MBA students trade notebooks for blueprints

By Paul Mayne
April 07, 2005

Students from Western's Richard Ivey School of Business are putting down pen and paper and picking up hammer and nail as they work feverishly to build a home is less than three weeks.
Working with Habitat For Humanity London, Ivey Builds -- an MBA student-led initiative -- is constructing a wheelchair accessible single-family bungalow in London's east side. Begun April 1, the home is to be completed by April 21.

"We are excited to be the first student group from Canada to fully fund, design and build an entire house," says Prakash David, President of the MBA Student Association.

"Ivey Builds presents not only opportunities for student volunteerism and leadership, but also tremendous opportunities for London businesses and individuals to become more involved with MBA students on a very meaningful project."

Business Dean Carol Stephenson says this latest student-led project reflects exactly what the school aims to teach future leaders.

"I'm so proud of the MBA students, for the two years they are living and learning in London they have chosen this as their project to give back to their community," says Stephenson. "It gives me great confidence that our companies are going to be run with individuals who have a great sense of community and corporate social responsibility."

The push behind Ivey Builds is the mantra of corporate social responsibility. Conclusion of construction will coincide with a visit from consumer advocate and U.S. presidential candidate Ralph Nader, a keynote speaker at the Ivey national conference on corporate social responsibility April 22.

The annual conference, organized by MBA students, also features Stephen Lewis, a veteran diplomat and UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, and Avi Friedman, influential architect and director of the Affordable Homes program.

The conference will be held from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Richard Ivey School of Business. Registration fee is $325 for alumni and guests, and $25 for Ivey students. Proceeds will help to fund the current construction of the home. The students need to raise $60,000.

For more information on Ivey Builds or to register for the conference, please visit: http://www.iveybuilds.com