Smith MBAs Learn About Socially Responsible Investing at Calvert

On Friday, Nov. 30, a group of first- and second-year Smith MBA students traveled to the headquarters of the investment firm Calvert in Bethesda, Md., to learn about the Calvert Fund, a socially responsible mutual fund. This field trip dubbed The Calvert Trek was organized by the Smith Net Impact Club, whose mission is to make a positive impact on society by building a community of leaders who use business to improve the world. Calvert has been in the mutual fund business for over 30 years and manages more than $15 billion in assets, including the nations largest array of socially responsible mutual funds.

Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) is an investment strategy that integrates social or environmental criteria into financial analysis. With approximately $2.29 trillion in assets in the U.S. today, SRI is catching on with many investors who seek to align their investment portfolio with their personal values by avoiding companies that do not meet certain standards. For Calvert, SRI has evolved beyond simple avoidance screening to focus on four main aspects: social research, shareholder advocacy, social venture capital and community investing.

The Smith group which included 28 full- and part-time MBA students arrived at Calvert headquarters around 9:45 a.m., where they were treated to three full hours of remarks from several top Calvert executives, including CEO Barbara Krumsiek and Reggie Stanley, senior vice president of marketing. Ultimately, the day served to demonstrate how students can practice social responsibility through managing a mutual fund a cross-functional linkage not commonly made. The Calvert Trek was a great chance for Smith MBAs to learn about the socially responsible investment industry and hear first-hand about the career paths of Calvert executives, stated first-year MBA student Emily Chan.

While the Smith Net Impact Club has taken similar treks before, this was the first trip to Calvert. The trek certainly fulfilled our goal of introducing students to one of the many exciting opportunities available within the field of social responsibility, remarked Lilah Pomerance, second-year MBA student and co-president of the Smith Net Impact Club. Additionally, the trek helped open a networking avenue for students who were encouraged to apply for internships at Calvert and helped to further build Smiths growing relationship with Calvert.

▓ Pete Baird, MBA Candidate 09, Smith Media Group