Social Innovation Fellows

RTI Global Gender Center

RTI Global Center is committed to dismantling gender inequality and fostering holistic health and wellness for women. Their unwavering mission is to educate, advocate, and provide innovative solutions across multiple domains; including health policy, substance abuse, HIV, sexual and reproductive health, education, economic development, and the prevention of gender-based violence.

People-First Tourism

People First Tourism is a socially conscious business born out of sustainable tourism research from NC State University. Dedicated to combating unsustainable and inhumane tourism practices by promoting responsible and ethical travel experiences. Their mission is to transform the way people explore the world while preserving the planet’s natural beauty and respecting local cultures.

NC State Blue Economy Innovation Program

NC State’s Blue Economy Innovation Program was designed to mitigate the effects of climate change by focusing on scientific and technological innovations for reducing and stabilizing the levels of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. They also aim to protect wildlife by extending to a broader array of contaminants and pollutants that are compounding disturbances to terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems.

Raleigh City Farm

Raleigh City Farm (RCF) is an urban farm founded in 2011 on a formerly vacant one-acre lot located on the northeastern side of downtown Raleigh. They believe in the power of urban farms to create healthier communities and reconnect city dwellers with healthy food production through more frequent encounters with agriculture.

Town of Zebulon

The town of Zebulon NC is a quaint little railroad town that is quickly becoming a bustling suburban community. Joe Moore, town manager and NC State PhD student in the College of Design, tasked this Fellows team with “helping to improve community engagement in the town as it grows.” And grow it will – Zebulon is projected to grow from its current population of 6,000 up to 10,000 people by early 2023. With this growth will come issues around expansion, community connection, and revamping their downtown environment without losing touch with their history.

Common Cause

Common Cause is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization advocating for accountable government, equal rights, opportunities, and representation. The North Carolina Chapter is heavily focused on increasing voter engagement and allowing for more equitable voting access.

Sankofa Farms

Sankofa Farms is a venture founded by NC State doctoral student Kamal Bell that aims to assist in changing the food intake habits of those living in and affected by food deserts. They have also recently opened an agricultural academy for African American youth to improve the perception of STEM and agriculturally related professions, career readiness skills, and school performance for their attendees

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 State Composting Facility and Research Cooperative

Their second year with the Fellows, 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 used in landscaping and food production.

NC Sea Grant

Back for their second year with the Fellows, 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.

NC Interfaith Power and Light

NC Interfaith Power & Light is a program of the North Carolina Council of Churches that builds resilient North Carolina communities that advocate for their values in public pollcymaking to mitigate the effects of climate change. Their mission is to inspire and mobilize people of faith and conscience to take bold and just action on climate change.

Karma Wallet

Karma Wallet is a digital platform that empowers users to be truly conscious consumers and use their capital for the greatest social and environmental good. They evaluate brands and companies based on their environmental and social impact so consumers can plan future large purchases and to ensure their money is going to make the world better.

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.

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.

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.

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.