University at Buffalo School of Management

"WEDI provides microloans, space and financial education so entrepreneurs can li themselves out of poverty, hire others and transform communities," she says. "We've been successful because we under- stand the business side and the systems we must ad- dress, as well as the social side, including how to help refugees with trauma, work with interpreters and overcome barriers." Alexandra Piotrowski, BS '05, has seen firsthand the devastating consequences of businesses that ig- nore their community impact. As a small enterprise development agent with the Peace Corps in Senegal, she worked in villages where gold mining companies had taken farmland, exploited workers and spread toxic chemicals. "That experience prompted me to shi my ca- reer to corporate social responsibility because I truly believe businesses, even multibillion-dollar companies, can help developing countries — and it can be mutually beneficial," she says. "By working with the local population and other organizations, businesses can find the natural and human resources they need, but do so in a responsible way by thinking outside the box." Piotrowski now serves as an economic development specialist at the U.S. Small Business Administration, conducting workshops and train- ing for entrepreneurs and connecting business own- ers in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., to opportunities like InnovateHER, a competition for women entrepreneurs, and Operation Hope, a non- profit dedicated to financial literacy empowerment and education. "The intersection of businesses, nonprofits and governments is a powerful place to address social issues," says DiFonzo. "No organization or sector has a corner on helping people or changing social systems. Through meaningful collaboration, we can brainstorm solutions and create more impact than any organization can individually." Autumn 2017 Buffalo Business 13 " The intersection of businesses, nonprofits and governments is a powerful place to address social issues." Bryana difonzo, PMBA '16 Community Development Director Westminster Economic Development Initiative Patients — not profits It's through collaboration that global health organizations are able to research, develop and intro- duce life-saving medicine. As an executive at Merck & Co. for more than a decade, Margaret McGlynn, MBA '83, secured approval to provide vaccines at cost in developing countries, led a campaign aimed at protecting women from cervical cancer and opened a vaccine research center in India — all made possible through public-private partnerships. For example, when Merck set out to introduce a rotavirus vaccine, McGlynn faced steep barriers to eliminate the traditional 15-year lag from when a vaccine was offered in wealthy countries versus developing countries. To overcome this challenge, Merck partnered with global nonprofit PATH to con- duct clinical trials in Africa and Asia, worked with the Nicaraguan government to vaccinate every baby born over a three-year period and, aer demonstrat- ing successful results in Nicaragua, coordinated with Gavi and other organizations to introduce the vaccine in other developing countries. " By working with the local population and other organizations, businesses can find the natural and human resources they need, but do so in a responsible way by thinking outside the box." Alexandra Piotrowski, Bs '05 Economic Development Specialist U.S. Small Business Administration DiFonzo talks with an entrepreneur from Iraq in the West Side Bazaar. Photo: Tom Wolf

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