Tag: Social_enterprise

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Rachel Levitt ’21

Rachel Levitt

Rachel Levitt is graduated from Southern Methodist University with an MBA in the Cox School of Business studying marketing and management, with a specialization in customer engagement. She served as President of Net Impact and as an MBA Ambassador, and also has membership with Women in Business, the Jewish Business Club, and the Marketing Club.

Rachel has been recognized as a Forte Fellow and as a member of the Cox Dean’s Circle.  In her free time, she enjoys yoga, hiking, and baking, specifically with Nutella.

Rachel says, “What drew me to working at the Hunt Institute was the opportunity to connect my studies at Cox with my passion for community involvement. One of the most fulfilling parts of my role as the Social Enterprise Program Lead is meeting so many like-minded individuals in the Dallas area who are committed to bettering our community and the world.”

At the Hunt Institute, Rachel was the Program Lead for the Social Enterprise Program where she works to address the key barriers faced by early stage social entrepreneurs, including capacity constraints and a need for strategic guidance, by connecting social entrepreneurs to critical resources. In addition to developing the program, Rachel contributes to the marketing strategy through the Hunt Institute Digest with weekly posts about key issues facing social entrepreneurs, highlighting social enterprises of note, or interviews of past and present members of the Hunt Institute Social Enterprise Cohorts.

After completing her MBA, Rachel has been working as a Search Engine Optimization Specialist at Mark Cuban Specialists.

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.

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Mohammed Njie, Social Enterprise 2021 Cohort Entrepreneur

Mohammed Nije, Social Entrepreneur, Inventor, Change Agent, The Gambia, Clean Energy, Digital Access

As the first student Social Entrepreneur in the Hunt Institute’s Social Enterprise Program, Mohammed Njie joined the Cohort in 2021 and is setting a precedent for dedicated, young entrepreneurship.

Mohammed was born and raised in The Gambia, a country in Western Africa, and has witnessed energy poverty firsthand. He attended high school at one of the few schools with electricity, and seeing students at other institutions without access to the same vital resources inspired him to make a difference in this area.

He is currently conducting research on efficient renewable energy systems that can be used to alleviate energy poverty in developing countries. Mohammed founded Janta Clean Energy with the intention of providing The Gambia with reliable, clean energy. A vision of his is to see all of Africa having access to affordable, reliable, and clean energy during his lifetime.

“I think it is important to realize that here at the Institute we are involved in a lot of projects where we can impact the lives of a lot of different people,” Mohammed said. “For their sake, it is very important that we push through…they are waiting for us.”

Mohammed initiated a pilot project called Innovation inTintinto on his last trip to The Gambia that installed solar panels in rural schools, tested capacity, and determined which elements are needed to enhance students’ academic experience. His second project Illuminating Tintinto expanded on these elements and installed additional panels for Tintinto Primary and Secondary School. Now, centered around these innovative solutions, his current project titled STEM Up Phase II is working to design and implement Wi-Fi-generating computer carts in local schools.

All the while, Mohammed is currently a senior at Southern Methodist University working toward a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and has been recognized as a Grand Challenges Scholar, winner of SMU’s Big Ideas, and is also part of the SMU Incubator.

Discussing his motivation for impact work as a social entrepreneur he said,“My passion for the work I do started when I was young. When you experience the problems you are trying to solve, it becomes personal. So as a young boy, I made it my life’s mission to help solve some of the problems I experienced growing up. So many people are in poverty because they do not have an opportunity. I want to change that.”

The December, Mohammed will be showcasing his work in the Institute’s Impact Forum along with other 2020 & 2021 Social Enterprise Cohorts.

More posts about Mohammed Njie:

December 15, 2019: “2019 Social Enterprise Cohort”

February 28, 2020: “Mohammed Njie – Travel Feature”

July 1, 2020: “Hunt Institute’s First Student Social Entrepreneur” 

November 9, 2020: “Innovation in Tintinto, The Gambia”

December 15, 2020: “2020 Social Enterprise Cohort”

April 13, 2021: “Illuminating Tintinto | Hunt Institute’s Project for SMU Giving Day 2021”

April 14, 2021: “2021 SMU Giving Day: The Power of One Person’s Vision”

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.

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2019 Social Enterprise Cohort

Hunt Institute's Social Enterprise Program

Our 2019 Cohort focused on developing and improving food systems across Dallas and around the world. Of the four Social Entrepreneurs in this cohort, only one was unable to continue work during the pandemic. As we approach the end of the year, below is a brief description of each social entrepreneur’s venture along with links to their work in order to read more and/or follow their progress in the future.

Break Bread, Break Boarders

Founder: Jin-Ya Huang

Break Bread, Break Borders is catering with a cause: empowering refugee women to earn a living through their existing cooking skills, while they also share their incredible stories with the community. Huang is an Affiliate of the Hunt Institute and one of our first Social Entrepreneurs​. The Dallas Observer featured her story in their December 19, 2019 edition. In addition, Huang was a member of the 2020 Class of Presidential Leadership Scholars. Most recently, Huang was featured as a TIME Magazine Community Bridge Builder.

Restorative Farms

Founder: Dr. Owen Lynch

Restorative Farms wants to grow a better Dallas. Their mission is to foster a vibrant and viable community-based urban farm system — an agrisystem — in one of the country’s largest food deserts: South Dallas, Texas. Lynch has been featured in several blogs describing his various community engagements and awards. He is a Senior Fellow in the Hunt Institute and has worked in this area of research for many years. Most recently, Restorative Farms was featured in the Dallas Morning News article Urban farm sprouts on unused DART property beside South Dallas station.

