Mid-Atlantic B Corps Research-Practice-Workshop
Date: April 28, 2023
Location: Butler Board Room, American University, Washington, DC
In this day long workshop, we will bring together representatives from current and aspiring B Corps and benefit
corporations, convenors such as B Local Mid-Atlantic and Bethesda Green, and academics
interested in research, pedagogy, and outreach related to responsible business. The objectives
of the workshop are threefold:
- (1) bring the DMV area B Corp ecosystem together to forge new connections and get to
- know each other.
- Find new ideas and opportunities for research projects.
- Explore opportunities for pedagogical engagement.
We will achieve these objectives through a design thinking process. At the end of the process,
we hope to generate new research projects and pedagogical engagement opportunities, which
can be taken forward after the workshop by the participants. We will also sustain the
engagement through a newsletter/mailing list where workshop participants and their
colleagues can put forth needs and offers for new opportunities. With enough enthusiasm we
hope to make this a regular event.
This event has limited capacity. If tickets are sold out, please email Garima Sharma to be added to the waitlist (gsharma@american.edu)
Agenda
Breakfast and Check-in
9-9:30am
Welcome
9:30-10am
Summary of current research on B Corps and benefit corps
10-10:45am
Speakers:
Joel Gehman, Vice President B Academics, The George Washington University
Suntae Kim, Johns Hopkins University
Garima Sharma, American University
Break
10:45-11am
Examples of Experiential Learning
11am-12pm
Speakers:
Kim Goddu-Alexander, University Partnerships Chair, B Local Mid-Atlantic
Joe Weinstein: Example of Business for Impact Project Teams, Georgetown
Lunch
12-1pm
Design thinking process
1-3:15pm
15 minutes break at 2pm
- Round 0: Brainstorming
- Participants submit initial ideas before the conference on research, pedagogy
and community engagement related to B Corps.
- Participants submit initial ideas before the conference on research, pedagogy
- Round 1: Synthesizing
- Work in teams on (re)clustering the themes from the initial ideas
- Add additional ideas
- Come up with research questions, pedagogical objectives based on the themes
- Round 2: Ideating
- Teams move around every 5 mins in carousel style. At each station write down ways to answer the research question, achieve the pedagogical objectives at that station
- Round 3: Prototyping
- Each station now has one pedagogical objective/research question. Choose your table. Summarize the ideas so far.
- Discuss next steps (who, what, when, how).
Reception
3:30-4:30pm
Preliminary resources and outcomes at the end of the event
Map/list of the B Corp ecosystem in the DMV area
Research/pedagogy projects based on the design thinking process
Connections across academic and practice boundaries for specific and immediate needs
Organizers
Garima Sharma, American University
Joel Gehman, George Washington University
Suntae Kim, Johns Hopkins University
Joe Weinstein, Georgetown University
Nima Farshchi, University of Maryland
Emily Landry, Washington and Lee University
Questions? Contact Joel Gehman, B Academics Vice President, at vp@bacademics.org
