Event Information

We’re going digital! This year, our conference committee will bring our programming online, with keynote and breakout sessions spread out over the 2020-2021 academic year. Check out our Digital Event Series schedule for more information on upcoming events.

Kicking off each academic year, the Tamer Center for Social Enterprise, in partnership with student clubs across the campus, hosts Columbia University’s annual Social Enterprise Conference, Capital for Good in efforts to bring together industry leaders, professionals, academics, students, and alumni to share best practices and engender new ideas surrounding the intersection of business and society.

The business and investor community once questioned whether it could afford to prioritize social impact. The consensus is now clear—how can businesses afford not to? The Millennial and Gen Z generations are driving trends in impact investing, using their purchasing power to demand change, and seeking employers that are socially conscious. As a result, funders and the organizations they invest in are directing their attention not only to the bottom line, but also to how business and financing models can be aligned to positively contribute to society.

This headline event, located in the finance capital of the world, provides a unique opportunity to tap into the vibrant ecosystem of capital for impact through the lens of philanthropy, impact investing, ESG, and social venture and business examples. Social impact leaders in business, government, nonprofit, and philanthropy will speak to how they are changing the way we think about how capital is sourced and used to generate sustainable solutions to global, systemic challenges. Hear where opportunities exist to pursue future careers of impact on both the financing and implementation sides of social impact capital.

This conference was founded by Columbia Business School’s Social Enterprise Club members in 2002, and has grown to engage students across Columbia University as the pre-eminent forum to explore and address the ever-changing topics of social justice and innovation from the lens of business solutions.