Running for Change Three Hult Students Launch Social Enterprise in San Francisco

Written by global ambassador, Alan Pierce, Master of Social Entrepreneurship student, San Francisco campus, class of 2016. Think about a local cause that moves you, and also about some activity you do nearly every day. If you could combine that activity to raise money for the cause, would you? The answer is probably a resounding, yes! And this is exactly what three students at Hult are promising with their soon-to-be launched app, Atlas. Atlas enables people who enjoy running to raise money for every step they take. More specifically, runners earn 25 cents (provided by corporate sponsors) for every mile, all of which goes directly to social enterprises selected by the Atlas team. That co-founding team is made up of three Master of Social Entrepreneurship students at Hult San Francisco: Thomas Querton, Magali Mathieu, and Olivier Kaeser. Thomas, who is Chief Empathy Officer at Atlas, originally had the idea of engaging communities through running while living in Belgium (his native country), and recognized a Master of Social Entrepreneurship at Hult as a way to manifest that vision: â€Å"It was clear to me that I needed two things: a better understanding of the industry I was getting into and an innovative environment to work in. So I decided to move to the capital of innovation and foolishness: San Francisco. I had this naive ambition of wanting to change the world and I was lucky enough to find 65 classmates at Hult who shared this unreasonableness. Especially Magali and Olivier who embarked on this run with me to start making my American dream a reality.† Atlas co-founding team, Thomas Querton, Magali Mathieu Olivier Kaeser. Combining diverse backgrounds, the three co-founders describe Atlas as a platform to bring together a global community of change-makers (people like you) in creating empathy and tangible social impact through running. Olivier Kaeser, Chief Ideation Officer, further explains this vision for Atlas, â€Å"Our initial goal is to partner with nonprofits in the Bay Area that concentrate on the empowerment of the weakest in our society and help them to unfold their potential. Our ultimate vision is to replicate this model in other cities in the United States and around the globe.† This is an ambitious goal. And yet, runners across the world have already responded to the call to validate that ambition. To date, the Atlas team has launched four campaigns (completed via Facebook until the app is ready). For the first two campaigns they tapped into the Hult community of runner change-makers (such as the Hult Running Club) to raise money for the homeless in San Francisco and for local Hult Prize finalist, Musana Carts. Magali Mathieu, Chief Impact Officer at Atlas, describes their journey with the third campaign: We chose  Fonds Ngangi as they were a trusted non-profit we had a connection to. This allowed Atlas  to send 3 students to school in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).  The plan was  to reach 2 grants  in 30 days but the campaign  exploded so we pushed to get one more full scholarship and our runners did it, together  we raised $2,700! It was great to see so much initiative from Fonds Ngangi,  the students organized their own race in the DRC as they wanted to be a real part of the campaign. Moving forward we are focusing on connecting  our corporate and  nonprofits partners with our runners locally. So if youre in the Bay area, youll be running for a cause happening right here! Buoyed by this engagement with their platform, the Atlas team then launched their fourth (and current) campaign encouraging runners to participate for Social Advocates for Youth (SAY), an organization empowering homeless youth in the SF Bay Area. Their aim is to raise $2,500 in order to furnish SAY’s â€Å"Dream Center,† a campus with temporary and long-term housing to bring youth off the streets, along with counseling and work opportunities to help reintegrate them back into society. The key to this campaign, and a core value driving the Atlas mission, is to focus on promoting a local ecosystem of change where local runners run for local causes sponsored by local companies. In this way they hope to exceed simply being an awareness campaign by providing actionable avenues of participation to all locals who wish to do something to improve their community. And the local Hult community has already answered this call to support SAY, with a number of them even running in the San Francisco Marathon. The unfolding of the SAY campaign gives a sound example of how Atlas creates a community of change-makers, and empowers local individuals to act for their local causes. Thomas speaks to this power, â€Å"Atlas pushed them out of the door to go for a run increasing their engagement, compassion and health. They would go for distances never achieved before because their miles go for someone else.† As a social enterprise itself, the Atlas model yields a unique matrix of impact. Beyond the resources delivered to worthy social projects, Atlas is also building something which motivates exercise. It’s helping create more value and fulfilment in the corporate labor force. It is cultivating empathy-driven lifestyles. Such ripple effects are perhaps subtle, but they certainly accelerate the inertia of social change. From their start at Hult, to their ambitious plans for global growth, Thomas emphasizes they remain committed to the vision driving them forward, â€Å"Each person has the power to run the change he wants to see in the world, by voting with his feet.† To find out  more about Hults global  Master programs,  download a brochure Kickstart your career right next door to Silicon Valley by studying at Hults San Francisco business school. To find out more, take a look at our blog Hult San Francisco: adventurers, dreamers and doers. Download a brochure or get in touch today to find out how Hult can help you to learn about the business world, the future, and yourself. Hult Rotation offers you a chance to study in a truly global way. Our rotation program allows you to study and be immersed in some of the finest cities in the world. 