What is the Social Innovation Fellows Program?
A year-long, team-based learning experience, the Social Innovation Fellows program enables NC State’s social entrepreneurs and innovators to consider more fully their impact on humanity and our planet.
Fellows explore issues of ethics and sustainability at the intersection of social sector and responsible business practice. They gain great self-understanding and see the impact they can have in their communities and the world.
Our Fellows become keen thinkers and problem solvers who are sensitive to cultural differences. They leave our program prepared to become engaged and responsible global citizens at NC State and beyond.
Fellows work and learn under the guidance of program staff, a Social Entrepreneur in Residence, and faculty, business and community leaders. Fellows learn adaptive leadership skills required of successful entrepreneurs. And they hone the technical skills needed to create and launch enterprises and projects that have a positive social impact.
What does it mean to be
a Social Innovation Fellow?
Do you …
- Have a passion to change the world and want to explore deeply a great social challenge related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals?
- Currently work on a social venture, product or project solo or with a team; want to join an existing venture team; or have an idea for a project, but don’t know where to go to develop it?
- Want to work on an interdisciplinary team outside your undergraduate major or graduate program?
If so, you may be a candidate for the Social Innovation Fellows program.
2021-2022 COmmunity Anchors
Learn about past Community Anchors
During the 2021-22 cohort, the role of Venture Partner was renamed Community Anchor to better reflect their contribution to the Social Innovation Fellows.
2020-2021 Venture Partners
A Place at the Table
A Place at the Table is a pay-what-you-can cafe in downtown Raleigh created by social entrepreneur and NC State alumna Maggie Kane. Their goal is to provide good food and a welcoming community for everyone, regardless of economic status. The Place at the Table model has inspired a lot of generosity in the Raleigh community and is going into their fourth year of success and spreading kindness.
NC State Composting Facility and Research Cooperative
The NC State Composting Facility and Research Cooperative is a campus unit that handles nearly all of NC State’s organic waste. One of their major accomplishments is creating a “closed loop system” for NC State where all of the university’s organic waste is composted and then reused in landscaping and food production
All We Are
Part of a health program run by the NC Episcopal All We Are is a Raleigh-based nonprofit that helps provide clean energy by installing solar panels in Ugandan villages. Founded by social entrepreneur and NC State alum Nathan Thomas, the organization focuses on community-oriented buildings such as hospitals or schools and uses solar grids to help provide them with reliable and renewable energy access.
NC Sea Grant
NC Sea Grant is an NC State-based research organization with a goal to sustainably steward ocean, coast and watershed resources while preserving the waterscapes that make this state beautiful and unique. The research supported by the organization covers a variety of important issues from restoring and protecting coastal ecosystems to wetland flood prevention.
Episcopal Farmworkers Ministry
Returning for their second year with the Social Innovation Fellows, the Episcopal Farmworkers Ministry (EFWM) is a nonprofit organization located in Dunn, NC dedicated to improving the quality of life for migrant farmworkers. EFWM works to provide farmworker communities with necessary resources like food and clothing as well as a sense of community and support.
People-First Tourism
People-First Tourism (P1T) is a social enterprise created by NC State faculty member Duarte Morais. P1T specializes in discovering and advertising unique and entrepreneurial tourist experiences. P1T focuses on creating and supporting ethical tourism, with the hope of nurturing strong relationships with local communities and showcasing local enterprises, culture, and creativity.
2019-2020 Venture Partners
Haiti Goat Project
A social enterprise led by Professor Char Farin from the NC State Department of Animal Science, this project helps support the Haitian agricultural community and provide nutritious school lunches to children from rural Haiti in grades pre-K through six. The Fellows will be working to prepare the organization to serve more areas and broaden fundraising.
Reborn Clothing Co.
A startup created by NC State student Emily Neville, Reborn Clothing Co. reduces textile waste by upcycling unused garments into new products. The Fellows will be helping them manage growth while still being an ethically-sourced and mission-driven business.
Water in the Fields
Part of a health program run by the NC Episcopal Farmworkers Ministry, the Water in the Fields project has the mission of alleviating the challenges of NC farmworkers who work long hours in the sun with limited access to water. Their Fellows team will help test the efficacy of their water bottle program while offering ideas and planning for next steps.
Our Wave
Our Wave, a nonprofit founded by NC State alum Kyle Linton, provides an anonymous online platform for survivors of sexual assault to share their stories and support one another. The Fellows team will be assisting them with outreach and spreading awareness.
