The basics:

• Rutgers Institute for Corporate Social Innovation honors 11 individuals and organizations 
• Awards given for advancing social impact and innovation
• Inaugural event aimed at inspiring purpose-driven business strategies

The Rutgers Institute for Corporate Social Innovation is celebrating organizations, groups and individuals who demonstrate how business can achieve social good.

As part of the inaugural Corporate Social Innovation Excellence Awards, the institute named 11 winners across three categories. The program recognized honorees for implementing purpose-driven practices that advance social progress while delivering social value.

Overall CSI Excellence Awards

RICSI recognized HP and Merck as visionary corporations leading the charge when it comes to intentionally integrating social impact into core business strategy.

HP was praised for a digital equity accelerator that aims to advance digital inclusion and scale digital equity solutions. Since its launch in 2022, the initiative has supported 27 nonprofits worldwide. It’s also helped expand those organizations’ reach to over 9.1 million people.

Rahway-based pharma giant Merck was highlighted for its $650 million global health effort dedicated to transforming maternal health outcomes. Known as Merck for Mothers, the program works with cross-sector stakeholders to develop and scale evidence-based solutions.

Over the past 13 years, Merck for Mothers has helped more than 30 million women in 70-plus countries through programs promoting safe, high-quality and respectful care.

CSI Excellence Awards

According to RICSI, the following organizations and companies received Excellence Awards for achieving social impact:

NatureSweet

NatureSweet is the largest vertically integrated controlled environmental agriculture companies in North America. It has focused on transforming the industry by improving treatment of agricultural workers by enhancing compensation, improving safety standards, and creating programs that offer broader access to health care, education and mental health services for workers.

New Jersey Resources

As a Jersey Shore-headquartered company, New Jersey Resources launched the Coastal Climate Initiative in 2021. The program aims to help advance environmental stewardship and community resilience-focused projects for coastal communities and beyond. Recognizing a greater need for local environmental stewardship within its service territory, NJ Resources committed up to $2 million in funding over five years. The contribution will enable direct project support for community resiliency and ecosystem services, as well as community engagement and education.

New Jersey League of Conservation Voters

Nonpartisan, statewide organization New Jersey League of Conservation Voters advocates for policies and laws that protect clean air, safeguard clean water, and ensure equitable access to preserved open spaces and parks. The nonprofit just led a nearly two-year campaign to advance state-level legislation known as the “Save the Bees Act.” This effort aimed to reduce neonic contamination in New Jersey’s waters by classifying neonicotinoid pesticides as restricted-use chemicals. Neonics are among the most widely used pesticides globally. The products pose well-documented risks to honeybees and other pollinators essential for agriculture and ecosystem health. By following the precedent set by states like Maryland and Connecticut, this legislation would limit non-essential neonic use, safeguarding both public health and vital pollinator populations.

Novo Nordisk

Swiss drugmaker Novo Nordisk is making social impact investments that seek to prevent disease in the most at-risk populations. The company focuses on public education on chronic disease prevention, creating access to healthy food and health care, and building partnerships to deliver multi-Social Determinants of Health interventions that enable holistic preventative solutions.

Schneider Electric

In 2009, Schneider Electric was one of the first corporations to develop an impact investing strategy to address the critical issue of the energy gap. The global industrial technology company specializes in digital automation, energy management and electrification. To tackle energy poverty and its effect on services like social housing, health care and education, Schneider channels capital into early-stage, impact-focused startups that develop scalable solutions for underserved markets. By providing patient capital, technical assistance and mentorship, Schneider Electric supports these startups in overcoming barriers and achieving growth.

CSI Individual Awards

RICSI presented two awards for demonstrating leadership in addressing critical societal challenges to:

• Danielle Mitchell, CEO and founder of Black Women in Clinical Research
• Amanda Nesheiwat, the first sustainability director at Hudson County Improvement Authority

TimberTurn and Rutgers Undergraduate Women in Business also received leadership awards.

According to RICSI, TimberTurn has pioneered a circular business model that simultaneously addresses wildfire risk mitigation and carbon removal. By designing a profit-sharing framework that empowers Indigenous communities, TimberTurn ensures that economic benefits from carbon credit sales flow back into local land stewardship initiatives.

Meanwhile, Rutgers Undergraduate Women in Business strives to foster an empowering community for women at Rutgers Business School. RUWIB makes significant contributions to both its members and the broader business school community through innovative programming, strategic initiatives and a commitment to professional development.

‘A powerful force for positive change’

During a May 1 celebration at The Rutgers Club in New Brunswick, RICSI Executive Director Jeana Wirtenberg said, “These award winners exemplify how business can be a powerful force for positive change. We are proud to recognize their leadership and to shine a spotlight on the meaningful work being done across industries and communities.”

According to RICSI, judges selected winners based on measurable societal impact, innovative thinking, leadership and integration of the CSI pillars of:

• Giving back to society
• Aligning profit and purpose
• Engaging in responsible business practices
• Social issue advocacy

Eligible companies were evaluated based on the scale and reach of their initiatives relative to their size and resources.

Along with celebrating the honorees, the event aimed to inspire deeper, intentional integration of social impact into business practices. Attendees included leaders from business, academia, nonprofit and the public sector. Guests at the event also heard from keynote speaker multiplatinum musician, advocate and educator Adam Met on making a difference in the future.

Founded in 2018 as part of Rutgers Business School, the Rutgers Institute for Corporate Social Innovation educates current and new generations of business leaders to integrate social innovation into their business strategies.

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 4:48 p.m. EST May 14, 2025, to correct Olivier Alizon’s name in a photo caption. This story was updated again at 12:26 p.m. EST May 16, 2025, to note the correct reach for HP’s initiative, which helped nonprofits reach over 9.1 million people.