📠¸: @jasminmanzano . Hult Rotation offers you a chance to study in a truly global way. Our rotation program allows you to study and be immersed in some of the finest cities in the world. 📠¸: @jasminmanzano . Each year, Hult seeks to enroll a talented and ambitious incoming class from all over the world. We look for diverse students with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and interests—students who will thrive in our unique educational atmosphere. Are you ready for a truly global experience? 📠¸: @iambrunadiniz . Each year, Hult seeks to enroll a talented and ambitious incoming class from all over the world. We look for diverse students with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and interests—students who will thrive in our unique educational atmosphere. Are you ready for a truly global experience? 📠¸: @iambrunadiniz . We’re excited to start 2020 on a ranking high! Hult is proud to have been placed #28 in Poets Quants 2020 rankings for Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the US. Taking a huge leap of 32 places from our 2019 position, we’re also very happy to have secured top positions in key categories like: life-changing experience, practicality of the degree, and global immersion. . With five global campuses, a student body of over 130 nationalities, and a learn-by-doing approach—Hult offers a student experience like no other. . We’re excited to start 2020 on a ranking high! Hult is proud to have been placed #28 in Poets Quants 2020 rankings for Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the US. Taking a huge leap of 32 places from our 2019 position, we’re also very happy to have secured top positions in key categories like: life-changing experience, practicality of the degree, and global immersion. . With five global campuses, a student body of over 130 nationalities, and a learn-by-doing approach—Hult offers a student experience like no other. . â€Å"I’m from an engineering background and needed a whole new skill set for the industry I wanted to switch to. I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with being out of my comfort zone. I learned both soft and hard skills, from how to work in very diverse teams to key accounting metrics and strategy. I was surprised by how weak I was at certain tasks in English or how strong I actually was in other areas. Hult gave me opportunities to try new things and meet people from places I never thought I would have friends. . My internship experiences gave me the chance to broaden my view of different cultures and different companies. I had the opportunity to work and live with people whose values differed from people in my home country. I thought that this would be difficult, but it gave me the chance to reflect on my own values and assess if they were a result of my home country environment or if they were intrinsically mine. . Diederick ter Kulve (@diederick.terkulve) Netherlands Masters in International Business . â€Å"I’m from an engineering background and needed a whole new skill set for the industry I wanted to switch to. I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with being out of my comfort zone. I learned both soft and hard skills, from how to work in very diverse teams to key accounting metrics and strategy. I was surprised by how weak I was at certain tasks in English or how strong I actually was in other areas. Hult gave me opportunities to try new things and meet people from places I never thought I would have friends. . My internship experiences gave me the chance to broaden my view of different cultures and different companies. I had the opportunity to work and live with people whose values differed from people in my home country. I thought that this would be difficult, but it gave me the chance to reflect on my own values and assess if they were a result of my home country environment or if they were intrinsically mine. . Diederick ter Kulve (@diederick.terkulve) Netherlands Masters in International Business . Say a big hello to our Bachelor of Business Administration program cover star, Elisa Orus Plana âÅ" ¨ . â€Å"I’m excited for the future—especially that I cant predict whats going to happen. Maybe Ill end up in Mexico working for a trading company or maybe in Africa, developing my own business. Everything is possible, and the options are constantly changing. I love the idea that Im never going to be stuck doing the same job until the end of my life if I dont want it to be like this. . Hult really supports me and my ambitions and truly believes that we deserve to be considered as professionals as well as students. Here, I get to express not just my opinions but all elements of myself. From my creative side with the Fashion Society to my finance and business sides in Trading Club and the Management Consulting Club. We get a different type of learning here. Not just essential knowledge and theory, but practical skills and mindset. The school is always evolving. We’re encouraged to innovate and to always look for new ways of doing traditional things. We learn how to be more confident and become aware of how we can impact our environment. The school aims to help you become a better version of yourself and to stand out from the crowd.â€Å" . Elisa Orus Plana French Bachelor of Business Administration Class of 2021 Say a big hello to our Bachelor of Business Administration program cover star, Elisa Orus Plana âÅ" ¨ . â€Å"I’m excited for the future—especially that I cant predict whats going to happen. Maybe Ill end up in Mexico working for a trading company or maybe in Africa, developing my own business. Everything is possible, and the options are constantly changing. I love the idea that Im never going to be stuck doing the same job until the end of my life if I dont want it to be like this. . Hult really supports me and my ambitions and truly believes that we deserve to be considered as professionals as well as students. Here, I get to express not just my opinions but all elements of myself. From my creative side with the Fashion Society to my finance and business sides in Trading Club and the Management Consulting Club. We get a different type of learning here. Not just essential knowledge and theory, but practical skills and mindset. The school is always evolving. We’re encouraged to innovate and to always look for new ways of doing traditional things. We learn how to be more confident and become aware of how we can impact our environment. The school aims to help you become a better version of yourself and to stand out from the crowd.