700 Rivers
700 Rivers is a startup founded by NC State alum Catherina Gomes to employ women who have escaped sex trafficking in Bangladesh. To support its mission, the company intends to create handmade artisan soaps using sustainable materials and packaging. Their Fellows plan to assist with business development and branding in order to help launch the startup.
2018-2019 Venture Partners
Haiti Goat Project
A venture returning for its second year, the Haiti Goat Project trains Haitian farmers to breed more robust goats in order to provide nutritious local school lunches. The Fellows helped them raise $6,500+ and diversify their funding as a nonprofit.
Root Bioscience
Root Bioscience transforms phytocannabinoids into health and wellness products. The Fellows team studied the perception and policy implications of this emerging field, focusing on the challenge of plant waste. They produced a prototype of cat litter and are studying market opportunities.
Sandhills Region Farming Initiative
In partnership with NC State Extension and the Sandhills AGinnovation Center, the Fellows worked to connect more markets and vendors to local farmers in the Sandhills area by partnering with Freshspire, an online produce marketplace, and Vacation Vittles, an NC State social enterprise.
Farmworker’s Garment Project
The Farmworker’s Garment Project partnered with Wilson College of Textiles researchers to explore the sustainable and cultural challenges in creating a protective garment for migrant farmers suffering from pesticide exposure in rural North Carolina.
Flexcrevator
NC State researchers and the Global WASH Cluster invented the Flexcrevator, a machine for emptying pit latrines. The Fellows team helped refine this technology and developed a trade show marketing strategy and 2D visual tools.
2017-2018 Venture Partners
Wine to Water
Local nonprofit Wine to Water has committed to providing clean water to over one million people by 2019 by providing water filters to areas without access to clean water. Fellows are working with Wine to Water to provide filter use and cleaning instructions in more languages.
Haiti Goat Project
The Haiti Goat Project combats child malnutrition by providing animal-based foods to school lunch programs. The Fellows are working to diversify funding sources by launching a food product for sale in the U.S. and using the profits to invest back into the Project’s mission.
Freshspire
Freshspire is a platform designed to reduce food waste by grocery stores and restaurants. Fellows are working with the nonprofit to expand contacts, suppliers and restaurants that are interested in adopting the platform.
Rise Against Hunger
Rise Against Hunger is working to find a more sustainable way to distribute packaged meals to those in need. Fellows are working with the team to increase community sustainability efforts.
Ocean Works
The Ocean Works team is working with Fellows to collect plastics littered in oceans and waterways and transform them into usable sustainable products.
NC State Food Waste and Food Insecurity
The FWAFI team’s research has determined that as many as 6,000 NC State students suffer from food insecurity. The team aims to reduce food waste on campus, working closely with the university’s agriculture department and farms.
Harshita, from New Delhi, India is a junior in the College of Engineering studying Computer Science and Business Administration in order to work as a software engineer in the future.
“This year, I want to dive deeper into my passion of social entrepreneurship and want to explore using the technical skills that I learn in my classes to make tangible social difference. Social Innovation Fellows is the perfect way to do this because it is at the intersection of serving your community and entrepreneurship and allows us to really become involved with people around us. Also, I am a huge boba fanatic.”
Ben Dudley, from Charlotte, North Carolina is a Senior in the Poole College of Management studying Marketing and the certificate for Entrepreneurship in order to use these skills to create a sustainable business in the future.
We had our very first innovation lab of the year last week 💡Our fellows, team mentors, senior fellows, and community anchors are all officially embarking on the journey of falling in love with the problem, and not just the solution.
Audrey, from Leesburg, Virginia is a sophomore in the College of Engineering studying Industrial Engineering with a minor in Environmental Sciences in order to explore the relationships between process efficiency and sustainability. Her long term goal is to help with the development and improvement of sustainable methods of operation and production for larger companies and industries.
"My career pursuit is driven by my life-long guiding principle to serve communities and improve lives. In addition, I'm passionate about understanding how our decisions as humans affect the environment and life around us. I hope the Social Innovation Fellows will guide me in recognizing where these values could potentially lead me and help me approach decision making holistically in our rapidly changing world."
Amrita Ganesh is from Charlotte, North Carolina and is a rising senior at North Carolina State University studying Business Administration with a Finance concentration. She is a part of the Business Analytics Program here at state! Her goal is that this degree can obtain a full time role in a financial consulting position.
“I want to be a part of something at NC State that makes a difference, apart from my education. I would like to make something meaningful out of my four years here.”
The 2022-2023 SIF year is officially here 🎉Just last week we had our annual mixer! Swipe to see some pictures of our cool members and favorite hangout spot on campus 🐺
Our final Innovation Lab of the semester was a success! Stay tuned for highlights from our final team presentations in a few weeks.
