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More than a quarter of Millennials and Generation Z say they work for their current organization because they derive a sense of purpose from their work. But among the same group of survey respondents, more than half say they are dissatisfied with their organization’s societal impact, their efforts to create a diverse and inclusive environment, and their commitment to sustainability.

There is a disconnect, it seems, between Millennials’ and Gen Zers' desire to make a positive impact, and their ability to turn that desire into action in the places where they live, learn, and work. That’s where the Sorenson Impact Center comes in.

“If you take the heart, the people who want to make an impact, we give them the head,” said Geoff Davis, CEO of the Sorenson Impact Center. “We are trying to give them the skills, experiences, and connections that give them the confidence to act.”

The Sorenson Impact Center at the David Eccles School of Business has a two-fold mission: to integrate measurable impact into the decision-making process of businesses and communities; and to train the next generation of leaders to do that work and lead an impact-oriented world.

Through an apprenticeship model, students work for Sorenson Impact Center and are exposed to four different areas of impact work: impact investing, where students make real-money investments in companies working to make the world better; impact finance, where students research and recommend opportunities for outside investors to support social outcomes; consulting, where students help organizations create an impact strategy they can measure and report; and impact storytelling, which uses videography, data visualization, and other methods to share stories of impact that are easy to digest and act on.

“They get hands on experience really rolling up their sleeves and doing this work,” Davis said.

The goal of involving students directly in impact-oriented work, Davis said, is that their definition of impact expands, and they are able to see all the different – and unexpected – ways that positive impacts can be made.

That was exactly the experience Anna Kaufman had. A recent graduate with degrees in philosophy, political science, and international studies, Kaufman planned to attend law school and pursue an interest in justice reform. Through her student internship with Sorenson, she was exposed to other impact-focused opportunities she hadn’t considered before. She now works for Sorenson full-time as an associate in the policy section, focusing mainly on impact measurement.

“My ambitions have definitely changed and Sorenson shaped that,” she said. “It really helped me think about different things I could be doing.”

One thing Kaufman realized was that there are important impacts that can be made close to home. One of the projects she worked on as an intern with Sorenson Impact Center was a website that aggregated verified child welfare resources for families, case workers, and other caregivers. Kaufman researched the different resources, and then filtered and defined the data so it was accessible to the people who needed it the most.

“It opened my eyes to an area I wasn’t well-versed in but that was right there in my local community. It gave me a new perspective,” she said. “It reminded me to be open. Different things impact everyone differently. It makes me more conscious of how I interact with other people in the world. It gives me more empathy. It’s not just my world, it’s everyone’s world.”

That same project also taught Kaufman that impact doesn’t have to be big or systemic to matter.

“That program helped save a baby’s life. It’s not just some abstract thing we are researching and doing. Our little wins are still very much wins,” she said.

That mindset shift is exactly what Sorenson Impact Center wants to achieve, Davis said. His biggest hope is that students leave understanding they can be impact-oriented no matter what industry or career they choose.

“The biggest thing students learn is there is an impact to everything we do,” he said. “We can make a decision about whether it’s positive or negative.”

The other side of that equation is giving students the confidence that they have the skills and experience to make the differences they want to see. Putting student interns in the drivers’ seat of real-life investment and research projects – projects with real-world impacts and implications –is the key to that.

“My voice is heard and my opinion is valued at Sorenson,” said Delaney Gates, a junior studying marketing and strategic communications. “It’s not just tedious work getting coffee. My opinions are always validated and it’s always a learning experience, too.”

Gates works on the operations and marketing team at Sorenson Impact Center, where one of her jobs is marketing the program to prospective interns, and helping to organize current interns. Even though her work might not seem directly related to social impact, she still feels a part of the mission of the organization. And, much like Kaufman, she has also learned to expand her definition of impact.

For Gates, the work experience has been important, but the supportive environment at Sorenson has been even more impactful. Gates said she has a much clearer idea of her worth as a team member and employee, and feels better prepared to advocate for herself wherever she lands next.

“Going into future jobs I think I’ll be a lot less timid,” she said. “And if I end up in a work environment where my voice isn’t heard, I know I can remember my worth.”

Wherever she ends up, Gates hopes to help build the type of environment she has enjoyed at Sorenson. She is passionate about inclusion, as well as environmental sustainability, and Sorenson has given her a much broader vision of how a company’s business practices can impact those things in big and small ways.

“We’re seeing issues arise every day – environmental, social, economic –and the younger generation is really putting our foot down and saying we need change,” Gates said. “The next company I work for, those are the things I am going to be looking for. Or if I join a company that doesn’t have those things, I want to bring them with me.”

Whether students go into a field they didn’t expect, or follow their original career plan, what they learn at the Sorenson Impact Center is the leaven that can help their organizations and communities rise, Davis said. And the current generation of students seems particularly well-suited to making the impact the Center is striving for.

“There is some kind of shift going on,” Davis said. “These students are expecting and demanding that organizations do good while also doing whatever else they do.” ■