The Social Enterprise Program at Columbia Business School

Social Enterprise Leadership Forum:
The Economics and Psychology of Poverty

Friday, May 18, 2012
8:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Venue:
Columbia University
This is an invitation-only event. Not open to the public.

For well over a century, economists, policymakers, and idealists have talked about an end to poverty. Yet hunger, destitution, and homelessness continue to afflict even the wealthiest communities, including New York City. We find ourselves today, however, with many promising developments on the horizon. We are in the midst of what has been described as a social enterprise revolution: From mobile health to microfinance to new approaches to educating and training those born or living in poverty, there are innovative efforts afoot to bring us closer to actually ending poverty. At the same time, a new generation of researchers is applying the latest ideas and techniques from the social sciences to better understand why poverty has been so persistent. How does poverty shape the way individuals view the world, and make decisions? What are the particular challenges they face in managing their households and savings? What can we learn from recent developments in economics, psychology, and the emerging field of behavioral economics to help the poor manage their lives better?

In this half-day meeting, we will bring together leaders from a range of social service sectors to exchange ideas on how best to work together to bring an end to poverty. We will focus on themes relevant to organizations working in urban settings, guided by presentations from leading thinkers from academia and practice.

Executive Directors who would like to attend future Social Enterprise Leadership Forums can contact: socialenterprise@gsb.columbia.edu