Social Innovation Fund

Social Innovation.

Help solve today's most pressing social challenges through this fund, which supports the Social Impact Fellows program.

Across the globe, social innovation is rapidly growing, as companies, nonprofits and governments partner to tackle sweeping challenges. That’s the spirit that guides the Social Impact Fellows program—and benefits all involved.

The program brings together MSW and MBA students from the School of Social Work and School of Management, along with graduate students from the College of Arts and Sciences, to create social innovation in Western New York. Presented in collaboration with UB’s Blackstone LaunchPad & Techstars, the program encourages fellows to find creative ways to address social issues, thereby making a tangible impact on our community.

During summer internships, multidisciplinary student teams work with local mission-driven organizations to address systemic social issues. In addition, fellows meet with faculty, who teach them how to identify, define and generate solutions for social challenges.

Throughout the process, students gain skills in strategic planning, creative problem-solving, entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship, making them more competitive in the job market. In fact, many students have said the program inspired them to expand their career goals to include nonprofit management and social entrepreneurship.

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