The Associated Students Human Rights Board will host a banquet tonight to educate students about local and international social entrepreneurship opportunities.

The event will feature speeches by guest presenters about the benefits of working toward sustainable, nonprofit solutions to current environmental and social problems. The student-led banquet will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. in Corwin Pavilion.

The event will offer free Woodstock’s Pizza and performances by musical guest Dante Elephante. HRB event coordinator Jen Ho=ston, a fourth-year global studies major, said the banquet will showcase students and entrepreneurs from across the nation who use market-based solutions to help alleviate critical societal issues.

“We’re connecting the business world with social or environmental needs,” Houston said. “It’s challenging students to make a difference.”

Patrick Sheehy, executive director of the nonprofit organization Pacific Youth Ventures and fourth-year business economics major, will present a speech on socially progressive business tactics.

Sheehy said exposing students to potential careers within the nonprofit sector is an important way to promote globally ethical business practices.

“Our mission is to promote and foster young entrepreneurship in a socially responsible way,” Sheehy said. “Businesses can do well [for themselves] and ‘do good’ at the same time.”

Following Sheehy’s presentation, students will participate in a panel discussion between various nonprofit organizations and enterprises.

Tonight’s banquet also features presentations by Martin Bourqui, a national organizer for the Responsible Endowments Coalition that helps universities invest responsibly, and Green2Gold founder and director Alan Tratner.

Tratner said he will discuss his experiences about working for Green2Gold — a nonprofit that offers advice to young entrepreneurs starting their own business models.

“We help nonprofits, enterprises and [nongovernmental organizations] find permanent solutions and implement them for world peace, hunger and energy problems,” Tratner said. “We take the social impact of those organizations and incubate them.”

Additionally, Tratner said Green2Gold is currently seeking student volunteers and interns.

Human Rights Board Chair Tammy Fisher, a fourth-year political science and global studies major, said students should seize the opportunity to work with Green2Gold to gain self-guided experience in a globally conscious field.

“With the economy the way it is, jobs are few and far in between,” Fisher said. “With this, you can start your own business in an ethically responsible way. You can make it for yourself and for others.”

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