Faculty Symposium Chair Mel Bride has planned a wonderful blend of inspiring keynote speakers along with break out groups led by alumni and other local and national social entrepreneurs with the aim of flexing students’ innovation muscles and creating some new ideas to solve local or global problems. The symposium, named for George and Lois Graboys, is aptly titled “Creative Leadership through Social Entrepreneurship.”
The lineup of keynote speakers sharing their perspectives on ways that creative leadership can be utilized to bring about social change include Alan Harlam, the Director of Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship at Brown University’s Swearer Center for Public Service; Jim Deters of Galvanize; Candy Brush, Vice Provost of Global Entrepreneurial Leadership at Babson College; and Heather Neurwith, Associate Director of the Center for Social Entrepreneurship at Middlebury College.
Head of School John Quirk shared, “Empathy is now understood to be one of the key qualities of effective leaders. As Tabor strives to create adaptable leaders for the 21st century, exposure to these concepts and ideas around social entrepreneurship, and the time to surface new ideas in small groups to solve pressing community needs, creates the kind of relevant learning Tabor students thrive with.”
A talented group of social entrepreneurs, representing six different industries, will lead the working breakout groups of students and faculty. Their insights will highlight the power of creative organizations to find innovative solutions to complex challenges. For example, Cynthia Wigren will share an overview of her initiatives that capture the importance of white sharks for future generations. Jon Feinman will showcase how inner city weightlifting programs can reduce violence and promote professional, personal and academic achievement among urban youth.
A number of Tabor alumni will participate as group leaders to inspire students with their expertise and experience. To name just a few, Chris Benzak ’93 will share his journey in creating Newport BioDiesel, an alternative clean energy company. Christian Garris ’05 will provide a first-hand account of his efforts to reinvent a nonprofit organization, Third Eye, which seeks to engage young leaders in positively transforming their community through the music industry. Kristi Miller ’01, of WestWind Foundation, will speak about her work in developing cutting-edge sex education videos for parents and educators to use with students, specifically those from underserved communities.
Representing a wide spectrum of social challenges, these entrepreneurs will share effective strategies and innovative methods to inspire students to build careers in order to achieve social impact. This year’s Graboys Leadership Symposium presents a unique opportunity for the Tabor community to advance thinking and learning about the topic of entrepreneurship, the power of empathy, and to learn from the expertise of leading social entrepreneurs.