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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, spend the summer learning about and creating social innovation in Western New York. Presented in collaboration with UB's Blackstone LaunchPad powered by Techstars, the program brings together students for a fellowship at a mission-driven organization, where they collaborate to address pressing social issues and make an impact.
How the program works
The Social Impact Fellows program prepares students to address social issues using principles of entrepreneurship and social innovation.
During the eight-week internship, multidisciplinary teams of students work with mission-driven organizations to address systemic social issues. Teams are made up of an MBA student, an MSW student and a graduate/professional student from a variety of other UB programs.
At each site, fellows learn about issues the organization tackles and meet with stakeholders who are working on or affected by these problems. Then, using the entrepreneurial principles they learn, they create a solution to address these issues.
The program culminates with the Pitch for a Cause competition, when fellows present their projects and compete for funding to help their partner organization continue to implement their solution.
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. Students gain skills in strategic planning, creative problem-solving, entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship (the ability to innovate within an organization), making them more competitive in the job market. They also receive a modest stipend for tuition and fees. Through their internship and experiences, fellows find creative ways to address social issues, thereby making a tangible impact on our community. By working closely with peers from other disciplines, students gain an appreciation for the background and skills their peers bring. Many said the program inspired them to expand their career goals to include nonprofit management and social entrepreneurship.
