Seth Goldman

With a goal to better understand how social change, social impact management, sustainability and corporate social responsibility impact business, technology and engineering, Walden University’s College of Management and Technology created the Social Impact Speaker Series.

Dr. Wanda Gravett, associate dean of the School of Management, and Dr. Ahmed Naumaan, associate dean of the NTU School of Engineering and Applied Science, hosted the series of live Web-based presentations, which recently featured four notable thought leaders.

Mission in a Bottle: Building and Growing Honest Tea
Co-founder and TeaEO of Honest Tea, Seth Goldman, presented “Mission in a Bottle: Building and Growing Honest Tea” and detailed the ways the company has grown and succeeded while focusing on corporate social responsibility.

With a goal to make a national impact—from within the niche of the beverage industry to the larger scale vision to improve the American diet—Honest Tea faced three challenges. The company had to overcome an overwhelming dishonesty in the beverage industry, establish a position of sustainability within a consumer-based society and survive a difficult industry for newcomers.

Honest Tea answered those challenges with unwavering social responsibility that was at the heart of the brand. Concepts such as creating authentic connections, gaining a full understanding of consumers, keeping things simple and depending on more effective marketing methods were key. By holding true to their core values when they were ahead of their time, Honest Tea is now positioned for success in a time of great opportunity.

Dr. Evan Selinger

Innovation and Responsible Development
Dr. Evan Selinger is an assistant professor of philosophy at Rochester Institute of Technology and author of many books and articles focusing on phenomenology and the philosophies of technology and science.

Legally emancipated at the age of 16, Selinger believes his early “thorny relationship” with his parents and subsequent years of living without what many take for granted led to his career in philosophy. And with the ability to look beyond these traditional perspectives, the progression from philosophy to technology is a natural one.

In his presentation “Innovation and Responsible Development,” Selinger discussed the many facets of technology today, including the concept that “the things we design also design us.” In other words, innovations incline us in certain ways and continue the creation of new technology.

He also discussed the technologies of social media, how it is affecting culture, its role in the workplace and its multiple realities. Selinger looked, as well, at the many questions surrounding technology and who is responsible for its successes and failures.

Claire Broido Johnson

Additional Guest Lecturers
Claire Broido Johnson, senior advisor at Hannon Armstrong, presented “Environmental Entrepreneurship: Thoughts on Starting a Business in the Environmental Field.”

Chris Deri

Chris Deri, executive vice president and global leader of corporate social responsibility and sustainability at Edelman, a global public relations firm, discussed his firm’s research findings on corporate social responsibility in “Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Communications: Who’s Listening? Who’s Leading? What Matters Most?”

The College of Management and Technology’s Social Impact Speaker Series builds on the university’s mission of social change and the college’s focus on social impact management.

View the archived lectures.

February Ponder front page

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