Share this: DIRECTOR'S LETTER
As I write this letter, the warmth of summer has been replaced with a chill in the morning air. It’s time for sweatshirts, football,
midterm exams and a little mission­driven business! At the Center for Social Value Creation, we are working with hundreds
of students in our programs this semester and building new partnerships across campus as the fields of social
entrepreneurship and sustainability continue to attract interest from our colleagues. Allow me to share a few examples.
READ MORE >
IN DEPTH:
HOW TITLE III OF THE JOBS ACT WILL CHANGE THE SOCIAL IMPACT SPACE
Last week, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) moved on ruling for Title III of the “Jumpstart Our Business
Startups” (JOBS) Act by issuing its proposed regulations. If you haven’t been following the JOBS Act, you might be asking
yourself why this is important to the impact community. Title III of the JOBS Act means that non­accredited investors (the
general public) will now be allowed to invest in private startups in exchange for equity ‒ a huge victory for startup
businesses in US struggling to find funding.
READ MORE >
WHAT'S NEW :
PREPARING STUDENTS FOR MISSION­DRIVEN CAREERS [ CALLING ALL "IMPACT" ALUMNI! ]
The Center for Social Value Creation, Office of Career Services, and
the MBA Chapter of Net Impact are partnering on a three­part
Workshop Series aimed at helping students "Get Clear, Get
Connected, and Get Networking" in the social impact career space.
This customized workshop series helps Smith students translate
pervious work experience and education into a career path aligned
with their personal values, enabling them to do well by doing good.
The workshop series is led by brain scientist turned career coach
Dr. Mrim Boutla of More than Money Careers. We're currently
seeking "Impact Alum" interested in participating in an evening
networking reception on Tuesday December, 3rd. If you're
interested in engaging with impact­driven Smith students and former alum, please send email Kim
atkrobertella@rhsmith.umd.edu. We hope to see you there! SECOND ANNUAL COLLEGE PARK SUSTAINABILITY JAM
On November 22­24, 2013 the Center for Social Value Creation will
host the second annual College Park Sustainability Jam (CPSJ)!
This unique, weekend­long engagement is aimed at creating real­
world ideas to promote and advance sustainability. Offered this year
as part of "Global Entrepreneurship Week", CPSJ is part of a global
Jam movement that connects people from all backgrounds, levels of
experience, and parts of the world in effort to learn about (and
employ!) principles of Design Thinking, create new ideas, explore
our understanding of sustainability, meet new people, and HAVE
FUN! Last year CPSJ was one of 53 simultaneous “jams” taking
place around the world from locations such as Moscow, Tehran, São Paulo, Amsterdam and Hong Kong. Want to get
involved as a Jam Mentor, Sponsor, or Ambassador? Email Kim at krobertella@rhsmith.umd.edu!
INNOVATION FRIDAYS @ MCKELDIN LIBARARY ­ RAIN OR
SHINE!
Kicking off the fall semester, the University of Maryland is giving the
thousands of innovative minds across campus new ways to share
and explore their fearless ideas. Known as "Innovation Fridays"
students and staff have the opportunity to meet with experienced
innovators and entrepreneurs, get free and impartial advice,
brainstorm strategies, and learn about available resources and
funding. Kicking off on September 6th, the Center for Social Value Creation (CSVC) and the Center for Philanthropy and
Nonprofit Leadership (CPNL) now host a pitch session every Friday at McKeldin Library, second floor room 2113. Innovatino Friday's also has support from CSVC Social Entrepreneurs in Residence Drew Bewick, director of Tree House
Ventures; Darius Graham, co­founder of the DC Social Innovation Project, and Ali Cherry, founder of Snack
PackersTogether we have helped assess ideas for nonprofits, social ventures, for­profit businesses and even product
design! Some of the ideas include goals to combat HIV by empowering children in Africa; selling solar powered energy in
Pakistan; and providing crowdsourced information about human rights. Stop by and visit the “Social” Innovation Fridays
team, from 11 am to 1 pm, every Friday, rain or shine! RECAP : AN "HONEST" CONVERSATION WITH SETH GOLDMAN
Seth Goldman, Founder and 'TEO' of Honest Tea, spoke to students
of the Robert H. Smith School of Business on October 15, 2013.
