Category Archives: News

In this issue:

1. Try This at Home, NAA Sustainability Reps! “Sustainability Decisions” Workshop from INDEVOR Biz & Sustainability Summit, Amsterdam Alumni Forum

2. Apply for INDEVOR – CIC  Small Grant for NAA Sustainability Events

3. Watch our Webinar on  “Business Strategies in Response to Diminishing Humanitarian Support”and call your governments to retain funding for Global Vaccine Alliance.

4. Collaboration with INDEVOR Student Club on INSEAD Earth Week 2025

5. CIC Propeller to Launch This Fall as Advisory Resource for Start Ups in Sustainability

6. Plug Into INDEVOR GC by Joining Our WhatsApp Group, LInkedIN Group and Subscribing to Newsletter

7. Dutch Sustainability  & INDEVOR Student Clubs Helps MBAs Gain Social Enterprise Consulting Experience (SECE)

Hans Reus and Jinna Mairlot guide INDEVOR workshop at Alumni Forum Amsterdam;  Groups of four engaged in peer-coaching on sustainability decisions

Listen to our May 7 webinar here, sponsored by Sattva Consulting,  and learn from faculty research on Humanitarian Aid; alums advancing global health and a Nigerian health authority, what’s at stake with cuts to Official Development Assistance; where blended finance and joint procurement can help; and where those in Global North should advocate their governments replenish critical programs, like the GAVI vaccine alliance.

Get ready for INSEAD Giving Day, where our global community comes together in a celebration of generosity and impact. Since its inception in 2017, we’ve raised an incredible €10.6M from 16,604 donors, proving that every contribution counts. Be part of this exciting tradition and help us make a difference for the future. Together, we grow!

INDEVOR GC ExCo member Joanne Schante (far right) leads INDEVOR students in forest bathing.

INDEVOR-Community Impact Challenge  is excited to announce an initiative in to support social and environmental impact entrepreneurship: Propeller – a global networking platform designed to propel profitability, people and planet. Propeller aims to help impact-driven startups and scale-ups grow profitably by connecting them with a community of investors, corporates, experts, and supporters who can offer what these startups need – funding, partnerships, mentorship, and market exposure.

If you are running such a company, or if you are looking to give back- by advising, partnering, opening doors or investing – we would love to hear from you.

Eligible organizations must be INSEAD-founded, built on a potentially viable business model, fundamentally sustainable, and driven by disruptive innovation.

INDEVOR is keen to partner with INSEAD faculty, other global clubs, national INSEAD alumni associations etc.  Interested? Please reach out to [email protected]  to get involved. 

A team of five current MBA students is engaged in a highly relevant  Social Enterprise Consulting Experience (SECE) assignment with Optimal Greening Foundation, which is led by Osen Iyahen (MBA’12J). Provoked by the recent withdrawal of USAID funding, the students are investigating new financial models for innovative Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) initiatives in W. Africa. In exchange for this consultancy support, the students will gain first-hand experience of the challenges facing a purpose-driven organization, as well as gain a credit to their MBA. They will soon present their recommendations to the OGF Board. For more information on the SECE program, which is facilitated by the Dutch Sustainability Club and the INDEVOR Student Club, please contact Tim Bett [email protected]

In this issue:

1.   Read about our 2025 AGM where INDEVOR amended its charter to joint venture with Community Impact Challenge

2.   Become a moderator (we need a bunch) at our 2025 Alumni Biz & Sustainability Summit within the Amsterdam Alumni Forum April 5th

3.   Mark International Women’s Day March 5th by Joining Alumni Global Health Network webinar on Making Women’s Health a Priority

4.   Save the date for INSEAD Giving Day – March 13-20th

5.   Get free tickets to Change NOW, April 25th in Paris, from Hoffman Institute

6.   Enlist free consulting from current MBAs for purpose-driven SMEs

Link to INDEVOR 2025 AGM recording, click here.

We had a great, global turn out for our 2025 AGM and voted to amend INDEVOR’s charter to codify its commitment to both social and environmental impact, and its joint venture with Community Impact Challenge around the following objectives:

–  To serve as a hub to foster, support and promote INSEAD’s social and environmental impact events and initiatives across Global Clubs, NAAs, student clubs and the broader school community.

–  To raise awareness, advocacy and action for sustainability in work and life, working with Community Impact Challenge to advance decarbonization.

