Baruch College Supports Small Businesses with Forum on Social Responsibility
Baruch and the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership have co-hosted events for local businesses and entrepreneurs for more than a decadeOctober 4, 2019
Zicklin School of Business Dean Fenwick H. Huss welcomes small business owners, entrepreneurs and startup founders at the 2019 Business Assistance Forum at Baruch College on September 25.
Baruch College partnered with the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership on the Business Assistance Forum held on September 25. This year’s event was titled “Social Responsibility: Better for Business,” focusing on social responsibility and sustainability and how they contribute to a successful business.
The forum started with a lively fireside chat by Baruch alumnus Seth Besmertnik (’04), CEO & co-founder of Conductor, a marketing technology company with a people-first culture, and Giovanna Gray Lockhart, senior director of impact at The Wing, a company whose mission is the advancement of women through community. The two talked about ethical marketing and corporate responsibility.
Besmertnik, named the 2019 “Marketing Technology CEO of the Year” by MarTech, noted that, “when you have a company that’s mission-driven and you go through a challenge, you can galvanize your people around the greater purpose.” He added that, “it becomes a powerful aspect of leading a business.”
Following the fireside chat was a panel discussion on the best practices and philosophies around conscientious capitalism moderated by the Department of Small Business Services Commissioner Gregg Bishop. Panelists spoke about the challenges and rewards of running a socially responsible business, and answered questions from the audience.
Over the last decade, the College has joined the Flatiron Partnership to hold eleven forums that serve as an educational resource to local and citywide entrepreneurs and businesses.
Baruch’s Field Center for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development Center were at the forum to provide resource materials to attendees about their free one-on-one business mentorship program and free workshops on myriad business topics.
See more coverage from the Flatiron 23rd Street Partnership here.
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