Goldman signed copies of his new book, "Mission in a Bottle", and
talked about the challenges of growing a company, and the
satisfaction of creating a successful and socially responsible brand.
The event was hosted by the Center for Social Value Creation and
the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship, as well as the school's
student­run Undergraduate Net Impact chapter. You can view
photos of the event on the CSVC Facebook page, or watch video
highlights online! MARYLAND SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS CORPS : SYMPOSIUM
Eleven undergraduate students, led by Dr. Susan White,
Distinguished Tyser Teaching Fellow of Finance, traveled to
Nicaragua during summer 2013 as part of a new University of
Maryland study abroad program that combines entrepreneurship
with service learning. The students worked and lived in rural areas
helping develop and promote small businesses that provide
essential products at affordable prices, including eyeglasses,
energy efficient stoves, and water filters. On October 10, 2013
these students presented their experiences, ranging from the types
of consulting they delivered, to the clients with whom they worked, to
personal stories of their home stay environments. The experience
was managed by Social Entrepreneur Corps (SEC), an organization
founded in 2005 to promote entrepreneurial solutions to economic challenges. The Maryland Social Entrepreneur Corps
was launched by the Office of International Affairs and Education Abroad in collaboration with the Honors College, the
Smith School, and the Center for Social Value Creation. The Office of International Affairs, The Cora and John H. Davis
Foundation, the Honors College, and The Levy­Woolston Fund for Study Abroad also provided financial support to
participating students. You can view photos of the event on the Center's Facebook page! CSVC WELCOMED 22 MULTINATION SOCIAL
ENTREPRENEURS!
At the end of August, the Center for Social Value Creation hosted 22
social entrepreneurs from across the globe for an interactive
workshop on business model innovation. As part of the U.S.
Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program, our
visitors hailed from countries like Kenya, Bahrain, Nepal, Turkey,
Chile, Yemen, Singapore, New Zealand and many more. Together
with Smith undergraduate and graduate students, as well as several
faculty and staff members, the social entrepreneurs formed cross­
disciplinary teams to build a more inclusive business model
framework. Using Alexander Osterwalder's Business Model Canvas
as inspiration, the groups came up with several creative ways to
incorporate stakeholder groups and accurately account for externalities in the business generation process. Since the
workshop, the CSVC team has met to further discuss the groups' ideas and will be putting together an Inclusive Business
Model Canvas to help aspiring social entrepreneurs think more holistically about starting new ventures! You can view
photos of the evet on the Center's Facebook page! connect with us:
Share this: DIRECTOR'S LETTER
As I write this letter, the warmth of summer has been replaced with a chill in the
morning air. It’s time for sweatshirts, football, midterm exams and a little mission­
driven business! At the Center for Social Value Creation, we are working with
hundreds of students in our programs this semester and building new partnerships
across campus as the fields of social entrepreneurship and sustainability continue
to attract interest from our colleagues. Let me share a few examples:
Nearly 100 Smith students applied to participate in our pro­bono consulting
program, ChangeTheWorld.org. We now have 56 students deployed to 12
non­profits this semester.
The Smith Undergraduate Net Impact (SUNI) chapter, which launched last
Fall after the national conference in Baltimore, received gold chapter status
in less than 6 months and is a finalist for Chapter of the Year.
Together with SUNI and the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship we
hosted Seth Goldman, CEO of Honest Tea, as he shared his
entrepreneurial journey (link to Mission in a Bottle) with 200! students last week.
We also combined the CSVC No Limits Social Business Pitch Competition with the School of Public Policy’s Do
Good Challenge to create a cross­campus competition that engages students in creating good works for causes that
they care deeply about, as well as accelerating the launch of student­led social ventures.
