The Social Innovation Initiative convenes students, practitioners, and scholars working on social innovation to address the world’s most pressing problems. Programming includes special events and lecture series.

In Fall 2024, the Social Innovation Initiative hosted a three-part lecture series, “Innovating Locally for Global Challenges,” featuring entrepreneurial leaders from the New Haven community who demonstrate how local innovation can impactfully tackle complex social issues on a broader scale. Speakers included Tagan Engel, a New Haven-based food justice advocate and community organizer; Erik Clemons, co-founder of Connecticut Community Outreach and Revitalization Program (ConnCORP); and Caterina Passoni, co-founder of Havenly, a New Haven-based social enterprise that builds upon the community power of refugee and migrant women. Read more