As an undergraduate student at Weatherhead School of Management, Megan Buchter knew she wanted to have a positive impact on the world.
“I was interested in making the world a better place and was trying to figure out how I fit into that,” she says. “I studied economics and part of my interest had to do with development economics and microfinance.”
It wasn’t until the summer before her final year as an economics student that Buchter heard about The Fowler Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit—a center housed within Weatherhead that advances the concept of business as one of the most powerful and positive forces for advancing a better world through its programming, research, teaching and applied service.
At the time, Buchter had no idea she would one day be director of the center.
Buchter decided to volunteer for the Fowler Center’s second Global Forum series that summer. The forum is held every three to five years and brings together hundreds of students, academics, thought leaders and business leaders from around the world.
“The Global Forum was really impactful for me,” Buchter says. “It was the first time I heard the idea that you can work for a for-profit business and that business can actually be making this positive impact in the world.”
After graduating with her bachelor’s degree in economics, Buchter returned to Weatherhead a few years later to pursue her MBA. While in the program, Buchter applied to work in the Fowler Center and was part of the first cohort of students to receive a Fowler Family Fellowship from the Chuck and Char Fowler family.
Through working in the Fowler Center, Buchter gained experience writing and teaching case studies and working on the third Global Forum.
Upon receiving her MBA degree, Buchter joined the Fowler Center as a full-time staff member in 2016 to help with the operations of the AIM2Flourish program, which is the world's first higher-education program combining the United Nations' global goals for sustainable development and business as an agent of world benefit.
In 2019, Buchter was named director of the Fowler Center, where she provides programmatic support for the center with one of her biggest initiatives to create programming designed to bring value to the students.
“I’ve created programming students from across the university can participate in,” she says. “They can learn more about topics like, ‘What can a business do that makes it some sort of agent of world benefit that’s good for society, while still making money?’ or ‘How can I create a business like that on my own?’”
Over the last four years as director, Buchter has designed three new annual programs for students: the Impact Investing Case Competition, ThinkImpact and Business for World Benefit Clinic.
Buchter says she enjoys the creativity that comes with her role as she’s able to channel that into producing new programming and constantly looking to improve the programs from the previous year.
Another aspect of her role that she loves is working with the students.
“Case Western Reserve has the smartest students and it’s an honor for me to get the chance to be a part of their educational journey,” she says. “I love meeting and working with them on all their ideas and suggestions.”
Looking ahead to the fall semester, Buchter is preparing for the third Business for World Benefit Clinic, which connects students to aspiring B Corporations to help them improve their environmental and social impact. Applications for students looking to participate in the clinic will open in September.
“Any students who are interested in social entrepreneurship or business for good should come to the Fowler Center,” she says. “As a double alumni of the school, it’s nice to have this opportunity to contribute to the institution I attended by making it even better for the next student.”