–  To mentor and support INSEAD students who want to imbue their careers with social and environmental impact

In addition, attendees broke into discussion groups around themes for our 2025 Alumni Summit on Business and Sustainability (see blurb below); ideas for this year’s Challenge; and ideas for webinars, which included:  ESG for SMEs; Biodiversity Credits Over Carbon Credits;  Human Migration and Workforce Development; and Biz Strategies in Response to Declining Humanitarian Aid.  If you’d like to help produce a webinar contact INDEVOR learning events lead Kiku Loomis at i[email protected]

Last year, we met at Station F in Paris; this year, INDEVOR is embedding its annual alumni business and sustainability summit within the INSEAD Alumni Forum Europe 2025 in Amsterdam.  There, on Saturday, April 5^th, INDEVOR will host a highly interactive and inspiring session called “Your actions in achieving profit and impact.”

Participants will engage in small-group discussions, exploring personalized business opportunities and exchanging ideas in a dynamic, debate-driven format – true to INSEAD’s “cubicle” style.

We are looking for INDEVOR moderators to facilitate discussions in groups of four. If you’re attending the Forum and willing to help moderate, please email the co-hosts:
[email protected]
[email protected]

Webinar: “Better Health, not (just) Flowers” (Making Women’s Health a Priority)
Date & Time: Wednesday, 5 March 2025; 10:00-11:30 am EST / 16:00-17:30 hrs CET
Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/better-health-not-just-flowers-tickets-1236125477579

Get ready for INSEAD Giving Day, where our global community comes together in a celebration of generosity and impact. Since its inception in 2017, we’ve raised an incredible €10.6M from 16,604 donors, proving that every contribution counts. Be part of this exciting tradition and help us make a difference for the future. Together, we grow!

25 April, 3:00 – 7:30pm, Blue Bubble, Grand Palais, Paris, ChangeNOW Summit

For the Forum, please register here.

Free 3-day passes to ChangeNOW will be distributed starting mid-March to those who register via eventbrite link.  The number of places to the Forum, Virtual Gathering and a cocktail reception is limited and available to INSEAD alumni and graduates of INSEAD executive education programes only.

More Information:  This year’s Impact Entrepreneurship Forum aims to share the latest research and evidence-based insights, foster community engagement for potential collaborations, and leverage INSEAD’s long-standing partnership with ChangeNOW.  The Forum will dive into real-world examples, critical data, and diverse perspectives from academics and entrepreneurs, especially in regions disproportionately affected by climate change and economic exclusion.  As we reflect on learnings from COP29, and as Brazil hands over the presidency of G20 to South Africa, Impact Entrepreneurship Forum invites all to reflect on the past decade in the emerging economies. Can we envision equitable, climate-resilient ecosystems, or will these economies remain overburdened? What have been the learnings in Brazil that could benefit South Africa as it takes over the role?  Is impact entrepreneurship the ultimate solution for emerging economies to change systems and influence policymakers?

Finally, in the run up to ChangeNOW, The Hoffmann Institute and the INSEAD Learning Hub,are joining forces to bring you brand new, exclusive content on the topic of emerging economies and impact entrepreneurship.

Do you know of a purpose-driven organization that could provide challenging assignments to eager teams of 2-4 MBA students?

These students are keen to get some hands-on experience in SMEs that are in the process of scaling up. They are willing to spend +/- 4 hours each per week over 8 weeks (October to December) helping you make a step change in your business in areas such as growth plans, market development, financial/investment models and converting strategy to implementation. Assignments can be global but the work will be remote. If their academic supervisor is satisfied, their reward is a credit towards their MBA.

In the last few years, the Dutch NAA has already placed 26 and 4 summer/post-graduation interns. The feedback from both the Companies and the students is impressive. Could this be regarded as a rare win/win?

 We are reaching out to you because:

–  We need a pipeline of challenging assignments. Do you support or know of a purpose-driven organization that could benefit from such an opportunity?

–  Would your NAA be interested in becoming a facilitator for the SECE program?

This is not even a one-off offer! Please keep in mind that an Autumn wave (Oct-Dec) follows the Spring wave (April-June)  and that there is a chance too, to apply for summer interns in June or even post-graduation interns in January. The interns can even apply to the Hoffmann Institute for a generous stipend, if required.