In September we partnered with the School of Architecture to host a convening on the creation of the Institute for
Sustainable Maryland, which has since received funding to begin developing interdisciplinary experiential courses
on sustainability for UMD students. We know that business has an important role to play.
Of course, with the increase in demand for our programs and expertise comes the need to expand our team. I am delighted
to introduce you to our two final new team members: Ryan Steinbach (Coordinator) and Pammi Bhullar (Program
Manager, Experiential Learning).
Ryan is a 2013 Smith School graduate and was involved in Social Innovation Fellows, Do Good Challenge, Social
Enterprise Symposium, and Sustainability Jam as a student. He loves blogging about social enterprise, millennials, and
impact investing on his personal blog (Growing Up 2.0) as well as on other community blogs and websites. He is a bike
commuter ­ no car ­ although he does use zipcar on occasion.
Pammi is a 2013 MBA graduate from Boston University's School of Management. She is the founder of BU's School of
Management Internship Fund – a fund for unpaid, career accelerating, MBA social impact internships. She loves performing
theater and dancing. Pammi craves new adventures, immersing herself in new cultural settings, and is in the process of
writing her bucket list which includes learning and expanding on at least 4 languages over the next 5 years.
I would also like to draw your attention to our newly published 2012­2013 Annual Report. I know you will enjoy reading
about the students, faculty and alumni working to co­create economic, social and environmental value. We value you, our
community, and the network effect that it creates. As you reflect on the work we do, I ask that you join us in continuing to
deliver exceptional programs to students by sponsoring the Social Enterprise Symposium, submitting field projects for
experiential learning program, participating as a guest speaker, and/or donating to the Center. We cannot do our work
without the generous support of you and the business community.
Last, but not least, please join me as I speak with Seth Goldman, Scott Nash and Ed Groark at the “Business as Agents for
Social and Environmental Change” forum, led by the Montgomery County Green Business Forum on Friday morning,
November 1st, at the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce. This forum will spotlight prominent corporate
sustainability leaders and sustainability trends shaping the next generation of businesses. Learn how established and
future sustainability leaders are using the power of the marketplace to improve social and environmental conditions while
enhancing their bottom line. Check out the event announcment on the Montgomery County website! Happy Fall!
connect with us:
Share this: IN DEPTH: How Title III Will Change the Social impact Space
Written By Ryan Steinbach
Last week, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
moved on ruling for Title III of the “Jumpstart Our Business Startups”
(JOBS) Act by issuing its proposed regulations. If you haven’t been
following the JOBS Act, you might be asking yourself why this is
important to the impact community. Title III of the JOBS Act means
that non­accredited investors (the general public) will now be allowed to invest in private startups in exchange for equity ‒ a
huge victory for startup businesses in US struggling to find funding.
Title III, also known as the “Crowdfunding Provision” of the JOBS Act, states that a limited size offering can be sold in small
amounts (for example $1,000) to a large number of investors. This provision not only helps democratize the world of private
investing, but when leveraged via the internet, startups suddenly have the ability to reach millions of potential investors with
a few simple clicks of a mouse.
Crowdfunding platforms such as Indiegogo and Kickstarter already exist, but until now, crowdfunding was not recognized as
investment, but instead as a donation. Therefore, as a backer to one of these small startup efforts your ‘return on investment’
may simply be a ‘thank you’ t­shirt, or even more plainly the gratification of helping someone get to a fully funded project.
These are prizes for donations, not investments. That said, the popularity of crowdfunding has helped lay the groundwork
for Title III to have an immediate impact.
While this is an exciting development for startups and entrepreneurs nationwide, it’s also a significant stride for early stage
social ventures. Title III is likely to have considerable impact on four major trends in the social impact space.
Shrinking the pioneer gap: The widely acclaimed report “From Blueprint to Scale” by Monitor Group and Acumen Fund
explores the difficulties of an early­stage social venture’s ability to reach the point where it can access commercial capital. It
explains that a social venture needs to reach a certain level of growth and scale before it can attract significant capital
investment. The report calls for more a complete continuum of financing options from the inception of a social venture to
when it is ready for commercial investment. Crowdfunding is a critical piece in that continuum. For Social ventures that are
ready for investment, but not at the scale commercial institutions are looking for, crowdfunded equity could be the answer.
