Skip to Content

Stanford Business magazine

 

Spreadsheet

It’s Cheap, It’s Small, It Has a Bright Future

Forever-BrightA little LED light can go a long way. That’s what business and engineering students learned in a Social Entrepreneurship Startup course four years ago when they designed a solar-powered lamp that greatly improved the quality of life for those relying solely on kerosene lamps. But the technology didn’t come cheap.

Denning Honored with Leadership Award

Steve DenningThe Business School honored Steven Denning, MBA ’78, with its 2007 Excellence in Leadership Award at a dinner in New York’s Rainbow Room in April. “This award recognizes the achievements of an alumnus who has exhibited the integrity and leadership ability that we hope all our students will demonstrate throughout their careers,” said School Dean Robert Joss.

Supply Chain Races for Green Footwear

As Nike came under scrutiny for the labor practices in its contract factories in the late 1990s, the company went on the defensive. At first, its efforts were spurred by bad publicity, said Hannah Jones, Nike’s vice president of corporate responsibility.

But today, Jones said, Nike is beginning to look at corporate social responsibility as another engine of innovation for the company. “We’re looking at business models as a force for massive social change.”

Student Loan Aid in Developing Countries

Financing an MBA education is tough, but for many international students from developing nations, paying back educational loans can be crippling. Earning enough to keep up with payments may mean not going back home where one’s expertise can make a real difference.

The Apian Way

The Challenge for Charity spelling bee was won with “internecine” and “consanguinity.” Find out how much the 24th annual event raised for Special Olympics and other charities.

When Good Pay was $20,000 Annually

As gas prices in the United States closed in on the $4-per-gallon mark this spring, we took a deep breath and looked back 40 years to the era when you could expect to pay the gas station attendant $4 to wash the windows, check the oil, and fill the tank with regular.

Two New Joint Degrees Offered to MBAs

Beginning this fall, Stanford MBA students will be able to pursue two new joint degrees: one in environment and resources, and the other in public policy. Each requires that the student be admitted to the Business School before applying for the joint program.

The Great Turtle Race

Last spring, 11 female leatherback turtles, each weighing about 2,000 pounds and carrying a special “satellite backpack,” buried their eggs on a beach in Costa Rica and headed back to their feeding grounds off the Galapagos Islands, some 500 miles away. An avid audience of conservationists and schoolchildren watched. It was the brainchild of marketing veteran Mark Breier, MBA ’85, who came up with the idea of a turtle race to bring attention to the plight of the endangered animal and raise interest in its conservation.

Clearing Roadblocks In the Global Village

After three years in the federal government, Amy Wilkinson, MBA ’02, sees a growing need for business people to find out more about the public sector. “From my perspective, the intersection of business and government is critical,” Wilkinson says, “increasingly so as globalization increases.”

The Dean’s Book Club

You can learn about a person from what’s on his bookshelf. Last spring Dean Robert Joss put together a list of his favorite business books for U.S. News & World Report. Find out his top choices.

New Ventures