Sam Vaghar

Sam Vaghar
Sam in Boston, MA (2011)
Born	August 19, 1986 Birmingham, England
Nationality	United States
Alma mater	Brandeis University
Occupation	Executive Director, Millennium Campus Network

Sam Vaghar (born August 19, 1986) is an American social entrepreneur and Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Millennium Campus Network.

Early life

Sam Vaghar was born in Birmingham, England, and raised in Newton, Massachusetts. As a child growing up, he was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease.^[1] A trip in his teenage years to Havana, Cuba exposed him to the challenges of poverty.^[2] After enrolling at Brandeis University, Vaghar began to engage in social activism, initially organizing a bi-partisan bus trip to President Bush’s inauguration in 2005. During this time, Vaghar read Mountains Beyond Mountains about the work of Dr. Paul Farmer and Partners in Health. Vaghar then read The End of Poverty by economist Dr. Jeffrey Sachs.^[3]

As a college sophomore, Vaghar cold-called Dr. Sachs’ office and met with his staff two days later in New York City. Back on campus, Vaghar and friend Seth Werfel later co-founded the Millennium Campus Network in the summer of 2007.^[4]

Vaghar graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in International & Global Studies from Brandeis University in 2008, and was a member of the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity.

Millennium Campus Network

Vaghar serves as Executive Director of the Millennium Campus Network. In this capacity, Vaghar engages with numerous MCN allies, including sponsors like Microsoft and The Jenzabar Foundation as well as MCN Advisors including Jeffrey Sachs and Paul Farmer. His primary responsibilities center on fundraising and outreach. Vaghar has represented the MCN in engaging with numerous global leaders including President Barack Obama^[5][6] and Secretary of State John Kerry.^[7]

Awards & Recognition

• 2013 Commencement Speaker, Lynn University (at 26, youngest in Lynn's 50-year history) ^[8][9][10]
• Selected as one of ten young American leaders from across the nation to share perspectives with President Barack Obama in the White House in June 2011^[11]
• Invited by the US State Department as Featured Speaker across Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, September 2011^[12]
• Selected to the 2012 list of the "Top 99 most influential foreign policy leaders under the age of 33" by The Diplomatic Courier and Young Professionals in Foreign Policy^[13]
• Profiled in The Boston Globe and Fast Company.^[14][15]
• Senior Speaker, 2008 Brandeis University Commencement
• 2010 Social Entrepreneurs of the Year, awarded to the MCN (accepted by Will Herberich and Sam Vaghar) by The Jenzabar Foundation ^[16]
• Fall 2011 Communication and Leadership Winner, Toastmasters District 31

References

1. Kahn, Joseph P. "A Man with a Plan". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
2. Kahn, Joseph P. "A Man with a Plan". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
3. Burstein, David. D. "Change Generation: Sam Vaghar, Executive Director and Cofounder, Millennium Campus Network". Fast Company. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
4. Burstein, David D. "Change Generation: Sam Vaghar, Executive Director and Cofounder, Millennium Campus Network". Fast Company. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
5. "Oct. 5, 2011: Millennium Campus Network co-founder Sam Vaghar". WGBH. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
6. Modi, Kalpen. "President Obama Drops by Youth Initiative De-Brief". The White House: Office of Public Engagement. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
7. "Global Generation Awards Honor Gen Y's Humanitarian Heroes". The Next Great Generation. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
8. "Sam Vaghar - 2013 Lynn University Commencement Speaker". Lynn University. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
9. "Lynn's youngest commencement speaker provides guidance for more than 500 graduates". Lynn University. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
10. "Global development advocate to address students at Lynn's 2013 commencement". Lynn University. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
11. Modi, Kalpen. "President Obama Drops by Youth Initiative De-Brief". The White House: Office of Public Engagement. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
12. Kahn, Joseph P. "A Man with a Plan". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
13. "Top 99 Under 33 - 2012". Diplomatic Courier. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
14. Kahn, Joseph P. "A Man with a Plan". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
15. Burstein, David D. "Change Generation: Sam Vaghar, Executive Director and Cofounder, Millennium Campus Network". Fast Company. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
16. Ganias, Carina. "The Millennium Campus Network Receives a Jenzabar Foundation Grant to Extend Outreach to Student Groups". PR Web. Retrieved 3 April 2013.