Social Impact Fellows
Collaborating across disciplines to solve today’s most pressing social challenges.
Through UB’s Social Impact Fellows program, MBA and MSW students from the School of Management and School of Social Work, along with graduate students from the College of Arts and Sciences, create social innovation in Western New York. Presented in collaboration with UB’s Blackstone LaunchPad, the program brings students together to collaborate, address pressing social issues and make an impact.
About the Social Impact Fellows Program
The Social Impact Fellows program prepares students to address social issues using principles of entrepreneurship and social innovation. During an eight-week summer internship, multidisciplinary student teams work with local mission-driven organizations to address systemic social issues. At their site, fellows meet with individuals who are working on or affected by these issues and develop solutions to address them.
Each week, fellows actively participate in their internships for four days and then gather as a group one morning for sessions with management and social work faculty, who coach them on identifying, defining and generating solutions for social challenges.
The summer culminates with the Pitch for a Cause competition, where fellows present their projects and compete for funding to help their partner organization continue to implement their idea. Then, in the fall semester, MBA students continue their internship experience, providing additional assistance and follow-up to their organization.
Participation and Eligibility
Interested students in the MBA and MSW programs, as well as graduate students from the UB College of Arts and Sciences, are eligible to apply. Fellows receive course credit (tuition and fees fully funded), as well as a program stipend.