The Harvard Business School Online Community launched four years ago to connect like-minded professionals passionate about business. Since then, it’s expanded to 34 Chapters worldwide—each volunteer-led by HBS Online past participants. Together, they’ve coordinated nearly 350 virtual and in-person events to help learners collaborate, connect, and uncover new opportunities to advance their careers.
Now, there are even more opportunities to network. We’re excited to announce the next iteration of the HBS Online Community with the launch of a new platform. Here’s an overview of the Community, its new features, and how you can connect with a global network of learners.
How to Network in the New HBS Online Community
1. Join a Chapter and Attend Events
The HBS Online Community features 34 Chapters in regions around the world. Join your closest Chapter to find and attend events. If there isn’t a Chapter close to where you live, you can join the Global Chapter.
Each Chapter is led by one or more Chapter Organizers who coordinate in-person and virtual events—ranging from meetups and trivia nights to webinars, movie screenings, and panel discussions.
2. Ask and Answer Questions
Once you’ve joined a Chapter, you’ll gain access to that Chapter’s discussion board, where you can share updates, ask and answer questions, and post polls.
Community Organizers will also use the discussion board to post announcements and notify you of upcoming events. You’ll be sent a weekly digest of Chapter activities, which you can set the cadence of after joining a Chapter.
3. Build Your Profile
Each Community member will have a profile. To get the most out of your Community experience, we encourage you to upload a picture, share links to your social media channels, complete the “About Me” section, and select your topic(s) of interest.
The more you share about yourself, the easier it will be to connect and network with others.
4. Direct Message Your Peers
One of the newest Community platform features is direct messaging. Log in to the Community and visit “Networking” in the main navigation. Once there, you’ll find a “My Messages” tab. Through that tab, you can search for Community members and start a new discussion.
We encourage you to use this feature to ask others about their HBS Online learning experience, discuss job opportunities, and share relevant industry insights.
5. Participate in the Official HBS Online Networking Group
Anyone who completes an HBS Online certificate course will be added to the Official HBS Online Networking Group—a discussion board where you can pose questions, post updates, and connect with peers.
This will replace HBS Online’s closed networking groups on Facebook and LinkedIn yet function similarly. Through this new group, learners can communicate via a central platform without needing to create a social media profile.
6. Earn Badges for Community Engagement
Another new feature is badging. Our new Community platform enables you to earn a recognition badge for completing various activities, such as uploading a profile picture, asking and answering questions, or completing an HBS Online course.
You’ll also have the opportunity to award others badges as a way to say thank you or congratulations on a job well done.
7. Participate in the Community Challenge
HBS Online annually partners with a nonprofit to host the Community Challenge. Through the Challenge, learners meet worldwide to solve one of the nonprofit’s most critical business challenges. Whichever Chapter develops the most viable, cost-effective, actionable solution is named the Community Challenge winner.
The 2022 Community Challenge was announced in May with Empowered to Educate, a two-year fellowship program that provides women educators with leadership training, mentorship, global networking opportunities, and small stipends. Empowered to Educate has completed its proof-of-concept phase in Ghana, Africa, and asked the Community for solutions on how it can scale.
By participating, you can meet fellow learners worldwide while supporting an important cause. If you’re interested in helping Empowered to Educate, sign up for the Chapter closest to where you live. Once you’ve joined a Chapter, let your Chapter Organizer know you’re interested in participating in the Community Challenge. Organizers will coordinate with their members to determine a time to meet and brainstorm solutions.
Join a Global Network of Like-Minded Business Professionals
We’re excited to welcome you to the new platform. We’ll continue to add new features and Chapters to the HBS Online Community in the coming months.
If you’re interested in staying up-to-date on upcoming events and other Community happenings, join the Community and subscribe to our Community newsletter.