â€Å" . Elisa Orus Plana French Bachelor of Business Administration Class of 2021"> During the final days of 2019, you probably reflected on what you’ve accomplished this year—and even this decade—and what you’d like to achieve in 2020. Let us know in the comments below. During the final days of 2019, you probably reflected on what you’ve accomplished this year—and even this decade—and what you’d like to achieve in 2020. Let us know in the comments below. â€Å"The first time we did group work on the program, I went head-to-head with a colleague. It taught me a lot about how I see people, how people see me, and how conflict can be resolved in a kind and productive way. The best feedback you get, when delivered constructively, is the most critical because it really feeds into how you lead. I’ve completely reversed my leadership style—the result is so much richer and more powerful when you lead from behind and lead with strength. . Studying in tandem with working, whilst challenging, gave me the perfect platform to directly apply learning concepts into my business environment, the competitive landscape, and the real-estate industry as a whole. When I started the program, I was very happy in my corporate role. But my courage and aspirations grew to the point that I took on a whole new direction. Having my career coach, Joanna, as a sounding board allowed me to really be strategic and get to know myself. She coached me thro ugh all the interviews, the research, and the questions. It went in parallel with what I was doing academically and after six months everything just clicked. . I went into the EMBA knowing I had nothing to lose and I’ve come out with everything. Great strength, global friends, amazing learning, mentors from professors, a job I love, and the knowledge that I can set my mind to achieve anything and with the right support and resources I’ll get there.† . Kashani Wijetunga British, New Zealand Sri Lankan Associate Director Senior Strategy Consultant CBRE EMBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"The first time we did group work on the program, I went head-to-head with a colleague. It taught me a lot about how I see people, how people see me, and how conflict can be resolved in a kind and productive way. The best feedback you get, when delivered constructively, is the most critical because it really feeds into how you lead. I’ve completely reversed my leadership style—the result is so much richer and more powerful when you lead from behind and lead with strength. . Studying in tandem with working, whilst challenging, gave me the perfect platform to directly apply learning concepts into my business environment, the competitive landscape, and the real-estate industry as a whole. When I started the program, I was very happy in my corporate role. But my courage and aspirations grew to the point that I took on a whole new direction. Having my career coach, Joanna, as a sounding board allowed me to really be strategic and get to know myself. She coached me thro ugh all the interviews, the research, and the questions. It went in parallel with what I was doing academically and after six months everything just clicked. . I went into the EMBA knowing I had nothing to lose and I’ve come out with everything. Great strength, global friends, amazing learning, mentors from professors, a job I love, and the knowledge that I can set my mind to achieve anything and with the right support and resources I’ll get there.† . Kashani Wijetunga British, New Zealand Sri Lankan Associate Director Senior Strategy Consultant CBRE EMBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"It was now or never. I knew that I’d have likely stayed in my neighborhood for years to come if I didn’t take this opportunity. I’d not lived or studied outside of the U.S. before. So I left my job as a global strategist at an advertising agency and moved halfway around the world. I’ve come back a more culturally aware, well-versed person. I’ve realized that everything is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Ill definitely carry this mindset with me into the future. Technology and social media allow us to be different people in several places at once. Im excited to see how I can establish myself in whatever city Ill be lucky enough to call home and still maintain deep connections with people all over the world. I’m inspired by my classmates every day. Hearing some of their life stories and how getting this degree fits into their greater mission has been very humbling. My biggest challenge has been finding the ‘right’ path for me. There have been rooms Ive felt like I shouldnt be in, but now Im proud to feel as though I truly belong, wherever I am.† . Dwayne Logan, Jnr. American MBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"It was now or never. I knew that I’d have likely stayed in my neighborhood for years to come if I didn’t take this opportunity. I’d not lived or studied outside of the U.S. before. So I left my job as a global strategist at an advertising agency and moved halfway around the world. I’ve come back a more culturally aware, well-versed person. I’ve realized that everything is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Ill definitely carry this mindset with me into the future. Technology and social media allow us to be different people in several places at once. Im excited to see how I can establish myself in whatever city Ill be lucky enough to call home and still maintain deep connections with people all over the world. I’m inspired by my classmates every day. Hearing some of their life stories and how getting this degree fits into their greater mission has been very humbling. My biggest challenge has been finding the ‘right’ path for me. There have been rooms Ive felt like I shouldnt be in, but now Im proud to feel as though I truly belong, wherever I am.† . Dwayne Logan, Jnr. American MBA Class of 2019 . Happy New Year, Hultians! . Happy New Year, Hultians! .