The earliest stage ventures will still need philanthropic capital, but where the impact of philanthropy wanes and the interest
of commercial investors is still low, crowdfunded investments are now empowered to have a transformative impact.
The rise of the impact investor: There has been a lot of mainstream buzz around impact investing recently, but it’s still
nowhere close to a mainstream practice. Non­accredited investors who are making impact investments do so through
intermediaries like Calvert Foundation, Kiva, or Oikocredit. These intermediaries generally pool investor funds and invest in
projects they deem worthy. Non­accredited investors receive a social and financial return on investment, but they have little
say in who the intermediary invests in, or how their money is allocated. Title III will change this by enabling non­accredited
investors to invest directly into mission­driven endeavors that resonate with them. Title III makes investing personal, and has
the potential to create an investment space more aligned with an ethical and moral lens – a potential tipping point for the
retail level impact investment space. A new investment space: So who is going to connect all of these new investors to start­up social enterprises? Companies
like Return on Change have been waiting patiently for Title III to pass so they can do just that. Using an online platform,
Return on Change aims to increase capital accessibility and reach for high impact start­up ventures. Its secure and
transparent platform is positioned to increase deal flow for accredited and everyday investors alike. Social enterprise­
focused crowdfunding platforms like this one have the potential to change the landscape of impact investing overnight.
When Title III takes effect, impact investors will not only have access to social ventures, but the means to reach them as well.
As impact investing grows, it’s likely that more social enterprise crowdfunding platforms will enter the space, many of them
with a region or sector specific focus.
Validation for the space: The JOBS act is certainly not without critics. A great deal of pushback has occurred especially
from the traditional investment space. Many investment professionals believe that the average American is not financially
minded enough to engage in private investing. Many even fear that hundreds of thousands of people will lose money by
making poor investments in startups. Despite this concern a real opportunity may exist for the general public to teach
investment professionals a thing or two. Impact investing tends to resonate with those not schooled in traditional investment
practices; as more non­accredited investors explore and invest in social ventures accredited and institutional investors will
have to take notice. This is a huge opportunity to put big data behind what initial research has begun to find – that investing
for impact yields comparable returns to a traditional investment portfolio, and arguably it’s what some portion of our society
wants.
In a matter of months, Title III will be voted into effect and the first non­accredited crowdfunding will take place. But access
alone won’t drive greater impact investment to social entrepreneurs. As such, the question becomes: how do we change the
perception around impact investing? Additionally, how do we engage everyday people to act as impact investors? Title III
offers empowerment to the individual, and it’s key that we help deliver that message.
connect with us:
Share this: ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT An Interview with Vladimir Inozemsev, Financial Planning Analyst at The World Bank
Written by Blake Carlton, MBA/MPP '14
Inozemsev is a results­driven professional with proven quantitative
and analytical skills. Experienced in financial, operations and risk
analysis, organizational structure assessment, and process
improvement he is also a highly motivated and effective cross­
functional leader.
CSVC: Tell us a little bit about yourself. Specifically, what was your
career path both before and after receiving your MBA at Smith?
INOZEMSEV: I am from Turkmenistan, originally, but my
professional life started in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. I moved there to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Economics at American
University of Central Asia. Right after graduation, I joined KPMG’s public audit practice in Bishkek and, for the next three
years, worked across the Central Asian region carrying out audits with various clients from cement to pasta to shampoo
manufacturers. Eventually, however, I focused on financial services. I left KPMG in 2010 as audit supervisor to pursue an
MBA at Smith with focuses in finance and strategy. To be honest, social value creation (SVC) was not on my agenda until I
joined Smith and found out about the concept at one of the early student orientation sessions ­ one of the most enlightening
moments during my time at Smith!
CSVC: To what degree does your role at the World Bank incorporate or involve creating social value?
