There once was a man who studied industrial engineering at Purdue. Despite a strong academic record, he interviewed 50 times for jobs in his junior year and received 50 rejections. He subsequently became the first blind man to earn a MBA from Harvard University and revolutionized multiple social enterprises. The latest in a series of stellar speakers, Jim Gibbons arrived at the Smith School on Nov. 14 to inspire a lecture room full of seasoned professors and aspiring social entrepreneurs. His journey from struggle to becoming a direct impact player was derived from a simple formula: finding out what excites you and putting people first.
Mr. Gibbons is currently the CEO of Goodwill Industries International, a non-profit enterprise dedicated to social solutions. The model is based on collecting goods or clothes that need repair. These are sold in Goodwill stores throughout the nation with the revenue used for job training and education programs. Goodwill is based on a commitment to what social entrepreneurs call a “triple bottom line”, resulting in an environmental and social impact. “Our model doesn’t start with asking,” explains Gibbons. Identifying a need and being constantly innovative is the crux of Goodwill’s effectiveness. Each Goodwill agency identifies its own need based on the specific needs of its community. Before Goodwill, Gibbons served in multiple leadership positions at AT&T, eventually going on to the National Institute of the Blind. Through restructuring of marketing strategies and an emphasis on mission measures, Gibbons went on to transform the NIB into a socially profitable enterprise.
Gibbons explained the landscape of social entrepreneurship to an engaged audience, discussing different models of social construction including Benefit corporations and charity models. Gibbons also mentioned the idea of building a strong leadership brand, a combination of results you want to achieve and the definition of your identity. “Making money is not bad,” joked Mr. Gibbons, referring to the connotation of the non-profit sector as one with a large volunteer base. “Find out what matters to you; who you are is beyond your major.”
His lecture was met with great enthusiasm from students. Nima Farschi, a Junior Accounting and Operations Management major, heard about the lecture from his Smith Social Innovation Fellows class. “Mr. Gibbons provided insight both on how business can be used as a tool for a good and his own personal stories of perseverance. His story and cause furthered my drive to become a social entrepreneur,” explained Farschi.