Social Enterprise Greenhouse and the Swearer Center at Brown University Partner on Social Innovation Fellowship

Students participating in a three-year Social Innovation Fellowship offered by Social Enterprise Greenhouse and the Swearer Center are (from left) Elvia Perez, Kimberly Collins, Francesca Raoelison, Priya Mittal, Olivia Tulkoff, and Madison Bates (not pictured, Sam Caplan).

Providence, RI (September 11, 2019) — Social Enterprise Greenhouse (SEG) and the Swearer Center for Public Service at Brown University announced today they are partnering on a new Social Innovation Fellowship for students. The Social Innovation Fellowship is a three-year, developmental program that offers undergraduate students intensive skills training, hands-on experience in innovation alongside community partners, and access to a broad network of social innovators for mentorship. The Fellowship also includes a one-year program option for students in their senior year who are seeking to launch or expand a social venture.

The program will be hosted at Social Enterprise Greenhouse’s Coworking Hub at 10 Davol Square, Providence, starting in September 2019. SEG staff will provide fellows with training in social innovation, access to coaching from the 200+ business and community leaders who participate in the SEG Volunteer Network, and opportunities to learn firsthand what it takes to launch and grow successful social ventures.

“The partnership between Social Enterprise Greenhouse and the Swearer Center is designed to allow students to benefit from coaching and hands-on experience through community organizations, while still having access to the ecosystem of faculty, advisors, and staff at Brown University,” said Mathew Johnson, executive director of the Swearer Center. “This collaboration reinforces our commitment to community agency, allowing our students to learn directly from those in the field while creatively developing their vision, their ventures, and their professional networks.”

“We are thrilled to take our partnership with Brown University and the Swearer Center to the next level and are honored to be partnering on this new innovative Fellowship program,” said Kelly Ramirez, CEO of Social Enterprise Greenhouse. “We look forward to working with the first three-year cohort as they embark on yearlong internships with seven high-potential social ventures in the SEG Network. We are also excited to work with and support the entrepreneurs in each of these cohorts as they launch and grow their ventures. This new Fellowship is an excellent example of collaborative partnership that not only provides opportunities for the amazing young leaders who are participating but also benefits the larger community.”

Fourteen students have been selected for the 2019 Social Innovation Fellowship cohort, as follows:

3 Year Fellowship (college sophomores)

  • Madison Bates of Boyne City, Michigan
  • Samuel Caplan of Ambler, Pennsylvania
  • Kimberly Collins of New Rochelle, New York
  • Priya Mittal of New York City, New York
  • Elvia Perez of Los Angeles, California
  • Francesca Raoelison of Antananarivo, Madagascar
  • Olivia Tulkoff of New York City, New York

1 Year Fellowship (college seniors)

  • Edward R. Uong of Lowell, Massachusetts
  • Emma C. Butler of Portsmouth, Rhode Island
  • Devyn C. Collado-Nicol of Long Beach, California
  • Kaitlyn P. Lew of Needham, Massachusetts
  • Michael A. Mireles Jr. of Mission, Texas
  • Kaitlin Reed of Dover, Massachusetts
  • Zixi (Jessica) Zhu of Beijing, China

For more information about the Fellowship program, please visit:
https://www.brown.edu/academics/college/swearer/programs/social-innovation-fellowship/11

About Social Enterprise Greenhouse
Social Enterprise Greenhouse creates positive social and economic impacts across Rhode Island by supporting social entrepreneurs and enterprises with the business tools and networks they need to thrive. We operate statewide out of three programming sites in Providence, Newport, and Pawtucket/Central Falls. Our network of 400+ enterprises and 300+ business and community leaders contributes time, expertise, and funding to grow Rhode Island’s social impact ecosystem. We promote a culture of equity and inclusion within our network, across our programs, and throughout our ecosystem. To learn more, visit www.segreenhouse.org.

ABOUT THE SWEARER CENTER FOR PUBLIC SERVICE
In 1986, Brown University President Howard Swearer founded one of the first public service centers in the nation, now named for him — the Swearer Center for Public Service. The Swearer Center is a hub of community, scholarship, and action at Brown University. Through innovative programs and fellowships that reach across Rhode Island and around the globe, the Swearer Center connects people to co-create knowledge and positive social change, advances the field of engaged scholarship, and integrates social innovation with community engagement. For more information, visit www.swearer.brown.edu.

###

Contact
Karen Donovan
Communications Manager
kdonovan@segreenhouse.org