11 About 8% of the world’s population lives on less than $1.90 a day. But in The End of Poverty, economist Jeffrey Sachs proposed integrated economic, political, environmental, and social solutions for eliminating extreme poverty—the first of the United Nations’ eight Millennium Development Goals. After reading the book in 2006, Brandeis University under- graduate Sam Vaghar met with Dr. Sachs to see how he could help. He returned to campus determined to mobilize students who shared his passion for making a difference, and soon reached out to contacts at Mintz, including former Mintz attorney Noah Shaw and family friend and Pro Bono Chair Sue Finegan, for advice on how to start a new nonprofit. Remarkably, 10 years later, Sam’s Boston-based Millennium Campus Network (MCN) has benefited more than 5,500 emerging social impact leaders on 300 campuses worldwide, and more than 75% of its alumni work in social impact careers. “From supporting us back when we were working in our dorm rooms to helping us navigate a new partnership with the United Nations, Mintz has been with us all the way,” Sam said. Several Mintz attorneys worked with MCN to obtain 501(c)3 nonprofit status, helped draft the organization’s bylaws, provided employment advice, and helped draft multiple partnership agreements. Attorney Gauri Punjabi has recently helped the organization with employment issues, including guidance on independent contractor considerations. “Gauri has been tremendously helpful in ensuring our legal compliance with a host of regulations,” Sam said. Most recently, the firm guided Sam and his team through the process of establishing a groundbreaking agreement with United Nations Academic Impact, an arm of the United Nations, to partner on the Millennium Fellowship. The fellowship recognizes undergraduates committed to cultivating values, honing skills, and taking concrete actions to advance the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals relating to poverty, hunger, health, education, climate change, gender equality, water, sanitation, energy, urbaniza- tion, environment, and social justice. In its first year, the program will provide more than 500 students selected from 285 campuses across 57 nations with training, connections, and visibility to bring their projects to life. Millennium Fellowship Projects are projected to positively impact the lives of over 310,000 people worldwide in 2018. The partnership is also a game-changer for MCN, which is now operating on an interna- tional stage. Attorney Ben Stone and former Mintz attorney Kristin Gerber led the two-year effort to cement the agreement, which required complying with strict UN guidelines, interacting with the UN’s large bureaucracy, and establish- ing a legal framework capable of sustaining a strong collaboration. “Throughout the process, Ben made time to answer questions big and small,” Sam said. “His extraordinary leadership and support helped drive this remarkable accomplishment.” “I am so pleased to have been able to work with Sam and his incredibly dedicated team. With this UN partnership, students worldwide are getting the tools they need to think critically about scalable, systemic solutions that can truly create global impact,” Ben said. Mobilizing Millennials Worldwide “The Mintz pro bono team has supported us from our earliest days. Thank you to Sue Finegan and the firm for seeing our potential and nurturing our growth.” Sam Vaghar Co-founder & Executive Director Millennium Campus Network