Kroc School students participating in Professor Paula Cordeiro’s Social Entrepreneurship course had a unique opportunity to work with Dr. Victoria Veytsman, a Celebrity Cosmetic Dentist in New York and Beverly Hills, who is also a student in the Kroc School’s MS in Humanitarian Action program.
As part of their final projects for the course, 8 students and 1 Kroc School alumni from the MA in Peace and Justice and MA in Social Innovation programs came together to develop a social enterprise plan for Dr. Veytsman as she prepares to launch a line of oral wellness and beauty products. The students did this by providing her insight into how she can structure her business to be ethically and socially responsible.
Kroc School Students and Professor Cordeiro with Dr. Victoria Veytsman
Dr. Veytsman joined the MS in Humanitarian Action to provide herself with an understanding of the impact of the beauty, wellness, and dental industries and explore ways in which she can enhance her social enterprise work. A big issue she saw within her current industry and businesses, in general, was mission drift, or losing sight of the mission that was initially established due to various factors. She saw this in her private practices as well; for this business, she wanted to integrate social impact on a fundamental level.
“The primary drive and motivation for starting a new business venture came from the intention to have a greater purpose and the belief that businesses in the private sector can and should be used as a vehicle for good and drive meaningful change. My primary interest has always been empowerment for women. But how do you measure empowerment? The best indicator to quantitatively measure empowerment seems to be education. Supporting women and education is not being a feminist, it's being a humanist—it elevates whole communities, breaks generational cycles, and supports sustainable growth and resilience. Our theory of change involves focusing on UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and is at the nexus of sustainable sourcing and the transformative power of education. Transformation is a key theme for this company, on both a micro and macro level, from the transformative power of the products to creating change on a larger scale. Success to me here means a thriving business with a significant positive social impact while giving agency back to and empowering communities. When the idea for this project came about, I knew I wanted to bake social impact into the DNA of the company and needed to understand the landscape better so I enrolled in the MS Humanitarian Action program. It has been a great foundational piece and a gateway to so many great connections, like with Dr. Cordeiro and her class, that allow for collaboration. It's a lesson that doing well and doing good are not mutually exclusive and the hope is that all businesses in the future will be ‘social.’ I’m excited to be part of that movement and all the possibilities,” Dr Veytsman shared about her social enterprise and the experience with the class.
In preparation for this final project, the students sat down with Dr. Veytsman to discuss various details about her vision for her business. This whole process allowed Kroc School students to dive deeply into the many factors that need to be considered when developing a social enterprise, all while helping a fellow Kroc School student. Several students highlighted the need for Dr. Veytsman’s social enterprise to ensure the materials are being sourced ethically and sustainably, while also looking at the impact on supplying communities and ensuring fair compensation.
The class also provided key performance indicators focused on using accurate data and success stories to drive the social enterprise's impact story. By doing so, the social enterprise avoids mission drift and focuses on the impact being made throughout the supply chain.
The collaboration between Kroc School students and Dr. Victoria Veytsman in the Social Entrepreneurship course showcases the potential of interdisciplinary partnerships in developing ethical and socially responsible business ventures. The students, from diverse Kroc School programs, assisted their fellow student Dr. Veytsman in creating a social enterprise plan for her upcoming oral beauty and wellness product line. Their focus on ethical sourcing, sustainability, fair compensation, and community impact demonstrates a commitment to a holistic approach.
Learn more about Kroc School programs by visiting our website.
More information about Dr. Veytsman can be found here veytsmandds.com
