A Philanthropic Take on Ann Arbor Business
An overview of the Business+Impact program
—By Benjamin Seymour
When you walk into a typical corporate office, it feels cold, and that is due to their singular purpose: their bottom line. The environment feels sterile like a doctor’s office, yet with a fast-paced, high-stakes energy for the people in it. This makes one thing clear: sustainability and social impact are secondary concerns. However, one program challenges this mindset in the large college town of Ann Arbor. The Business+Impact program, led by Professor Jerry Davis, redefines what a business can be by combining profitability, sustainability, and social impact.
Professor Davis’s Business+Impact program challenges students at the University of Michigan to think beyond the bottom line. He promotes not just economic integrity but also environmental sustainability and community well-being. Professor Davis is a dedicated professor who teaches business and sociology at the University of Michigan. I managed to ask Professor Davis a few questions about his background and the Business+Impact program. His vision is simply to use business as a force for good and, through his leadership, make a positive impact locally and beyond.
History of Business+Impact
Professor Davis has spent decades shaping the minds of future businessmen and women at the University of Michigan. He maintains a background in philanthropic and corporate endeavors at many highly esteemed universities, including U-M, Stanford, Northwestern, and Columbia. He recalls his satisfaction of watching his students develop the many skills necessary to create a true impact on business and community. “I’ve really enjoyed my time as a professor here. The opportunity to guide students toward using business as a tool for social impact is incredibly fulfilling,” Davis said.
Professor Davis is also a well-established author with many works on the social impact on business and the economy. “I was inspired to incorporate philanthropy into my work after seeing firsthand the difference businesses can make in communities,” Davis said. “Teaching students to think beyond profit and consider broader societal impacts is essential.”
His most influential endeavor is the Business+Impact program he founded in 2018, and developed over six years. The program equips students with the tools necessary to tackle societal issues in the business environment. “The program is about integrating business with social and environmental responsibility,” he explained. “We prepare students to tackle real-world problems by emphasizing hands-on learning and interdisciplinary collaboration.”
For environmental issues, Professor Davis hopes to encourage sustainability practices in the businesses he works with to help make Ann Arbor more sustainable, and lower pollution as best we can. As seen in this article by the American Lung Association, the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI metro area falls low on the air quality index due to pollution, which can lead to serious health concerns for citizens, and a huge area for pollution is, of course, businesses. The Business+Impact program has specifically implemented policies in businesses that aim to change input materials, reduce waste, and help with pollution-producing operations. Even if it is one business at a time, if the Business+Impact program can implement environmentally safe practices within local businesses, it can help reduce the pollution levels in the area.
Real-world results
With the program spanning six years, there are great examples of how it has been able to help local businesses in Ann Arbor. “We’ve partnered with several local businesses, including Zingerman’s and Argus Farm Stop, to help them implement sustainable practices and improve community engagement,” Davis states. “For instance, students worked with Zingerman’s on reducing food waste and with Argus on expanding their local supply chain.” These are healthy methods for businesses to help with environmental concerns, and it is businesses like these that the Business+Impact program works with.
Not just in Ann Arbor, but across the country, the program is contributing to local businesses. A specific example is when groups of MBA students set out across the United States as a part of the Ross Open Road initiative. The Business+Impact website describes this journey. A team of MBA students spent a month consulting for small social ventures and helping them through different areas. Team one went down south and consulted for businesses with strong community ties. Team two traveled through the midwest, and helped businesses oriented with food as a bridge between people. Finally, team three went from Michigan to Georgia focusing on sustainability for strong, local businesses.
In speaking with a few current Ross students, I found not all were familiar with the program. For students who wish to learn more and get involved, there are many options on their website. There are multiple events/workshops they offer for students to get a look into what they do in the program. If students also were to visit the “Find Your Path” section, there are many different partner groups to choose from and find one that fits with what they are interested in.
The future of the program
Looking towards the future, Professor Davis sees the program evolving even more to align with ongoing social change and sustainability efforts. “I see the Business+Impact program evolving to address global challenges like sustainability, inequality, and economic shifts,” he said. “The future will likely see more focus on preparing students to navigate these complex issues.”
A big ethical concern is corporate responsibility. Larger corporations need to be held accountable and adapt to the growing concerns for the future. All around us we hear and see corporate failures when it comes to environmental and social responsibility. As of this moment, the program usually works with smaller businesses, but the main goal is to hopefully see the students that work here graduate, and incorporate their skills at larger companies in the future.
Professor Davis’s dedication and pride in his work will continue to instill values of social responsibility, community engagement, and sustainability in students for years to come. The next generation of students will be prepared to lead businesses and tackle the many problems of the future one step at a time. As Davis states, “We’ll continue adapting to meet the needs of a changing world.”
Feature photo: People Sitting Down Near Table with Assorted Laptop Computers, by Marvin Meyer on Unsplash