“Discover. Design. Do Good!” The Social Innovation Fellows Brain Trust Reception

On December 6, 2017, the Institute for Nonprofits hosted a reception in the Dorothy and Roy Park Alumni Center to highlight the work being done by the Social Innovation Fellows. The reception was an opportunity for the Fellows to showcase their projects and receive encouraging remarks from NC State Chancellor Randy Woodson.  

Dr. Richard Clerkin began the event by welcoming and acknowledging distinguished guests that came to support the Fellows. After his welcome, Dr. Clerkin introduced Chancellor Woodson to the attentive audience. Chancellor Woodson began his remarks by expressing his pride in and the necessity of the Social Innovation Fellows program. In addition, his remarks focused on his background addressing global food security issues and he highlighted the critical role of mentorship. Ultimately, Chancellor Woodson closed his speech by saying that he was “inspired by the work of the Fellows.”

After the remarks from Chancellor Woodson, the Social Innovation Fellows were given the opportunity to present their projects.The Fellows, organized in teams of five, presented six projects that focused on topics of food and water. The six projects were the Haiti Goat Project, Oceanworks, Rise Against Hunger, Wine to Water, Food Insecurity, and Freshspire. Overall, these presentations allowed the Fellows to introduce themselves and their projects to experts that can assist them with their endeavors.

Following the presentations, Dr. Jeff Braden, dean of NC State’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences, gave closing remarks. In these  remarks, Dean Braden acknowledged that he was proud of the social impact work being done by the university and the Social Innovation Fellows program. Ultimately, the reception ended with a networking session that gave guests an opportunity to engage with the Fellows about their projects.

For more information about the Social Innovation Fellows program: Contact Elizabeth Benefield at eabenefi@ncsu.edu or visit the website http://go.ncsu.edu/sifellows.