OCS Conference Funding Submission

Event Photo:

Jill Skonieczka at the Harvard Social Enterprise Conference (SECON) 2026.

Jill Skonieczka and Mansi Wadhwa, both NYU Wagner graduate students, at SECON 2026.

A panel on "Building a Workforce for the future" at Harvard Business School as part of SECON 2026.

Name: Jill Skonieczka

Degree Program: MPA IN PUBLIC & NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT & POLICY

Specialization: PNP-Social Impact, Innovation & Investment

Conference Host Organization/Institution: Harvard Kennedy School/Harvard Business School

Conference/Competition Name: Harvard Social Enterprise Conference (SECON)

Conference Term: Spring Conference Start Date: 2026-02-28 Conference End Date: 2026-03-01

What were your takeaways from this conference/case competition?
Some takeaways included thinking more about mutually reinforcing interventions that reinforce systems change, specifically as I consider collaborations that lead to long-term thinking through collective action. Another was in considering strategic philanthropy in practice, where many donor advised funds and foundations are housed, and how businesses in general are stepping up to offset the negative impact of government funding drawbacks to address critical social issues, politics aside. I have also been thinking more about how to learn more horizontally so that I can act as a better “translator” among sectors in work that requires cross-sectoral collaboration for long-term community benefit.

How will your participation in this conference/case competition support your professional development?
My participation in this conference allowed me to make many professional contacts, including connecting with a speaker and community foundation leader from a panel on place-based change, two business school students who both had backgrounds working primarily in the international development sphere like myself, and a peer at NYU Wagner who also had social entrepreneurship aspirations. Those ongoing professional connections could prove valuable weeks or years down the line, so to utilize these spaces to make human connections has proven highly valuable to building up the network needed to support my professional goals in public interest.

What are some next steps or action items this conference/case competition inspired?
Since I currently lead an education and social entrepreneurship and opportunity project in Laos, I had much I wanted to reflect on after this conference. I plan to think more closely about the impact quantifying piece of my social entrepreneurship work for a greater understanding of the data that supports the work we do. Hearing from the pitch competition participants and being able to take note of the sorts of information they presented that were digestible, compelling, confusing, or clunky all the same highlighted how I might be able to better package our work to potential funders in the future.

What are some tips or best practices that you would like to share with other Wagner students who attend a conference/case competition?
I recommend researching the backgrounds of the panelists ahead of time and making mental notes of who you might want to speak to, as opposed to just attending their panel. Another would be, even if intuitive, to never eat alone. Join a table with one seat left and chat with the people around you, as humans and not so strictly as professionals. Even if there do not seem to be points of connection or interest, they may come up later, and it’s inherently valuable to even just share a meal with someone of a different path and experiences than you.

Wagner Areas of Impact: Cities, Education, Finance, Government, Health, Housing, Inequality, Race, and Poverty, International Development, Leadership, Nonprofits, Social Innovation, Transportation