Janta Energy

Founder: Mohammed Njie

Janta is determined to significantly improve access to energy in The Gambia, where most rural citizens and institutions like schools have no electric power. One of Janta’s key energy sources is agricultural waste because farming is a primary economic activity in The Gambia. Njie has been recognized as a Grand Challenges Scholar, winner of SMU’s Big Ideas, and is also part of the SMU Incubator. He is the first SMU student to be invited to the Hunt Institute’s Social Enterprise Program receiving the title of Social Entrepreneur.

Garden of the World

Founder: Kunthear Mam-Douglas

Garden of the World aims to bring the connection between nature and mental health to light through a mindful world garden that promotes sustainable food systems in Dallas. This work is suspended until further notice due to the global pandemic. We remain hopeful it will resume soon.

Each of the Social Entrepreneurs has made a mark in their communities and a dent in the work that needs to be done in our sustainable food systems. As we embark on a new year, we celebrate the completion of this cohort and prepare for the next.

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.

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Dr. Candice L. Bledsoe, Hunt Institute Fellow

Bledsoe is a Faculty member at Simons School of Education & Human Development’s Graduate Liberal Studies Program, a professor at Cox School of Business, serves on the Leadership Council in the Inclusive Economy Consortium, and Fellow in the Hunt Institute. Bledsoe is, the executive director of the Action Research Center, an organization designed to enhance equity in our communities. Dr. Bledsoe is also the founder of the Collective

Candice L. Bledsoe, PhD. is a Faculty member at Simmons School of Education & Human Development’s Graduate Liberal Studies Program, a professor at Cox School of Business, serves on the Leadership Council in the Inclusive Economy Consortium, and Fellow in the Hunt Institute. Bledsoe is, the executive director of the Action Research Center, an organization designed to enhance equity in our communities. Dr. Bledsoe is also the founder of the Collective, a group comprised of community leaders, writers, scholars, and entrepreneurs who share the stories of minoritized women in America. She is the co-convener of the SMU Women of Color Research Cluster sponsored by the DCII. The cluster aims to create space for women of color to share their stories, especially as it relates to the intersections of race, gender, and class.

Dr. Bledsoe has received numerous fellowships including: The National Endowment of Humanities, the New Leadership Academy, National Center of Institutional Diversity, University of Michigan, and Boone Family Foundation. She is a proud member of the 2017 cohort of Dallas Public Voices. She is the recipient of the 2020 UN Day Global Leadership Award, in the category of Sustainable Development Goal 4, Quality Education. This prestigious award reflects the bold, transformative work Bledsoe has done to advance the United Nations goals for sustainable development, shifting the world onto a more resilient path through quality education.

When asked about her motivation working with the Hunt Institute as a Fellow and collaborator across multiple initiatives she replied, “The Institute’s mission is to serve as a national and international hub to partner with leaders in business, academia, NGOs and government to develop and scale sustainable and affordable technologies and solutions to local and global challenges. At the SMU Hunt Institute, I enjoy using creativity and innovation to develop new solutions to create change.”

Dr. Bledsoe holds a bachelor’s degree from Baylor University. She received her masters from Southern Methodist University and her doctorate in higher education from University of Southern California.

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedIn,Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu

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Jeff Snell, Ph.D., Hunt Institute Fellow

 

Hunt Institute Fellow wearing a jacket handmade by textile artist in Uzbekistan, Dr. SnelI, International Folk Art Alliance
Dr. Snell’s jacket was a gift from a textile artist in Uzbekistan

Jeff Snell, Ph.D is a Hunt Institute Fellow. He brings his expertise to the Institute work in the area of Social Entrepreneurship and Enterprise. He serves as Special Advisor to the Dean & Vice Provost for Lifelong Learning at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His focus areas include teaching social entrepreneurship, applying a social innovation lens to reaching nontraditional learners, and mentoring social entrepreneurs in the UW-Madison Discovery to Product program. His mentored start-ups have garnered best new business awards by local chambers of commerce, receipt of the Morgridge Force for Positive Change award in Wisconsin, and individual national recognitions, including honors from the Manhattan Institute, selection as a Fellow for Ashoka, and receipt of a MacArthur “Genius” Award. Several models are highlighted in his TEDx talks.

Dr. Snell defines social innovation as “a field dedicated to solving social problems—a welcome departure from managing them.” Aligning social innovation models with the values of the surrounding community is a key characteristic of successful SI.

Jeff says, “I believe that social innovation work is, ultimately, about increasing human capability and honoring human dignity. There’s joy to be discovered for everyone engaged in the doing.”

Prior to UW-Madison, Jeff served as Chief Executive Officer at the International Folk Art Market Santa Fe, the largest artisan-social-enterprise accelerator globally and voted “best arts festival” by USA Today readers. Before then he served as Special Advisor to the President, Marquette University, where he the led the school’s Changemaker Campus initiative, resulting in the campus social innovation resource hub; and as Chief Operating Officer at the Argosy Foundation, a private family foundation.

As founder of Midwest Social Innovation, LLC, he has designed regional executive education in social enterprise models, served as Entrepreneurial Mentor for the National Science Foundation’s I-Corps program, and launched a partnership with the New York Times to embed Social Innovation as an interdisciplinary learning tool across the curriculum (selected by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as one of 10 winners in a field of 1,000 proposals from 15 countries).

He completed a Ph.D. at Marquette University where he later received a Distinguished Alumni Award; elected in 2011 to Alpha Sigma Nu, the international honor society for Jesuit colleges and universities; appointed in 2018 as a Fellow at the Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity at Southern Methodist University; and appointed in 2019 as Senior Fellow in Social Innovation at ASU’s Lodestar Center. His family lives in Madison, Wisconsin.

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.