The EDGE Advisory Board is designed to foster close working relationships between leading business practitioners and academics to create new knowledge and solutions to energy and sustainability challenges that benefit both board members and EDGE. This invitation-only group includes both Duke alumni and non-alumni members.
The EDGE Advisory Board brings together leaders to:
- Identify and prioritize emerging trends and key challenges at the intersection of energy, development, and environmental sustainability
- Review and commission cutting-edge theoretical and applied research
- Identify opportunities to convene industry and other stakeholders to collaborate around shared challenges and opportunities
- Share best practices with other leading firms
- Advise Duke on initiatives that are responsive to market realities and the perspectives of recruiters, practitioners, and thought leaders
Benefits
Membership offers the following benefits:
- Peer-to-peer engagement on leadership and industry issues. The EDGE Advisory Board provides an opportunity for organizations to learn and discuss best practices on energy and environment issues in a setting that breaks down industry silos. Members engage in discussions that affect the entire energy value chain, foster new partnerships, and learn from peers in other industries that are working on similar issues. At Advisory Board meetings, members discuss critical leadership, strategy, and innovation challenges in a collaborative setting with other board members and invited thought leaders.
- Access to research and collaboration opportunities. Advisory Board membership allows members special access to fundamental and applied research from across Duke’s campus. Faculty present research findings at Advisory Board meetings, and EDGE serves as a portal to practical and interdisciplinary insights that may provide your organization with unique competitive advantage.
- Access to top MBA talent. Fuqua School of Business is among the top business schools in the world, and membership on the EDGE Advisory Board gives your organization heightened visibility with our MBA students. Advisory Board members have access to teams of students for consulting projects, as well as unique opportunities to sponsor student events during the recruiting season.
- Affiliation with one of the world’s leading universities. Duke University is renowned not only for its Fuqua School of Business, but also for its prestigious Nicholas School of the Environment, School of Law, Sanford School of Public Policy, and Pratt School of Engineering.
- Opportunities for recognition. Companies that sponsor EDGE financially will be recognized as sponsors on EDGE materials and/or may choose to participate as sponsors of the prestigious annual Duke University Energy Conference or Duke Sustainable Business & Social Impact Conference (along with all associated sponsorship benefits).
Meetings
EDGE Advisory Board meetings are held in person twice/year. Organized around different cross-cutting themes, these meetings are an opportunity for members to discuss issues of timely and strategic importance. There is structured networking time as well as presentations by Advisory Board members, Duke faculty, students, and outside experts on the topic at hand. Participants leave each meeting with valuable new insights and research, as well as business relationships with fellow members.
The Fall meeting (typically in November) is held on campus at Fuqua in conjunction with the annual Duke University Energy Conference. The Spring meeting (typically in April) is held in another city. If an Advisory Board member cannot attend a meeting in person, he/she is welcome to send another participant from the same organization.
Additional Opportunities to Engage (optional)
Between Board meetings, there are additional, optional opportunities to collaborate with EDGE faculty, staff, and students, as well as fellow Advisory Board members. For instance, some board members choose to come to campus to recruit Fuqua students for internships or full-time positions. Others might opt to collaborate on joint research projects or solicit a team of MBA students for an applied Fuqua Client Consulting Practicum project with their organization. Others choose to come speak on campus or sponsor events. EDGE frequently shares opportunities with Board Members as they arise. Board Members are also encouraged to speak with EDGE staff about their engagement interests to look for potential collaboration opportunities. Members can take advantage of these opportunities as frequently or infrequently as they’d like.
Membership
Advisory Board membership is by invitation only and is designed to include a diverse range of perspectives, geographies, and industries. We seek to balance traditional and emerging players from across the entire energy value chain, as well as corporate sustainability leaders, investors, entrepreneurs, and other energy and environmental business stakeholders.
Board members are asked to consider (but are not obligated to) a minimum 3-year term on the board.
Financial Commitment
Advisory Board member companies are the primary source of financial support for EDGE’s operations. Member companies are asked to support EDGE with $25,000 per year in corporate support. Some companies support EDGE directly through their operating budgets; other facilitate grants through their corporate foundations or through their recruiting budgets. We are willing to work with board members to tailor the sponsorship request wording and supporting documentation to meet your organization’s requirements.
Contact
To discuss your organization’s participation in the EDGE Advisory Board, or to nominate a board member, contact Executive Director Dan Vermeer.