For more details, please contact
Tim Bett [email protected]  or Elisa Dierickx [email protected] on behalf of The Sustainability Club and the Dutch NAA

–  Climate Hero Initiative Surpasses 2,250 participants – Please tell your friends

–  INDEVOR marks Global INSEAD Day with a webinar on Investing for Sustainability

–  Check out Refreshed INDEVOR

–  Global Club Blogsite – and find lifelong learning resources on social and environmental impact

–  Mark your calendars for INDEVOR’ s Annual General Meeting January 17th 7 a.m. SF/10 a.m. NYC/4 p.m. CET/10 p.m. Sing. We’ll be planning our sustainability session for Amsterdam Alumni Forum.

–  Seeking a communications volunteer for INDEVOR’s Executive Committee

–  Community Impact Challenge is looking for Marketing and Communications Leader (volunteer role)

Welcome back to fall, INDEVORites.  We have been heartened over the summer to see the numbers mounting to more than 2,250 participants joining in the INSEAD ClimateHero Initiative, to further enhance the awareness around climate change. Thank you, if you already participated; We still need more to join in order to change the game.  Could you please help promote it with classmates and friends on your WhatsApp groups, NAA & GC newsletters and other channels? Please find below a draft text that you can share with your communities.

INSEAD invites everyone to be better informed about their personal carbon footprints. Therefore, please join the INSEAD ClimateHero Initiative. Thank you to those who already participated.

It only takes 5 minutes to calculate your carbon footprint, which offers you many benefits:

• Learn: Get a detailed breakdown of your environmental impact. The calculator provides specific, actionable recommendations to reduce your carbon footprint.
• Improve: Consider the suggested changes in ways that fit your lifestyle and schedule. Every small, informed step contributes to significant reductions in carbon emissions.
• Compete: INSEAD tracks participation by country and cohort. Spread the word to see your class/country at the top of the leaderboard.
• Win: INSEAD offers three vouchers that grant a full waiver for any of the INSEAD Open Online Programs. More information can be found in the Frequently Asked Question section.
• Join: 2285 INSEAD people already joined this initiative, including INSEAD Board Members, faculty, staff and, of course, alumni.

Check out a thought-provoking webinar for Global INSEAD Day September 12 on “Investing in Sustainability: Mobilizing Capital for Sustainable Business” with Kiku Loomis (93D), Host; Jinna Li (19J), Moderator and Partner, Endgame Capital: Kamal Hassan (93D), Loyal VC investor; Nicolas Sdez (23J), Loyal VC investee in ocean carbon capture and Harini Sunderam (07J), VP Marketing & Sales GreenStruxure and leader of INSEAD’s Community Impact Challenge.

Visit our refreshed blogsite, thanks to our wonderful administrator, Nicole Harari, which now links to an archive of past webinar recordings, to our past newsletters full of images and event outcomes, and to the INDEVOR student club, which now is 31 years old and a close collaborator with our alumni club.  For our last webinar, students set up a watch party in an Amphi.  Stay tuned for more improvements, including INDEVOR student C.V. books for alums looking to hire.

Mark your calendars for our Annual General Meeting on January 17^th – 7 a.m. PT, 10 a.m. ET, 4 p.m. CET and 10 p.m. SGT.  As per last year, we will cover housekeeping in the first 15 minutes and dedicate the remaining 45 minutes to breakouts and generative discussion to plan our sustainability session for the Amsterdam Alumni Forum in April.   Registration invite and link to follow later this Fall.

INDEVOR still is seeking a communications volunteer to join our team and keep our website refreshed and newsletters distributing, working with president Katie Smith Milway on strategy and web administrator Nicole Harari on implementation. Commitment: 1 hour per week. Experience in writing, editing and website content creation is desirable. This is a core volunteer role, which may convert in time to an Executive Committee member. A perfect job for a new alum who wants to get involved – or a longstanding alum with a little more margin in their life.  If interested, please send your CV and expression of experience and interest to INDEVOR Global Club Secretary [email protected]

Looking for a chance to get involved in the sustainability domain and help communities to become carbon neutral? Do you have in-depth experience in Communication and Marketing, people management experience, and preferably experience in a volunteering organisation? We have a role just for you! Join the Community Impact Challenge (CIC)!  Our Communications team is at the heart of all we do and it is a great chance to make a real impact. You will Lead a team to design comms and marketing strategy, CIC branding, manage social media and all comms materials, liaise with INSEAD, the Hoffmann Institute and NAAs for comms purposes.

To find out more and discuss how you can be involved please send your CV and cover letter to [email protected].

