Darden to Host First Symposium on Poverty

Jan. 26, 2007 -- The University of Virginia's Darden School of Business will host the first Symposium on Poverty Jan. 31 on Grounds. The event features nine expert speakers from a variety of disciplines who will help students understand why they should be personally and professionally invested in socioeconomic issues involving class and the distribution of wealth. Organized by the Student Committee on Social Responsibility, the symposium is titled, "The Struggle of the Have Nots: What can MBA students do to increase economic opportunity and class mobility in the 21st century?" An opening film and discussion will be followed by break-out sessions to examine various facets of this complex issue.

The symposium begins at 3 p.m. in Classroom 50.

Prerecorded comments will be delivered by Paul Tudor Jones (A&S '76), who was ranked by Forbes in September as the 117th wealthiest person in America. Jones is the founder of the Robin Hood Foundation, which is dedicated to eradicating NYC poverty. 

Peter Kiernan (MBA '79), chairman of Kiernan Ventures, will be the symposium keynote speaker. Kiernan worked nearly 18 years at Goldman Sachs. He is currently chairman of several ventures, an advisor to companies and private equity firms, and serves as chairman of several charitable boards. Most recently he was president and partner of Cyrus Capital, a New York-based hedge fund.

He has led numerous philanthropies including as past chairman of the Robin Hood Foundation, which was an organizer of the post 9/11 Concert for the City of New York. Kiernan has also stepped in as chairman of the Christopher Reeve Foundation.