Making Your Life Count in a Challenging World: A Fireside Chat with Jim Bildner, Class of '79 School of Law and Author of A Matter of Hope

Add to Calendar: Add to Calendar: 2026-09-17 16:30:00 2026-09-17 18:30:00 Making Your Life Count in a Challenging World: A Fireside Chat with Jim Bildner, Class of '79 School of Law and Author of A Matter of Hope Event Description CWRU School of Law Dean Paul Rose will host a fireside conversation with alumnus Jim Bildner, an impact investor, philanthropist, civic leader, and author of A Matter of Hope, which examines the evolving role of lawyers as leaders and problem solvers at the intersection of law, policy, business, and social impact. Drawing on his experience guiding one of the world’s largest venture philanthropy firms and teaching at Harvard Kennedy School, you will hear how Bildner navigated law, policy, business, and social impact to address pressing societal challenges.Doors open at 4:30 pm with light refreshments.Program begins promptly at 4:45 pm.This event is at Glidden House Hotel with valet parking provided.Speaker’s BioJim is the CEO of the Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation (DRK), one of the largest venture philanthropy firms in the world. DRK has made more than 250 investments in early-stage non-profit and for-profit social enterprises working to solve complex societal issues, including systemic poverty, food and water insecurity, access to healthcare and economic opportunities, sanitation, homelessness, criminal justice, social justice and climate change and adaptation strategies. In the aggregate, its portfolio organizations have directly impacted more than half a billion lives. He is also an Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School and has served as a Senior Research Fellow at the Hauser Institute for Civil Society and the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard University. At the Kennedy School, his research interests include understanding the role of private capital in solving public problems, extending the capacity of foundations to solve complex societal issues and the sustainability of public and private systems when governments disinvest in these systems. At HKS, he teaches MLD 836, a foundational course on the role of for-profit and non-profit social enterprises in creating social impact and lasting impact when tackling complex societal issues.Reading Materials. Glidden House Hotel School of Law School of Law America/New_York public