INOZEMSEV: The World Bank Group is a unique organization: we are a not­for­profit group of organizations, but we do
generate surplus – profit – which we then reinvest into our products, including economic policy advice, investment project
financing with both public and private sector counterparts and political risk guarantees, among others. To my knowledge,
none of the member organizations has a CSR department, but our mission ­ ‘world free of poverty’ ­ sets the goals and
attracts the kind of world­class professionals who are, by default, focused on social value creation – lifting people out of
poverty.
My role in the Bank is quite humble. After graduating from Smith, I joined a 3­year rotational program for resource
management analysts, i.e., FP&A Analysts. I finished my first rotation this August with a planning and analysis team within a
corporate budgeting department, responsible for budgeting, performance analysis and, more recently, strategic planning.
My first year experience focused on understanding a quite complex matrix organization with a variety of differentially­priced
products, the corporate budgeting and reporting process supporting this organization and measurement and performance
reporting for various departments in the Bank.
This September, I moved from the corporate unit to work for the Latin America and Caribbean region. In my new role, I am
splitting my time between working on regional priorities and supporting the operational services department in their day­to­
day operations – a much more hands­on role. CSVC: You’ve worked at both the IFC and the World Bank. I’ve been told that the former differs from the latter in that the IFC
is more quantitative, theoretical and high­level economics­focused while the World Bank is focused more on actual hands­
on projects. To what degree do you agree or disagree? How do you see these organizations benefiting people around the
world?
INOZEMSEV: Hmmm…let me first explain what the World Bank Group (WBG) member organizations are. WBG consists of
the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the International Development Association (IDA), the
International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) and the International Centre
for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). The IBRD and the IDA make up the World Bank and provide loans and policy
advice to the governments of middle income, low­income and poor countries. The differences: the IBRD products are market
priced, and the IDA’s are interest free, on a grant basis. The IFC works exclusively with private sector clients in these
countries and provides financing, capital mobilization and advisory services. The MIGA provides political risk insurance to
investors and lenders in our client countries, including fragile and conflict­affected states. At last, the ICSID is an
international courtroom for investment arbitrage disputes.
Finally, to answer your question – both the World Bank and the IFC work on actual hands­on projects, but the nature of the
projects is different. For example, a typical project for the IFC is a loan or an equity investment into manufacturing facility
involving funds mobilized from partner investment organizations such as Citibank or HSBC. Meanwhile, a typical project for
the World Bank would be a loan financing the construction of a road or a grant to carry out tax reform in a particular country.
The IFC is smaller, works with private sector counterparts so its operations are faster and similar to those in an investment
bank. Meanwhile, the World Bank works with governments and often provides complex multi­sectoral solutions to solve
problems in client countries. So by its nature, the World Bank employs more economists and tackles grand­scale economic
policy issues, compared to the more business­focused IFC.
Both of these are great organizations and have a lot to offer. That said, the World Bank is a bigger and more complex
organization and I am still figuring it out!
CSVC: How did your childhood inspire you to pursue a position at the World Bank?
INOZEMSEV: I am ethnically Russian but I was born and raised in Turkmenistan, a former USSR republic in Central Asia.
The World Bank is a very well­known brand in the developing world, so it was on my radar early on. In fact, as a senior in
college, I spent a couple of weeks as a temporary receptionist in the World Bank office in Bishkek and really enjoyed the
experience ­ it certainly influenced my decision to join. CSVC: What did you learn at the Smith school that has helped you the most in your career so far? Is there anything that you
think you would have done differently while you were at school?
INOZEMSEV: Smith helped to pull everything together. I was already good with accounting and finance (nearly ACCA
certified), and had some leadership, project management experience, and understanding of operations after years of
auditing. What was missing was a strategic, wholesome way of thinking and an ability to synthesize information, which is
what I learned through my experience at Smith. CSVC: What other advice would you give to students who want to be involved in sustainability and social value creation?
