The Work Continues: CASE’s Ongoing Racial Justice Journey

August 2021 One year ago, we shared with you A Message from CASE on Racial Justice in America as part of our journey toward becoming anti-racist, particularly using three levers: our thought leadership platform, training the next generation of business leaders, and our own operations. We write to share where we are now. As a […]

Fuqua Class of 2012 Commits to Action & Raises over $10,000 for Racial Justice

As Dan Baum, a Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE) Fellow from the Duke MBA class of 2012, emailed with some of his fellow classmates to plan a virtual reunion, George Floyd was brutally killed, and their entire conversation shifted. Just as so many have reignited discussions about racial injustice and police brutality […]

Unlearning as a Part of MBA Education – Challenging Internalized White Supremacy Culture in Business and Social Impact

July 2020. This post was written by Elizabeth Towell, CASE Fellow and Duke MBA Class of 2021 In the last few months, increasing media attention on police brutality and systemic racism has prompted a long overdue wake-up call for many leaders. We are collectively acknowledging racism baked into institutions, policies, and company cultures, creating an […]

A Message from CASE on Racial Justice in America

June 2020 Dear CASE Community, Breonna Taylor. Ahmaud Arbery. George Floyd. Whiteness weaponized against Christian Cooper. Disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 on people of color. A global health pandemic layered on top of the pandemic of racism that has scourged our country for far too long. And to think that past weekend – May 31 – […]

Bridging Structural Inequities to Build Business & Community Resilience

May 2020 There are many things that routinely worry Courtney Smith and Erika Smith-Punches about owning Piri, an Afro-southern fusion family-run catering business in Durham, North Carolina. They worry about having enough customers. They worry about pricing their food affordably, while also being able to pay all of their staff a living wage. They worry […]

Cooking Up Diversity, Equity and Inclusion with the Culinary Femme Collective

December 2019 Good. Black. Food. Those are the three words Piri, a family owned and operated food business in East Durham, uses to describe the southern and Afro diasporic fusion of its menu that includes foods such as spicy lentils, crispy fried chicken and savory mashed potatoes. Taking joy in the fact that each dish […]

Feeling Uncomfortable: First Reflections on our DEI Journey

March 2019, Erin Worsham, Executive Director At CASE, we believe in the power of individuals and organizations to create positive social change.  And there has been much progress (I often revisit the 2017 Gates Foundation annual letter when I need some reminding about all the progress being made).  But we also know that many of […]