The Impact, Value, and Sustainable Business Initiative hosts engagement opportunities for the Wharton community and beyond, from executive speaker series to research seminars to annual conferences. In addition, we are pleased to share impact-related events led by other groups at Penn and Wharton. Details on event hosts and sponsors can be found on each event page. Check back regularly as events will be added throughout the year.
Upcoming Events
Thank you for your interest, there are no public events currently scheduled.
Previous Event Highlights
Demystifying Program-Related Investing: Live on LinkedIn
Many foundations assume program-related investments (PRIs) are too complex, risky, or time-consuming — but the truth is more nuanced. This one-hour interactive discussion designed for foundations, donors, and advisorsexplored what it really takes to make PRIs work and why they may be more accessible than many funders assume.
Careers in Impact and Sustainability Consulting
Penn and Wharton students gathered for an engaging panel on impact and sustainability consulting, featuring leading local professionals. Part of the Turner Impact Learning Experiences (TILE), the discussion highlighted panelists’ career journeys, perspectives on today’s evolving job market, and guidance for the next generation of changemakers.
Sustainable Computing: Can AI Be Energy Efficient?
The possibilities of artificial intelligence seem as infinite as its challenges. How can data centers, with their voracious power demands, be energy efficient? Who regulates these facilities and under what kinds of policies? As AI advances at breakneck speed, experts at Penn are urgently trying to answer these questions. Professors Arthur van Benthem and Benjamin C. Lee have assembled a multidisciplinary team of scientists, industry professionals, and policy leaders to explore solutions. The group met recently on campus for a two-day workshop, “AI Infrastructure: Foundations for Energy Efficiency and Scalability.”
2025 Migration and Organizations Conference
The ninth annual conference, held in May at Columbia University, attracted nearly 150 attendees from around the world – experts from across disciplines who are advancing research and understanding of what migration means to economies. The topics ranged from immigrants’ influence on entrepreneurship and innovation, to firm performance and competitive advantage, to labor market integration. The event culminated with a symposium designed especially for doctoral students.
New Research in Environmental Economics and Green Policies
In this March 2025 webinar hosted by Wharton Lifelong Learning, Professor Susanna B. Berkouwer shared their work on carbon offsets, and Professor Mirko S. Heinle shared his research on greenwashing and greenhushing. The conversation was moderated by Sarah E. Light, faculty co-director of the Wharton Climate Center.
2024 Wharton Climate Prof
The 2024 Wharton Climate Prof packed evidence-based insights into short time slots, giving faculty just five minutes to present their latest research at the intersection of business and climate change. Inspired by “Iron Chef” and Wharton’s own “Iron Prof,” the fast-paced October 16th event took place during Penn’s Climate Week and drew a full house of more than 150 students, alumni, and staff eager to explore cutting-edge climate research.
New Research in Real Estate and Finance
In a recent webinar hosted by Wharton Lifelong Learning, Wharton Climate Center affiliated faculty member Ben Keys shared his work on skyrocketing insurance premiums for climate-exposed homeowners, and Professor Christina Zhu presented findings that show retail investors using ESG news to make portfolio allocation decisions. The conversation was moderated by Arthur van Benthem, faculty co-director of the Wharton Climate Center.
2023-2024 Workshop Series on AI and Climate Change
Climate change and artificial intelligence are two of the most consequential developments confronting humanity’s future. Yet the connections between them are only starting to be understood. The AI and Climate Change workshop series features leading experts whose scholarship explores, in different ways, how AI may help enhance solutions to climate change—as well as how AI itself could be made more sustainable and energy efficient. The AI and Climate Change workshop series is organized by the Penn Program on Regulation and is co-sponsored by Penn’s Environmental Innovations Initiative, the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, the Center for Technology, Information & Competition, the Warren Center for Network and Data Sciences, and the Wharton Climate Center.