A Special Thanks to the Center for Peace and Commerce Volunteers

In this time of Thanksgiving, we are humbled and especially grateful for the strong community behind the Center for Peace and Commerce. Our flagship program, The Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge encourages students and faculty to build a more peaceful and prosperous world through innovative thinking and action, and integration of business principles and effective management with positive peacebuilding and poverty alleviation.

Each year, since 2011, University of San Diego students and social innovators are buoyed by a community of mentors, coaches and judges who have given their time, talent and expertise — giving hours, afternoons and full days to Toreros. Each Torero who has bravely stepped into the ring took on a Sustainable Development Goal and tried their hand at starting a business venture did not do so alone. One of the best recruitment tools we have to encourage students to participate is underscoring this reality — there is a tremendous amount of help available through our network of professional volunteers. 

2019 Fowler GSIC Judges

What does it take to be a professional volunteer with the Center for Peace and Commerce, and how can you join the ranks? First, If you are interested in working with our students, please reach out to us! If you want to know more about what we ask of these volunteers, read on...

Coaches work directly with students at Idea Labs. Idea Labs are a workshop series designed to catalyze student-driven innovation. Within the Idea Labs, coaches help guide aspiring student entrepreneurs by providing advice, knowledge and direct feedback to the students. 

We have judges in each round, of which we have three, and they receive student proposals or pitches. We entrust judges to provide feedback to students so that they can better grow in their ventures and overall learning, as well as to help us rank and advance the best projects to advance to the next phase of the competition.

All semi-finalists who request a mentor and all finalists and winners will be matched with a mentor who is familiar with topics related to their project. One in-person meeting with the team is required during the semi-finals and final rounds (March-April), and some students reach out for more guidance if needed.

On this campus, we take business for good seriously; the Center for Peace and Commerce’s network of mentors, coaches and judges helps our students make their business-for-good venture stronger. We know we could not fulfill our mission alone. Thank you to those of you who give so freely of yourselves to our students already. If you are considering joining us to support the movers and shakers of tomorrow, thank you and we look forward to hearing from you.