Nearly 1,400 MBA students, professionals and sponsors attended the 2004 Net Impact conference, Business Leaders Building a Better World, which took place from November 11 to 14. The sold-out conference drew participants from 80 business schools, 167 companies and 11 countries.

Hosted by a different business school each year, Net Impact’s annual conference is one of the largest and best known gatherings of socially minded business leaders in the world. In 2004, speakers included: Orin Smith, CEO of Starbucks Coffee Company; Julius Walls, Jr., CEO of Greyston Bakery and vice president of enterprise and jobs development at the Greyston Foundation; and Thomas M. Chappell, CEO and cofounder of Tom’s of Maine and president of the Saltwater Institute.

“The entire Columbia Business School community is proud to host this year’s conference. Dozens of students organized the event, while faculty members and alumni were actively involved as panelists, participants and sponsors,” stated Glenn Hubbard, dean of Columbia Business School. “The record-breaking attendance reflects the growing emphasis at Columbia and other top business schools on preparing future leaders who seek opportunity to add value beyond the bottom line.”