INOZEMSEV: Think big picture, keep your mind open and carry the good with you wherever you go! Even if you join an
organization that’s not particularly socially­focused you could be that force from within that brings and champions this good
change. CSVC: Can you tell me a fun fact about yourself?
INOZEMSEV: From a high school exchange program that brought me to the US to my undergraduate studies to my MBA
degree – all has been fully or partially supported by scholarships or grants for students coming out of Turkmenistan. So,
recently, I became active with Arzuw, a non­profit organization focused on supporting education for students from
Turkmenistan. In fact, I became a chair of the Internship committee responsible for the administration of the grants bridging
funding gaps for students from Turkmenistan who are currently pursuing an academic degree abroad and looking for
internships. I welcome you to check out the organization’s site and make a donation to support students from Turkmenistan ­
www.arzuw.org.
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Share this: STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Nelly Gomez, MBA Candidate 2015
Written By, Peter Novak, MBA '14
CSVC: Tell us a little bit about yourself. Specifically, what was your
career path before you came to Smith?
GOMEZ: I came here from Los Angeles. Before Smith I was a financial
advisor for a credit union. My primary focus was educating low­income
families about financial management basics, which I truly enjoyed
doing. The Smith MBA program stood out for me for its friendly
atmosphere as well as for its strategic location in the DC area.
CSVC: Why did you choose an MBA program?
GOMEZ: Throughout my career, I’ve learned that the best way to address social and environmental issues is through the
application of business principles to solving those issues. I hope that Smith MBA will help me learn those principles and
how to apply them. CSVC: What specific area of social value creation are you most interested in?
GOMEZ: My areas of interest are education and corporate citizenship. I come from a low­income community where I’ve
learned how powerful education can be to help people improve their lives. I would like to have a career where I feel I make
a difference on daily basis. CSVC: What have you learned so far in your first year, and what advice would you give to other business students or
cllassmates?
GOMEZ: I believe that every business student should learn about sustainability and social value creation and get involved
at least to a certain extent. First, it can only help increase our competitiveness in the job market. Second, as future business
leaders, we will need to include those aspects in our decision­making processes in order to make sound business
decisions. CSVC: What other activities are you involved at school?
GOMEZ: Among other activities, as a first­year Smith Net Impact board member, I am working on helping to provide social­
impact­related internship and job opportunities to my cohort.
CSVC: What are your hobbies? Can you tell us a fun fact about yourself?
GOMEZ: I enjoy hiking, biking, volunteering, and philanthropy. A fun fact? I do push­ups to prepare for stressful events such
as exams and interviews.
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Share this: FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
Victor Mullins, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies
Written by Ryan Steinbach
CSVC: As Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies, what are some of the projects
you’re really passionate about right now?
MULLINS: For 22 years I’ve been managing undergraduate business programs in
some form or facet. Really about 21 years ago, I decided on what I thought were the
four fundamental pillars that create a world­class undergraduate experience. My
dream is that students will graduate with a strong affinity toward the smith school, not
only because they associate it with a really good academic learning experience, but
they feel tied into this community. It will always be this thread in their life. I guess
everybody can have the thread of graduating from University of Maryland, but no
feeling comes out of it. Instead I want them to say, ‘this will always be my place, I can’t
wait to give back’, and give back not just defined by dollars. In order for you to get that
feeling, I think that there are four fundamental pieces.
First and foremost, there has to be a really strong, intentional strategy that focuses on who comes into Smith. Number two is
once they’ve been admitted; we have to engage them appropriately. The third one is building a strong community. And as I
mentioned, it would all be fruitless without making sure they get the knowledge they need, which is number four. This
journey has to be strategic and broken into phases so that even leaving is part of the journey. How can we create this really
great experience filled with different avenues to pick and choose from (as well as some that have to be done) that makes an
experience a Smith experience? That’s the goal. CSVC: Where do you see social value creation and social entrepreneurship being part of that journey?
