Kentucky Entrepreneur Discusses "Double Bottom Line" with Oxford MBA's
Contact:
Lauren Marshall, Design Manager
Company:
Cre8tive Group
Phone:
859.858.9054 x30
Fax:
859.858.8029
Email:
lauren@cre8tivegroup.com
Lexington area CEO will present marketing best practices and trends to an international group of Executive MBA students during social enterprise business summit at the University of Oxford.
Chad Crouch, CEO and President of Cre8tive Group Inc., was invited to speak before students enrolled in the Oxford Executive MBA program at the Saïd Business School on March 26. Crouch will speak to social entrepreneurs, a growing segment of the global economy, on why social marketing can be considered pure marketing. "Cre8tive Group mirrors a lot of what's happening in the world today", says Crouch. "In late 2006, we looked back on eleven years of successful business, and found that all of our efforts centered on helping organizations communicate and differentiate. Some were product or service announcements, other times fund raising, awareness, or general marketing campaigns. Whatever the case, it always came down to a discussion of value. Was it worth the attention being drawn to it?" Social entrepreneurs, innovative non-profits and cause-driven corporations are leveraging that understanding while improving profitability and addressing critical human issues at the same time."
Long time friend, President of the Lark Group and Oxford MBA candidate, Michael Sloane, asked Crouch to participate in the class. As a successful restaurateur, one may think Sloane has his hands full with five Ruby Tuesdays in the Lexington, Ky area and more than fifty Papa John's across Appalachia. "The restaurants are doing well and require my ongoing attention, but much like Cre8tive Group, I have a vision for delivering both social and economic returns", says Sloane. Drawn to the flexible schedule, international business mix and excellent networking opportunities, Sloane is planning to leverage his Oxford education to form a private equity firm focused on helping small businesses succeed in Appalachia.
Crouch and Sloane focus on profit leveraged to impact society. Following the MBA address, both are also attending the Skoll World Forum at the University of Oxford on March 27-29. Nearly 700 social entrepreneurs, thought leaders, corporate representatives, financiers, students and policy makers from more than 40 countries convene in Oxford to discuss positive systemic change for critical human issues.
The Skoll World Forum is the annual conference of the Skoll Foundation. Started by Jeffrey Skoll in 1999, its mission is "to advance systemic change to benefit communities around the world by investing in, connecting and celebrating social entrepreneurs" according to their website. The conference attracts power players from across the globe. In attendance last year was Robert Redford, Al Gore, Sir Ben Kingsley, and Muhammad Yunnus, a 2006 Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
Jeffrey Skoll was the President and first employee of eBay. At eBay, he developed the business plan that the company still follows today, creating entrepreneurial opportunities for individuals around the world. In 1998 he inspired the company to take an active role in philanthropy, pioneering creation of the eBay Foundation through the allocation of pre-IPO shares. This innovation sparked similar initiatives by other young companies in high-technology hubs across the United States.
Social entrepreneurs live by the mantra "doing well by doing good". They share a commitment to pioneering innovations that reshape society and benefit humanity. They are solutions-minded business people that aren't afraid to tackle - and resolve - some of the world's greatest problems.
About Cre8tive Group
At Cre8tive Group, we are cause communicators. We work with social sector organizations that struggle with awareness and stakeholder commitment. Combining marketing best practices from cause-driven corporations, social entrepreneurs and innovative non-profits, we tell eight stories that empower the business of common good. Learn more at www.cre8tivegroup.com
About the Skoll Foundation
The Skoll Foundation was created by Jeff Skoll in 1999 to pursue his vision of a world where all people, regardless of geography, background or economic status, enjoy and employ the full range of their talents and abilities. Skoll, who was the first employee and first President of eBay, believes that strategic investments in the right people can lead to lasting social change. Learn more at www.skollfoundation.org
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