on their transitions from traditional corporate roles to mission-oriented roles at the Gates Foundation and at Ownership Works. They did not shy away from the tough questions, touching on the trade-offs they navigated to find work that aligned with their values and skills, and finally ending with advice for students.
Our Impact Investing panel, moderated by Jessica Singh of the Ecosystem Integrity Fund, began with the tapestry of human stories that drove speakers to the work they do today. Panelists Michelle Volpe ’91 of the Property and Casualty Initiative, Michelle Arevalo-Carpenter of IMPAQTO Capital, and Amir Mehr ’17 of Elemental Impact then dove into the different flavors of impact investing across venture capital, emerging markets, project finance, and community development financial institutions.
For those interested in the “founder’s journey,” Thaniya Shankar ’27 moderated a conversation with three incredible social entrepreneurs: Noah Gotbaum ’89 of New York Cares, Mohammed Rezwan of Shidhulai, and Rhea See of She Loves Tech. While their ventures tackled different social issues—from education access to supporting women entrepreneurs in tech—they all reinforced the importance of revisiting your core values when building an organization, all the more important during times of difficulty and uncertainty.
There was something for our tech friends, too! Jeff Kaiser ’12 of Propel and Madeleine Smith of Civic Roundtable are both building and scaling tech for the public sector, serving SNAP recipients and public servants respectively. Moderator Matthew Archuleta ’22 of Parallel Works invited them to discuss key decision moments where their company values were challenged and what they looked forward to in the future.
In collaboration with students from the Jackson School of Global Affairs, we also welcomed Tom Chi of At One Ventures. A visionary and outcomes-oriented leader, Tom challenged us to think big. He highlighted how disruptive deep tech can move beyond reducing our carbon footprint to actively restoring the planet we call home.
As much as I enjoyed learning from these amazing speakers, my favorite moments came from overhearing conversations in the hallway after each session, as students reflected on what they heard. The goal of Social Impact Week is for these ideas to percolate beyond the week. Our hope is that students are inspired to continue evaluating how they can lead impactful careers and lives long after they leave SOM.
It took a village to make this week a success. Many thanks to other Net Impact team members: Anna George ’26, Ritvik Pochampalli ’26, Parm Gill ’26, Rachel Lee ’27, Patrycja Pajdak ’27, Camila Ortiz Silva ’27, and Manasa Sunkavalli ’27.
Net Impact is also grateful for support from the Program on Social Enterprise, Innovation, and Impact team (Sooah Rho, Professor Judy Chevalier, Emily Flahive, and Alexis Willoughby), and other SOM staff who helped make this week possible. Social Impact Week was co-sponsored by twelve student clubs, Student Government, and the Office of Community Engagement and Dialogue.
