News

SIFE Simon Fraser lands ACE Western Canada regional awards

Mar 6, 2012

Students from Simon Fraser University recently showed the Vancouver community what they “dared to do” to create social, environmental and economic impact throughout the Lower Mainland – and picked up some awards along the way. Members of the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) chapter from SFU, along with 16 other universities from as far as Manitoba, attended the 2012 ACE Western Regional Exposition at the Vancouver Convention Centre. The two-day event focused on the impact […]

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MBAs tackle digital marketing for social good

Dec 15, 2011

Students in SFU’s Full-Time MBA program at the Beedie School of Business have garnered real-world marketing lessons that have taken them from social agencies in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside to a hospice society in Pitt Meadows to a seniors wellness centre in North Vancouver. In the process of helping these groups raise awareness or operating funds, they have enjoyed early-stage support from the likes of celebrated author Margaret Atwood and Vancouver hockey star Roberto Luongo. The community interactions are part of the marketing class Business 702, taught by SFU marketing professor Leyland Pitt. Within the class, students are challenged to strategically design a social media marketing program for not-for-profit organizations in Metro Vancouver. By working outside of the classroom with social agencies and community groups, the students have been able to broaden their perspective around business and society – and further integrate social entrepreneurship and sustainability into their marketing coursework.

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Social ventures from Beedie win kudos, investment from top entrepreneurs

Nov 24, 2011

5 projects by SFU students—all social ventures aimed at creating positive change—were chosen from 10 finalists to win Ashoka Canada’s Be a Changemaker Challenge Nov. 23. In October, SFU, UBC and Ashoka also ran a boot camp to train students how to build and fund sustainable ventures. The contestants were eligible for up to $1,000 each in seed funding to launch their social ventures, in addition to incubation support through Ashoka Canada and Ashoka's Youth Venture. Most of the entrants were from SFU Beedie School of Business lecturer Shawn Smith’s BUS 492 class in social entrepreneurship and innovation, which teaches the fundamentals of creating socially impactful ventures while coaching students through the process. “More than just community engagement I think it is entirely critical to instill a sense of responsibility, and possibility, in our emerging leaders,” says Smith.

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Beedie hosts Candid Conversation with Walmart Canada about Sustainability

Nov 24, 2011

SFU’s Beedie School of Business hosted “A Candid Conversation with Walmart Canada about Sustainability” on Monday, November 21 at the Segal Graduate School of Business in downtown Vancouver. The event was co-sponsored by SFU Beedie’s CMA Centre for Strategic Change and Performance Measurement and SFU Beedie’s NetImpact Chapter. A diverse and engaged audience — consisting of SFU MBAs and BBAs, plus students, faculty and industry professionals from across the Lower Mainland — joined the Beedie School to learn more […]

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SFU & UBC students pitch social ventures to top entrepreneurs for seed funding

Nov 18, 2011

(Vancouver) November 11, 2011 – Ashoka Canada, in partnership with the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University, will find the top student changemakers at the end of this month. The two schools co-launched the Be A Changemaker Challenge, powered by Starbucks, to find the best student-led social initiatives coming out of Vancouver. The components of the Challenge are a bootcamp, which took place at SFU on Oct. 1st and a venture pitch selection […]

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New Report Helps Municipal Organizations Become Sustainability Leaders

Nov 14, 2011

London, Ottawa, and Vancouver, November 15, 2011—A growing number of municipal governments across the country are aiming to become beacons of sustainability in their communities, but many are struggling to lead by example. A free new report released today, Embedding Sustainability into the Culture of Municipal Government, promises to help municipal change agents advance sustainability in their organizations and become role models for others in the community. Developed as a collaboration between the Network for Business […]

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Natural gas, green energy trends the focus of Encana visit for SFU MBAs

Sep 30, 2011

VANCOUVER— The role that natural gas could play in addressing British Columbia’s economic and sustainability goals was the focal point of a special public event hosted by Simon Fraser University’s Beedie School of Business at its downtown Vancouver Segal Graduate School campus on September 29. Among others, executives from leading Canadian natural gas firm Encana were on hand to engage with students to share their thoughts on BC’s role as a significant natural gas producer […]

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Beedie students chosen to attend global summit for sustainability and responsible leadership

Sep 27, 2011

Two students from SFU's Beedie School of Business have been selected to be among only 125 globally to attend the Daimler World Dialogue in Germany. Undergraduate student Chris Velasco and MBA student Lee O’Donnell are off to Stuttgart to attend the highly selective event, taking place on October 4 and 5 at the Mercedes-Benz Museum and the Carl Benz Arena. Daimler, one of the world's leading automobile companies, is hosting the event alongside the UN Global Compact GRLI (Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative’s) 11th General Assembly in the German city.

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MBAs push Singapore hotels to go green with winning business pitch

Jul 8, 2011

SFU graduate business students Kathleen Williams, Peter Konefal, Eva Tidlund and Connie Chang were selected from a global field in the Graduate School Projects@Singapore competition. The team’s faculty adviser is David Hannah, an Associate Professor of Management and Organization Studies at SFU and Academic Director of the MBA program. Their project proposal, which has now been accepted by Contact Singapore, an alliance of the Singapore Economic Development Board and Ministry of Manpower, is focused on integrating corporate social responsibility (CSR) and environmental standards in Singapore’s booming hotel industry.

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