In this issue:

1. Join our new INDEVOR “Alumni in Impact” Directory!

2. May 2024 Alumni Business and Sustainability Summit at Station F/Paris Launches ClimateHero Initiative:  Please join!

3. Hoffman Institute Hosts Business Schools for Climate Leadership Convening June 1

4. Mark your calendars for INDEVOR’s INSEAD Global Day webinar 9/12/2024.

5. Send ideas for our April 2025 Alumni Business & Sustainability Summit 

6. Welcome to INDEVOR’s new student club leadership

7. Apply for facilitator role at Community Impact Challenge

Apply to join the INSEAD INDEVOR Directory for INSEAD Alumni working in any area of environment or social impact to connect with each other. The membership is free. Please email [email protected] for any questions and use QR code below to apply.

On May 30^th the INDEVOR Global Impact Network GC, in partnership with Community Impact Challenge and Hoffman Institute, hosted a sold-out, 2^nd annual Alumni Business and Sustainability Summit at Station F in Paris. More than 100 alumni gathered in person to learn and contribute at Station F in Paris, with more joining online, including those at a synchronized breakfast event at the SF Hub.  The program, sponsored in part by Loyal VC, featured INSEAD’s deep well of alumni expertise in sustainability issues.  Speakers addressed ESG regulations, AI risks and opportunities for carbon pollution reduction, and advances in shipping, air fuel and construction to crack emissions outside the direct control of a given business (Scope 3 emissions).

Shipping expert Pernille Dalhgaard, jet fuel expert Philippe Lacamp, and construction expert Dr. Andreas Claussen give lightning talks on Cracking Scope 3 at Station F, moderated by INSEAD COO Attila Cselotei.

Discussion groups aligned with sessions produced ideas for applying the learning to participants’ businesses and lives.  As a concrete step for the entire gathering we launched the ClimateHero Initiative, inviting all alumni to use this link to measure their carbon footprint as a base case for improving it.  Please join the initiative: Our business decisions are calculated; what about our personal ones? The event team thanks INSEAD professor Theos Evgeniou, COO Attila Cselotei and Dean Mark Stabile for their participation and support, and thanks co-promoters NAAs France, The Netherlands, UK, USA, and Global Clubs TechAlumni, Energy, International Directors Network, and Women in Business.  Event recording at this link.

Summit participants discussed and applied experts’ insights to there own contexts.

FEATURED EXPERTS:

Côme Perpère, MBA11J, Chief Sustainability Officer, Microsoft France, 
Pernille Dahlgaard, GMBA14, Chief Officer Government, Business & Analytics Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping
Dr. Andrea Claussen, EMCC12, Supervisory board, Hering International, systematised construction solutions & Founder of I Am Wilderness GmBH
Philippe Lacamp, Finance for Executives 2016, CEO, SkyNRG, sustainable aviation fuel
Siddartha Chaturvedy MBA15D  Director of Product Management, Microsoft
Alexandre D’Aspremont   Faculty, École Normale Supériure, Kayrros SAS Cofounder
Constance D’Aspremont, MBA06J Business Development, Strategy & Partnerships, Greenomy 

Summit Co-hosts Patricia Sennequier (Virtuals) and Katie Smith Milway (Station F)

Event Team:  INDEVOR admin Nicole Harari (registration and communications); INDEVOR president Katie Smith Milway (Co-host and event architect); INDEVOR NAA Liaison Patricia Sennequier (Co-host, tech and session coordinator); INDEVOR learning lead Kiku Loomis (Session coordinator); INDEVOR student liaison Joanne Schante (day-of logistics);  INDEVOR secretary Ebru Carter (slideshow); INDEVOR treasurer Ashish Singh (eventbrite & vendor payments);  INDEVOR climate journey liaison Hans Reus (ClimateHero initiative); CIC president Harini Sundaram and president emeritus Paolo Senes (ClimateHero Initiative); INDEVOR volunteer Nathalie Trutmann (welcome and nametags); INDEVOR NAA Germany rep Dr. Andreas Claussen (Pre-Summit Workshop on Leading for Sustainability); TechAlumni GC President Vikas Pandurkar (Technology); NAA France sustainability rep Solenn Marquette (Catering & Reception); INSEAD COO Attila Cselotei (faculty liaison), INDEVOR NAA Liaison Jinna Li (Alumni in Impact community). 

Event Team members post summit at Station F.  Time to relax!

The Hoffman Institute hosted an insightful and invigorating European Business Schools for Climate Leadership (BS4CL) conference with eight peer institutions on the heels of the INDEVOR Biz & Sustainability Summit.  Several summit organizers were able to attend and port questions and learnings from one convening to the next.

