The Social Venture Incubator
A selective term for students ready to test a real venture
In development. First cohort planned for spring.A dedicated term to pressure-test a venture against the real conditions it would have to survive — with a mentor, a stipend, and honest feedback.
- Entry: By application and interview. Preference for students who have done the groundwork through coursework, Map the System, DartUp or the Social Blueprint Challenge.
- What you get: A dedicated mentor, a stipend, and direct access to funders and practitioners.
- How success is measured: By the depth and honesty of what you learn — not by whether you launch.
The Incubator is for students who have stopped asking whether social entrepreneurship is interesting and started asking whether their own idea is real. Over a term, small teams pressure-test a venture against the conditions it would actually have to survive: the people who must choose it, the funders who must back it, the organizations already in the field, and the economics that would have to hold.
It is deliberately education-first. Success is measured by the depth and honesty of what students learn, not by the number of ventures launched, which means a well-reasoned "not yet" counts as a real result. Teams work with a dedicated mentor, receive a stipend to support the work, and get candid conversations with people who fund and shape this field.
Explore the other pillars
Curriculum, faculty engagement, and experiential learning.