Second Annual Influential Leaders Challenge recognizes 30 change makers and business pioneers driving positive change in the communities they serve
Business school graduates are increasingly using their degrees to make a difference not only in the corporate world, but also across society. Today, UNC-Greensboro Bryan School Graduate Becky Levin was recognized by AACSB International (AACSB) as one such change maker. Levin was one of 30 business school graduates recognized as part of the 2016 AACSB Influential Leaders Challenge. Launched in 2015 to honor notable alumni from AACSB-accredited business schools, the AACSB Influential Leaders initiative continues to recognize business school graduates for the positive impact they make on society, and the inspiring example they set for others.
As a magna cum laude graduate of the Bryan School, Becky Levin built a successful multimillion-dollar executive recruiting business and worked to build diversity of race and gender on corporate boards. With her husband Mark, she then cofounded a nonprofit organization named The Possible Project. This Massachusetts-based youth program teaches high school students in at-risk environments how to start and run their own business, and provides experiential learning and mentorship. The Possible Project uses entrepreneurship as a vehicle for learning-by-doing. Students learn critical business and personal skills; learn to launch and operate their own entrepreneurial ventures, based on their individual interests; and receive guidance on college and career possibilities from staff and mentors from the local business community.
“What a tremendous honor this is for Becky and the Bryan School,” said McRae Banks, Dean of the Bryan School of Business and Economics. “From the millions of business school alumni around the world, she is one of 30 selected for this recognition by AACSB. It is certainly well-deserved as Becky has demonstrated repeatedly over a long career that she embodies what we seek of all Bryan School graduates: becoming exceptional problem solvers who have impact where they work, live, and lead. From her work with boards of directors, to her work with The Possible Project, Becky’s problem solving has influenced lives in dramatic and positive ways.
“The 2016 Influential Leaders illustrates how the power of a business degree goes beyond—beyond industries, reaching lives in every part of the world—pioneering change, fostering global exchange, and improving the quality of life,” said Thomas R. Robinson, president and chief executive officer of AACSB International. “I would like to thank Becky Levin for exemplifying how business graduates can be a positive force in society, and congratulate the Bryan School of Business and Economics for their role in helping to develop the knowledge, skills, and fortitude needed to address some of the toughest challenges we face today.”
Becky Levin and her peers represent 15 industry sectors—from social enterprise to healthcare to technology—across 11 countries. While all of this year’s leaders differ in their fields and paths to success, many employ similar approaches to helping businesses thrive in ways that positively impact society
For more information on the Influential Leaders Challenge, including a full list of honorees, visit www.aacsb.edu/Influential-Leaders.
