Conscious Capitalism chapter connects students through leadership and community

A new Central Michigan University student organization invites students to build their professional networks while exploring how business leaders support the people and communities around them.

The CMU chapter of Conscious Capitalism launched this year with a focus on leadership development, community involvement, and the impact businesses can have alongside financial success. The registered student organization is open to students of all majors and is led by President Ethan Rauschert, Vice President Jaclyn Serazio, and Treasurer Arei Yambrick, with Amy McGinnis serving as faculty adviser. The organization was founded with support from the Great Lakes Bay Region Chapter of Conscious Capitalism.

For Rauschert, a senior studying management and marketing with a concentration in sales from Saginaw, Mich., the group offers a place for students from different disciplines to develop their approach to leadership together.

“This is meant to improve and develop you as a leader, a business professional, and a community-oriented individual,” Rauschert said.

Exploring leadership and business impact

The organization draws on four tenets of the broader Conscious Capitalism movement: higher purpose, stakeholder orientation, conscious leadership, and conscious culture. These guide its approach to examining the relationship between business success and the experiences of employees, customers, and communities.

“The objective of the organization is how do we take businesses and the capitalistic framework that works for profit and utilize it for social and economic improvement?” Rauschert said.

The CMU group brings that interest to campus through three planned areas of activity: networking with business and community leaders, personal leadership development, and volunteerism.

“I've seen first-hand how organizations that follow the tenets of conscious capitalism make a difference in their communities and in the lives of their employees,” said McGinnis. “Students who get involved with this group can build confidence in taking initiative and develop a greater awareness of their responsibilities as future leaders.”

Making connections on campus and beyond

About 20 students attended the group’s initial information meeting, Rauschert said. The organization plans to meet every other week as members learn more about its mission and opportunities to participate.

“We saw a space for personal leadership development,” Rauschert said. “So how can you be a more conscious leader when it comes to leading an organization, developing a culture, and engaging with the community, and then also volunteerism.”

Volunteering was a personal priority for Rauschert this academic year. Helping establish the group offered a way to pursue that goal while connecting with other students interested in community involvement.

For students interested in the relationship between their business goals and personal values, Conscious Capitalism offers a place to explore those ideas with peers and professionals. Its focus gives members opportunities to consider how they want to lead, build relationships across majors, and become involved beyond the classroom.

Students can learn more about upcoming meetings and ways to participate by contacting Rauschert or following the organization on Instagram at @consciouscapitalism_cmu.