The Spring of 2012 was a vibrant time in the world and at Yale. The echos of Occupy Wall St. protesters could be heard from coast to coast, questioning the American Dream and the power of the 1%. We wondered—equipped with the privilege of a Yale education, was it morally justifiable to pursue a career in the 1%? How should Yale students reconcile financial reward with their responsibility to society?

 

 

The answer that we saw was simple: you shouldn’t have to choose one or the other. In the emerging space of social enterprise, people were beginning to deliver innovative, efficient social change worldwide.

 

 

The three of us were freshmen at the time, still learning to navigate the complex Yale ecosystem. We quickly realized, however, that among the 350+ extracurricular groups on campus, there was not a single space for students interested in using innovative market mechanisms to solve the world’s social problems. Yale undergraduate students were missing out on this inspiring movement.

 

 

Net Impact Yale Undergraduate was the solution. We decided to build a hub—a space for Yale students to learn about social entrepreneurship, connect with others who were driven by similar issues, and pursue careers in social innovation. We hoped to build an environment where we could all dream big, together. Where we could push the boundaries of creativity and change the status quo, for the better. Horizontal leadership, challenging the status quo, and constant teamwork are the principles behind our chapter. We believed then, and are certain now, that Yalies have the ability to make a tremendous, innovative, disruptive, mind-blowing, impact.

We hope Net Impact continues to be a place of discovery and inspiration for effective and creative social change.

 

 

 

                                                                                With Love, 

                                                                             Schuyler, Kara & Kaity 

 

      Schuyler Arakawa| Co-Founder

Kara Sheppard-Jones | Co-Founder 

                   Kaity Hsieh| Co-Founder