Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity

📣 OCTOBER IMPACTNIGHTS SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT

Join us at the Hunt Institute on October 24th where we will discuss the benefits of deconstruction and material recovery.
Date and Time: October 24th, 4-6 PM
Location: Caruth Hall, Suite 206

We are thrilled to host the following experts in a panel discussion:

Purva Chawla - Founder and Partner, MaterialDriven

Christopher Hill - Principal, KC Hill Consulting

Kathy Fonville - Public Education Manager, North Texas Municipal Water District

Alexis Harp - President and CEO, Exceptional Waste Solutions

Ted Reiff - President and CEO, The ReUse People of America

Kathryn Guerra Bazan - Chairwoman, City of Dallas Environmental Commission

Click the link in the bio to learn more about our wonderful panel and register for the event!

📅 SAVE THE DATE!
For our October ImpactNights™, where we will discuss how to unlock the social and environmental benefits of deconstruction and material recovery.
Click the link in the comments to register!

Date and Time: October 24th, 4-6 PM
Location: Caruth Hall, Suite 206

Join us as we will delve into circularity for the built environment. With a focus on North Texas’ rapid growth, this event will highlight the transformative potential of deconstruction and building material recovery. Discover how dismantling buildings and infrastructure can offer more than just salvaged materials—it’s an opportunity to reduce waste, conserve and redirect precious resources, lower carbon footprint, and create career, economic, and social opportunities for communities.

📣 SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT FEBRUARY IMPACTNIGHTS™

Join us at the Hunt Institute on February 8 where we will discuss Sustainable Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining.

Date and Time: February 8th, 4 PM
Location: Caruth Hall, Suite 206 (and online)

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is widespread in mineral-rich developing countries and is credited with producing about 30% of all the extracted gold in the world. However, ASGM poses significant health and environmental hazards at local and global levels, resulting in large-scale deforestation, air and water contamination, and human health risks. During this ImpactNights™, we will discuss the challenges and opportunities within ASGM and how to move forward within the complex social, environmental, and technical dimensions of such systems.

View the link in bio to register!

❓IMPACT VS SOCIAL ENTERPRISE: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

We are often asked about the difference between an impact enterprise and a social enterprise. Here’s a breakdown:

The term “Impact Enterprise” captures a multitude of organizations, from social enterprises to small businesses, corporations, nonprofits, and even government entities, that utilize business strategies and leverage market forces to create positive environmental and/or societal impact.

A “Social Enterprise” is a business that can be either for-profit or nonprofit that act as a change agent through a mission that creates and sustains social value, for which it engages in a process of continuous innovation, adaptation, and learning, acts boldly without being limited by resources at hand and exhibits heightened accountability to those they serve and the outcomes they create (adapted from G. Dees’ seminal 1998 paper, “The Meaning of Social Entrepreneurship”).

In other words, all social enterprises are impact enterprises but not all impact enterprises are social enterprises.

With the definition of social enterprises varying considerably around the world, and perceptions along with it, “impact enterprise” tends to be a framework that is more easily comparable across geographies. Stay tuned to learn more about the ecosystem these enterprises exist in!