8 participating B-Schools.              Core paradigm shift from “output” to “impact” economy

We’ll be marking Global INSEAD Day, Sept 12, with a webinar featuring Loyal VC founder Kamal Hassan (MBA 93D) and INSEAD alumni entrepreneurs building businesses in social and environmental impact.   Webinar questions and ideas?  Contact INDEVOR learning lead Kiku Loomis at [email protected]. 

A recurring question out of both our virtual breakouts and in-person discussions at the 2024 biz & sustainability summit:  “What are best ways to influenced supply chains for both environmental and social responsibility?”   We are looking at ways to advance learning and action on this theme, in partnership with Community Impact Challenge.  We welcome ideas for our 2025 Summit, which will be in conjunction with INSEAD’s European Alumni Forum April 4-6.  Please send your ideas to [email protected]

We look forward to collaborating with you!

Looking for a chance to get involved in the sustainability domain and to make a impact by mobilising more people and organisations to achieve net zero by 2050? 

Join the Community Impact Challenge (CIC) and act as Facilitator to mobilise, convince and guide organisations to register for the Race To Zero initiative. You will get the opportunity to meet and work with other like-minded people, to expand your network, and to train with partners. Your objectives will be to leverage your network to identify, contact and convince organisations to sign up to the RTZ. Support the organisation throughout the signup process, identify the best Partner the organisation can work with using the materials, toolkits and slides developed by the CIC Experts.

Candidates with experience and contacts in the financial services, logistics and transportation would be preferred.

Please send your CV and cover letter to [email protected] or reach out to Alina Ignatieva, Talent Co-Lead.

Find out more about this and other roles and CIC at www.communityimpactchallenge.org/volunteerroles

Venue: Station F (Central Room)/SF Hub/Hybrid, 5 Parvis Alan Turing Paris  75013
Attendees:  300 alumni (100 in-person – 20 spots left; 200 virtual – 100 spots left, including at SF Hub)

Join fireside chat keynote Côme Perpère, Chief Sustainability Officer, Microsoft France, MBA11J, INDEVOR Global Club president Katie Smith Milway MBA93D, NAA France Sustainability Lead, Solenn Marquette, MBA09D, INDEVOR GC NAA Liaison Patricia Sennequier MBA04J and Global TechAlumni Club president Vikas Pandurkar at  Station F for our May 30^th summit, sponsored by Loyal VC.

AGENDA, SPEAKERS & CO-PROMOTERS

For N. American alums: 

SF Hub will pipe in summit session: AI & Sustainability: Opportunities and Risks at 8 a.m. breakfast event May 30^th, with panelist Sid Chaturvedi of Microsoft US present to lead discussion.  Register here

20 Spots for Pre-Summit Workshop on “Sustainability Leadership” at Station F Felicite building/Jardin Charcot (adjacent) May 30^th, 12h -14h30

Dr. Andrea Claussen, NAA Germany, medical doctor, leadership coach and founder of I Am Wilderness will offer this leadership workshop pro-bono to first 20 summit participants to email [email protected]  with “pre-summit” in subject line.

April 24^th 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. in London, sponsored by NAA UK
Location: Artefact, Rex Building, 1st Floor, 62-64 Queen Street, London EC4R 1EB.

May 6^th Amsterdam, 18h30 – 21h15 sponsored by NAA The Netherlands with the Energy Global Club and Health Care Global Club

The Future of Electric Vehicles hosted at EVBox’s Amsterdam office:
EVBox
Kabelweg 47
1014 BA Amsterdam

INDEVOR is seeking a communications volunteer join our team and lead our branding and website refresh, working with president Katie Smith Milway on strategy and web administrator Nicole Harari on implementation. This includes content management and links to related INSEAD alumni organisations like CIC and INDEVOR student club. The role will also work with our club president on our bimonthly newsletter and social media messaging.

Commitment: 2 hours per week. Experience in writing, editing and website content creation desirable. This is a core volunteer role, which may convert in time to Executive Committee member.  If interested, please send your CV and expression of experience and interest to INDEVOR Global Club Secretary [email protected].

As part of the Europe Campus Reimagination project geothermal well drilling began in March at Fontainebleau. This sustainable energy source will take care of 86% of the new MIM building’s heating and cooling needs. It is another important step for delivering on the school’s greenhouse gas reduction pledge.