Impactathon is 10 years old. And, a riskiest assumption has been realized. Two things can be true.
Is it working to expand social entrepreneurship?
Innov8social was founded to grow social entrepreneurship (SE)— to make it more actionable, transformative, accessible. The riskiest assumption? That connecting people with interactive social innovation experiences and content will bend the arc of entrepreneurship toward impact.
In some ways, yes. For Impactathon, through impact stories.
[Impactathons Soka University B2B] Team Nutri-Win formed to address food malnutrition in Ghana and beyond through a proprietary superfood made from indigenous, drought-resistant crops. This team won 2nd place and seed funding in the Changemaker category of Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge, have continued building their SE post-college, feeding hundreds of families, opening a factory, and receiving certification from Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi. Team KrishiMitra, a marketplace platform for smallholder farmers in Nepal, is in beta form. Team Enjovu, proposing recycle elephant dung into eco-friendly paper, proceeded second overall at UC Irvine’s New Venture Competition, also winning the “Audience Favorite” vote for additional funding– marking the second year Soka Impactathon participants placed first or second in the UCI venture competition
[Impactathons UCLA Anderson School of Management] Team GirlSchool, A music and social impact organization connecting female artists to audiences and social causes, filled Walt Disney Concert Hall. Team One Million Acres pitched a triple-impact model, protecting endangered rain forests and indigenous artisans, have scaled operations to over $1 million in revenue, and over 20K acres of rainforest protected. Team Infinite Flow Dance, advancing disability inclusion through dance, has reached 10K+ students through 400+ events, been featured by major news and publications, and over 100M+ views on social media.
[Impactathons North Central College] Five teams that pitched or formed at Impactathon took their work a step further, through participating and placing at Changemaker Challenge– one of the initiatives of NCC, Ashoka U–designated Changemaker Campus. Team Project Project AlgaPaper is creating eco-friendly paper from algae to advance sustainable innovation. Team Social Storm empowering youth through financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and ownership. Team Open Door Inclusion is creating an inclusive space at community events for children with disabilities.
[Impactathon Baton Rouge] One-time participant at Impactathon UCLA Anderson, Brian Walker — catalyzed bringing Impactathon to Baton Rouge, gathering high school youth of color with host and NFL player, Eric Reid. Brian has served as a Speaker and Judge at Impactathons and creating impact through his leadership.
[Impactathons TECLA and Innova360] Involved working with award-winning Chile-based social enterprises to connect with US and Silicon Valley based ecosystems. Participant Wheel the World has become a global name in accessibility in travel, serving 8K+ travel services across 140+ destinations, raising an $11M Series A backed by the former CEOs of Expedia and Booking.com. Participant Antü Energía creates electric backup system based on lithium batteries for patients relying on medical equipment that requires continuous electrical supply, an urgent issue impacting 20K electrodependent people in Chile.
[Impactathon for Future Flourishing with Join the Journey] A massive pandemic undertaking, and first fully virtual event, involved 200+ participants from 15 countries, 45+ Impact Catalysts, 22 teams mapping the issue of poverty alleviation in locations globally, and building solutions. The gathering catalyzed cross connections and new collaborations still active today. Team OpenMeal, an online nonprofit marketplace to alleviate food insecurity while supporting racially-profiled local restaurants went on to win Pandemic Challenge at University of Waterloo and secured additional funding.
[Impactathon NYC] Explored changemaking at a personal level, exploring the concept of ikigai. Participants mapped areas they feel stuck and pitched their next personal and career intentions in supportive community in the heart of downtown NYC.
[Impactathon Tacoma with Maritime Blue and Startup253 ] was a locally diverse event— with participants ranging ages 13 to 70+, representing 3 local universities, the startup network, maritime community, tribe perspective, and across the nonprofit sector. Team JusticeAidAI pitched legal support through an AI driven public defense resource. Team Rooted Hearts proposed safety net solution to addressed unhoused people in Tacoma.
