BUIES CREEK – Campbell Business faculty, staff, and students recently gathered at HQ Raleigh to engage an international delegation from Australia, China, Spain, Israel, and Brunei on the topic of social entrepreneurship. The event was part of the International Visitor Leadership Program coordinated by the U.S. Department of State where participants are nominated and selected by the staff at U.S. Embassies worldwide.
International leaders are invited for a three week trip to four to six American cities and often this is their first visit to the U.S. The goal is to meet with their U.S. counterparts to exchange viewpoints and gain new insights on professionally related topics, as well as experience U.S. culture through activities.
“It was an amazing experience getting to interact with individuals from such diverse backgrounds who shared the same passion and drive for innovation,” said Rachel Mahr, a sophomore at Campbell Business who presented her idea for a sustainable clothing brand using more natural products. “We all came to the table bearing different views and it was interesting to see how we could all agree on the need for social entrepreneurs and innovation around the world.”
“Visiting HQ Raleigh was a great experience for me,” said Samantha De Arcia, a first year Campbell Business student who is part of the inaugural cohort of the Business Fellows. “I was unsure of what to expect as I had never visited a place like it. Being able to sit amongst people with remarkable amounts of knowledge regarding entrepreneurship, specifically social entrepreneurship, was enlightening, to say the least.”
“What I’ve taken from this event is that social entrepreneurship is something that spans internationally,” said Abby Richmond, a Campbell Business sophomore majoring in Trust and Wealth Pre-Law. “Anyone and everyone can take part just by having an idea that contributes to society. Hearing from delegates from all over the world inspired me to broaden my career goals to something that could reach international levels.”
“It reinforced what I knew about social entrepreneurship from a global aspect,” said Kelly Fuqua, President of the Social Entrepreneurship Club at Campbell Business. “It’s really an umbrella term that embraces change, innovation, service, engagement, responsibility, and more. I was very impressed to see how almost every nation seems to be implementing similar key ideas in such unique ways. Meeting local change makers within the school and other networking opportunities was also very enlightening.”
The event included a tour of HQ Raleigh, providing an opportunity to spend time in the Campbell Business suite engaging with faculty and staff. HQ Raleigh is an entrepreneurial co-working hub in downtown Raleigh where Campbell Business recently secured an office.