#sif2021 #socialinnovationfellows
Meet Grace Gould, member of our SIF 2021-2022 cohort. Grace is a double major in Environmental Engineering in the College of Engineering and Philosophy in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Her love for learning and growing has lead her to have passions for environmental justice, sustainability, gender equality.
Meet member of our SIF 2021-22 cohort, Lauren Burnham! Lauren is at NC State for her Masters in Graphic Design. She is passionate about environmental conservation from preserving wildlife and wilderness to promoting sustainable agriculture!
Meet SIF 2021-22 cohort member, Hattie Altmann! She is majoring in Media Communication with a minor in Global Leadership and Team Decision making! Her passion for global access to clean water lead her right to SIF!
If you have similar passions or interests, our applications are open now!! Head to our website for more information!
Please meet Vedant Dulori! He is a senior in the College or Engineering as a Computer Science major and a business administration minor at the Poole College of Management. He has experience in the social impact field by participating in Teach for India Fellowship program, working with more than 100 underprivileged students at an orphanage, and raising funds for the Rubella vaccination drive for 1000s of underprivileged children. He hopes to combine his IT knowledge with his business skills to create a larger scale social impact.
Please meet member of SIF 2021-22 cohort, Tatum Kellum! She is a senior in the College of Sciences as a Biological Sciences major with a concentration in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology with a minor in Non-Profit Studies. Tatum has a passion for helping Non-Government Organizations successfully respond and address global issues and hopes to improve how organizations combat these issues.
Meet Allison Starling, a member of SIF 2021-22 cohort. Her passion for solving environmental issues such as climate change and sustainable development compliment her International Studies and Political Science majors in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. She hopes to combine her education with her problem solving skills in order to solve some of the world's most complicated issues.
Please meet SIF 2021-22 cohort member, Kendall Zorn! She is in the College of Engineering as an Environmental Engineering major graduating in May. Kendall is interested in how small, local decisions can make big, national or global impacts and changes specifically in climate change, water quality, and the animal agriculture industry.
Please meet member of our 2021-2022 Social Innovation Fellows cohort, Anna Rose. She is a Communication Media major in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. She also has three minors: Cognitive Science, Science Communication, and Journalism. Her passion for supporting women is what drives her to support women-owned businesses and funding women locally and nationally. She is also a DJ and radio host! Check out her instagram! @rainbowriotwknc #socialinnovation #socialentrepreneurship #ncstate #ncstatesif
Meet Tafui Leggard, a Fellow in our 2021-2022 Social Innovation Fellows cohort. She is in the College of Engineering as an Industrial Engineering Major. Her passion is to create an equal future for those in her community by streamlining operational efficiency for equal access to education and healthcare. #socialinnovation #socialentrepreneurship #ncstate #ncstatesif
Please meet member of the 2021-2022 cohort, Noah Retarides! He is getting his Masters of Textiles at NC State. His passion for sustainability stems from his love for nature. Whether it is going on a hike or playing basketball at the park, Noah loves to be outside. When he isn't outside, he is working on apparel design projects. He hopes that SIF will give him the amazing experience of creating a project that aligns well with his passion for sustainability, love for nature while still creating a positive change. #socialinnovation #socialentrepreneurship #ncstate #ncstatesif
Meet Niambe James, one of our Social Innovation Fellows from our 2021-2022 cohort! She is in the College of Natural Resources as a Sustainable Materials and Technology major and an Environmental Science minor. Since Niambe was a little girl, she has been passionate about sustainability. She was drawn to the SIF program to add the social aspect of sustainability to her education on the environmental and economical sides of sustainability. She hopes to be the change she wants to see in the world! #socialinnovation #socialentrepreneurship #ncstate #ncstatesif
Sarah Smart is a member of our 2021-2022 Social Innovation Fellows. She is an Agriculture Science major and has two minors in Agriculture Business and Animal Science. Like she wrote in her book, Be Still, she hopes to find her unique purpose and leave an everlasting impact. Her goal is to build a business that uses agriculture to provide food and fiber for her community. In doing so, she hopes to form an innovative business model that provides fair jobs, sustainable energy, and a means to end hunger, poverty, natural resource degradation, and inequality.
Please meet member of our Social Innovation 2021-2022 Fellows, Matt Slaughter. He is in the College of Engineering as a Chemical Engineering major with a concentration in Sustainability. He has a deep passion for traveling and seeing new places, which has made him realize how unsustainable traveling can be. He hopes to create a business to promote sustainable travel and travel products.