Thursday, March 31, 2011

Hendrickson Forum events April 16-20

Save these dates for a variety of Hendrickson Institute-sponsored events. The Hendrickson Institute for Ethical Leadership is committed to serving both emerging and current leaders of society. It is an academic resource for the university and the community, a forum for the exploration of ethical issues.

Women Who Step Forward ~ April 16
Mark your calendars for a personal and professional development conference on women's leadership. This event will be held 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Harrington Mansion and Event Center, 2540 Park Ave., Minneapolis. Tickets are $45 for general admission, $35 for students. For registration information, contact Anna Shields at (612) 238-4550 or ashields@smumn.edu.

The keynote speaker is New York Times best-selling author Gail Evans who served as the executive vice president of CNN and served in President Johnson’s administration. Evans will discuss the ethics and importance of women supporting other women in order to succeed in leadership. Attend this day-long event if you’re interested in professional development, personal growth, and learning from inspiring and forward-thinking keynote and break-out session speakers.

Connect. Network. Advance. ~ April 19
Alumni, students and friends of Saint Mary’s will gather for an evening of networking, résumé reviews and a guest speaker. Bring along business cards for networking opportunities and résumés if you're searching for a job change. This event will be held 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Harrington Mansion and Event Center in Minneapolis. To register, contact Barb Hall at (612) 238-4517 or bhall@smumn.edu.

Hendrickson Forum Seminar:
Microfinance in the Urban Core ~ April 20

Widely publicized as a tool for developing nations, microfinance has a profound impact in the Twin Cities. Explore how the local microfinance landscape — access to business development, credit, grants — helps move individuals and communities toward economic security. Then join a group of distinguished panelists in a lively discussion.

The event will be held from 1 to 2:45 p.m. at the Harrington Mansion and Event Center in Minneapolis. Tickets are $20 for general admission or $10 for SMU students, faculty and staff. Order online at www.smumn.edu/hendricksonforum.

Moderated by Dr. Richard Bohr, the panel includes:
• Ramón León, president, Latino Economic Development Center
• Diane Patterson, director of Business Development, WomenVenture
• Joe Selvaggio, founder of MicroGrants.net
• Mihailo Temali, president of Neighborhood Development Corporation

Hendrickson Forum:
Social Capitalism: An “App” to Fight Poverty ~ April 20
Enjoy a conversation with Jacqueline Novogratz, CEO of Acumen Fund and author of “The Blue Sweater.”

The event will be held 3:30 to 5 p.m. at the Harrington Mansion and Event Center. Regular admittance is $25 for the public, $10 for SMU students or $20 for SMU faculty and staff.

Fred de Sam Lazaro, director of the Project for Under-Told Stories at Saint Mary’s University and a correspondent for The PBS NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, will be the moderator.

Novogratz is the founder and CEO of Acumen Fund, a non-profit global venture fund that uses entrepreneurial approaches to solve the problems of global poverty.

For her work with Acumen, Novogratz was named a TIME magazine “Responsibility Pioneer,” recognized for her work in changing the world for the better.

Acumen Fund seeks to prove that small amounts of philanthropic capital, combined with large doses of business acumen, can build thriving enterprises that serve vast numbers of the poor.

Her recent best-selling memoir, “The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World,” chronicles her quest to understand poverty and challenges readers to grant dignity to the poor and to rethink their engagement with the world.

Complimentary tickets for the forum and seminar are reserved for SMU staff/faculty (first come, first served basis). Contact Barb Hall at (612) 238-4517 or bhall@smumn.edu to reserve one complimentary ticket.

Contact Bob Biebel if you’d like to carpool to the Forum or if you’d like to watch a live podcast to the Winona campus. The Hendrickson Institute will be happy to fund the podcast if a core group — or class — expresses interest in attending. Please RSVP to Barb Hall or Bob Biebel.