Prioritizing the Environment Through Social Entrepreneurship

The Dyer Center, in collaboration with the Sustainability Program, hosted an evening talk featuring Maya K. van Rossum, the Delaware Riverkeeper and author of the groundbreaking book The Green Amendment. Van Rossum gave students a first-hand look at what it truly means to be a dedicated entrepreneur in the nonprofit world and how to successfully drive social change.

As the founder and longtime leader of the Delaware Riverkeeper Network, van Rossum has deep knowledge and experience in conservation and nature preservation. She spoke specifically about her tireless work advocating for Green Amendment legislation throughout the country. This movement aims to establish a constitutional right for all citizens to clean water, clean air, and a healthy environment—a truly entrepreneurial approach to legal and systemic change.

Entrepreneurship as Value Creation

Van Rossum’s talk provided a vital new perspective for students. While entrepreneurship often gets narrowly defined as being strictly about starting a for-profit business, she powerfully reinforced the notion that entrepreneurship is the creation of sustainable value, which can take many forms. Her own career demonstrates this principle: she built a robust, effective organization to achieve a societal mission, overcoming political and logistical hurdles through innovative strategies.

She candidly discussed the rewards and significant challenges of dedicating a career to the nonprofit sector. She fielded questions regarding the strategy, fundraising, and relentless energy required to accomplish so much and to successfully further the missions she is passionate about. The joint sponsorship of this event with the Sustainability Department underscored the critical role that entrepreneurial thinking plays in achieving long-term environmental protection and systemic change. Students left the event seeing their own potential to create meaningful, lasting social value.