[Impactathons for Kids: Stormwater Runoff in Tacoma with Pierce Conservation District] Brought together pre K-5th grade kids and families to learn about stormwater runoff and pitch solutions. Partnering with Boys & Girls Club South Puget Sound and Maritime Blue allowed expanding reach. Kids, aka future social innovators, pitched rain gardens, invented ideas for devices, and clean up efforts to help!
Corbin j. Pickett, Eddie Mazariegos , Teniope Adewumi-Gunn, Ph.D. , Iris Guo 🌎, Larry Cohen, Shalini Sardana joined their first Impactathons as participants and returned later as Impact Catalysts, Judges, and Impact Talk Speakers at future Impactathons.
100+ mentors, judges, and speakers across the globe, and across industry show up with their expertise, wisdeom, and enthusiasm– paying it forward to aspiring changemakers.
Yes, through partners lead with vision, and team that makes it possible.
Mary Patrick Kavanaugh sets an imitable example of vision, ecosystem-building mindset, resilience. Always adopting a ‘yes, and’ mindset with students at the heart.
Bhavna Sivanand Dias and Gayle Northrop have continued their deep work for over a decade— finding new ways to engage UCLA business school students in social enterprise and consulting.
Karina Martija-Harris , Joshua M Berger , Ston Nguyen , Linh Nguyen, MEd define what it means to be impact ecosystem builders— in the PNW and beyond.
Julie Nagashima and David Green have transformed enthusiasm into action and longevity in cultivating a culture of social entrepreneurship on campus.
Adam Cole manifested a vision to bring together hundreds of people during a global pandemic around a common mission of alleviating poverty.
Rhonda Eldridge, CPA, CA has been creating experiences to uplift, catalyze financial inclusion, and inspire adults and youth in the US and Bahamas.
Nathaniel Wood and Sarah Pyle took a chance on this model for creating educational, experiences for kids, then leaned in to make them successful in the community.
Ioana Ghimuș, Leon Wang, Shalini Manchikanti, Klara Hermesz, Prashanth Aritharan, and Gigi have shared valuable insight, support, and passion. They are Impactathon family.
But, at a macro level, is the SE sector moving in the right direction?
Yes and no.
The sector has grown. 3–4 million SE’s globally in 2016 to 10 million by 2024, generating $2 trillion in revenue and employing 200 million people. 1 in 2 SE founders are women. [7]
So has inequity. Women (51% of Americans), Black founders (14%), Latino founders (20%), AAPI founders (6%), and disabled founders (nearly 1 in 4 adults) each receive a fraction of available venture capital. [13, 14] In 2024, all-male, non-minority teams captured 83.6% of the $289 billion deployed globally. [8, 9]
Some progress has stalled, or regressed. 0 of 17 SDG Goals are on track. 18% of targets have regressed below 2015 baselines. Zero hunger, peace, life below water are moving backward. [1, 2] 65.6 million people were forcibly displaced in 2016. In 2024, 123.2 million, nearly double. [5, 6]
Poverty is projected to increase. The rate of people escaping extreme poverty is now less than half what it was 2013–2019. After 2030, the number of people in extreme poverty is projected to increase — for the first time in modern history, progress is expected to reverse. [3, 4]
Where do we go from here?
This is not a story of sprints. It’s an ultra marathon relay. We will hit walls. We will fall, be tripped, face apocalyptic challenge, and exponential innovation.
It will make us pause. Rest and recover. Before jumping back in, when we catch that 2nd or 100th wind.
The tough numbers and realities are not walls that stop us— they teach us to jump higher, climb differently, smarter.
A new era of Impactathon
With earned experience, expertise, and wisdom— and a focus on automating, engaging more partners, including more participants in new ways— we’re building the next era of Impactathon. And, finding ways to gather Impactathoners who have made this decade possible.
Thank you for being part of the journey.
And, in case it sparks in you what it always sparks in me when writing it…in all good things, #goanddo
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conversation with impact-driven entrepreneur and teacher, 
