Bridges to Business (B2B) is a leadership and professional development program that teaches meaningful skills in innovation, entrepreneurship, and business. Uniquely designed for Soka’s intimate, close-knit community, B2B provides personalized 1-on-1 coaching and targeted workshops that equip students to confidently enter the business world, whether launching social ventures or navigating corporate environments.
Our Unique Advantage: Leading With Purpose
In alignment with Soka values, B2B programs teach students to integrate core values into their professional lives to create positive impact:
- WISDOM: Prioritizing people, planet, and profit – equally.
- COURAGE: Creating diverse teams that value different viewpoints.
- COMPASSION: Measuring impact for the greater good of all.
As AI transforms the workplace, human-centered skills become increasingly valuable. B2B focuses on capabilities technology can’t replicate: authentic leadership, ethical decision-making, and creative problem-solving. We embrace technological change while empowering students to lead with their unique humanity.
What Students Master
- Professional communication and business culture fluency
- Ethical leadership and collaborative approaches
- Creative problem-solving and adaptive thinking
- Confident networking and authentic relationship building
- Social venture development and corporate readiness
Programs & Events:
Leadership Circle + Spring Break Business Bootcamp
Competitions + Hackathons
Workshops
Each spring, a select cohort participates in an 8-week experience focused on leadership, networking, and career readiness. Through weekly workshops, students strengthen communication, emotional intelligence, and professional skills while building meaningful peer connections.
During Spring Break, participants travel to locations such as Seattle, Washington, or the Bay Area, California to connect with entrepreneurs, innovators, and industry leaders. Students gain real-world insights and expand their networks.
B2B supports key business plan competitions, including the Impactathon® social impact hackathon each Fall, and the Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge (FGSIC) each Spring.
In addition, ambitious students who are accepted to participate in other social impact competitions and/or hackathons can seek personalized coaching and partial funding for these efforts.
Our hands-on workshop series builds essential business skills across three key areas. Foundation Skills develop personal branding and networking capabilities. Business Fundamentals cover financial modeling, marketing impact, and pitch mastery. Opportunity + Action workshops provide real-world application through competitions and venture development. Students gain confidence bridging academic learning with business practice, whether preparing for corporate careers or launching social ventures. Visit the “Workshop Series” page for more details.
Meet Sokapreneurs:
Soka students have earned seed funding and recognition through global social impact competitions, standing alongside teams from leading universities and graduate programs worldwide.
Are you ready to realize your professional dreams? Contact b2b@soka.edu and follow us on Instagram at sokab2b.
Program Director