MULLINS: So we’ve already infused the [Social Enterprise Symposium] that’s coming up in the Spring as a requirement for
our 400 freshman. Now, what we do with that is going to be the experience. Requiring that they go to the conference, and
that’s it, has no value to be honest with you, unless the center follows up. You’re infusing this message, but also preaching
the importance of how what they just experienced will have an impact on what they’re about to do, as they move into their
sophomore year. If the conference achieves that ­ wonderful. Back to your original question, I think it’s one of those
elements that’s part of the Smith brand. The notion of experiential learning; the notion of having an entrepreneurial spirit; the
notion of doing good from the stand point of social value creation. This generation is attracted to the notion of social value.
And so the most important place to put this is when students first get here. We envision that we will partner a little more
strategically with the center to get the messages clear.
CSVC: Why do you think social value creation and social entrepreneurship resonates with undergraduate students?
MULLINS: I think that it is a characteristic of this generation’s time. Social value is what they’re doing now even in high
school. It may not be called social value. It may be called, ‘helping to come up with some creative solution for a situation that
is not as great as ours.’ This generation loves the element of helping people. My generation didn’t understand it. When we
had to do this service, we looked at it with this negative connotation. It was like a punishment. This generation looks at it as,
‘wow, this is shaping me as I’m shaping somebody else, and I’m gaining great value from it.’ Doing well, doing good. That
philosophy is going hand in hand with these students for the most part. I can’t say 100% of them, but it’s enough for you to
feel that they appreciate it.
CSVC: I think one of the big questions of the impact space right now (and probably everyone else) is how to engage with
college­age students. What would be your advice?
MULLINS: You engage them through their peers. Not through us. If I’m able to pick the right students, the ones I need to
touch the rest, I can disseminate messages across the community. Peer motivation is more powerful than dean/faculty/staff
motivation. I think that the only element of that not to be true is an academic advisor who says, ‘if you do not take this, you
will not graduate.’ When it comes to everything else, to just watch your peers excel in a way that you aspire to, and have
them come back and say, “you can do it too. All I did was this.” That’s the type of common sense, no nonsense motivation
that comes naturally. So to me engagement is finding the right set of ambassadors to tell your story in a way that’s not a job ­
they just feel good about it. CSVC: If there is one thing you wish you could tell more students, what would it be?
MULLINS: I would say that my wish for each student is to make decisions that they can comfortably rationalize and justify,
and wouldn’t have traded those decisions for anything. No matter which school I’ve worked at ­ NYU, Illinois, Smith ­ I’ve
always done asked, “What’s your major?” “It’s finance.” “And why do you want to major in finance?” the response to that is
often, “well I’ve always just been interested in numbers and that’s why finance.” I wish for students to look at the portfolio of
rich opportunities that are available to them, both at the Smith school and at Maryland, and instead of looking at them as the
things they think will get them to an outcome, it should be about picking the things that are going to help them continue to
build their brand. When you’re asked who you are, you should think of three things. And whatever those three things are, be
very strategic about making sure that every element is consistent with those three things. And that’s why I say, rationalizing
your decision. If everybody is able to articulate their story by rationalizing their decisions, the world will open up a little bit
more for them. That kind of sounds deep.
CSVC: So, it’s about finding purpose and intentionality in your life.
MULLINS: Yes that sounds much better. Write that instead. But I wouldn’t change my answer. I just wish what I said for
everyone. When you go to a career fair and you’re at the table, and they say, “tell me a little bit about who you are,” it really
is the truth. It’s a natural thing. It’s not the 30 second commercial of what you feel like they want. CSVC: When you are not here working with students and undergraduate opportunities, how do you like to spend your time?
MULLINS: So the other night I sat and watched my wife sing the national anthem at the Miami Heat game. We met each
other through music. I play the piano, she sings. We still do it to this day. It’s an outlet. We both love music so that’s what we
do. When I was in New York we actually did a cabaret show before the kids were born at a place called “Don’t Tell Mama’s.”
We put together a jazz set. That’s when I’m in a world of just pure relaxation. I actually love what I do here, too. I’m extremely
blessed to be part of an experience where I love what I do. I love students, I love working with people, I like building
communities. So I’m in a really good place.
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