Collaborating for Social Innovation in WNY

Through UB's Social Impact Fellows program, MBA and MSW students from the School of Management and the School of Social Work, along with graduate students from the College of Arts and Sciences, create social innovation in Western New York. Together, our students collaborate, address pressing social issues and make an impact.

Your gift supports this program and helps participating students to make a lasting impact in their communities. 

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. Teams are made up of an MBA student, an MSW student and a graduate student from the College of Arts and Sciences.
• At their site, fellows learn about issues the organization tackles, meet with individuals who are working on or affected by these problems—and develop solutions to address them.
• Each week, fellows actively participate in their internships for four days and then gather as a group on Friday mornings 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.
• Fellows receive a program stipend, which your gift can support!