Join Rhode Island Inno for a "shark-tank" style pitch competition featuring startups from the Nonprofit Innovation Lab, brought to you by Social Enterprise Greenhouse and United Way of Rhode Island.
We're excited to introduce you to the 2020 fellows from the SE Greenhouse Nonprofit Innovation Lab. The goal of the Nonprofit Innovation Lab is to spark development and implementation of innovative, self-sustaining new solutions that will enable organizations to expand and accelerate their ability to create positive social impact. The program offered ten Rhode Island nonprofits the opportunity to transform innovative ideas into reality, enabling them to create even more social impact as they bring innovation and entrepreneurial thinking to their organizations through social enterprise curriculum, seed funding, coaching from industry experts, and peer support.
Nine of these fellows have been fine-tuning their innovation ideas for the past several month and are now preparing for the culminating pitch event on November 12, where a total of $100,000 in prizes will be awarded to support the three most compelling innovation projects.
As the event draws closer, we need your votes to help to whittle down the participating startups to just five, who will be moving on to the final pitch event in November. Read about the non-profits and watch their pitches, then vote for one you want see advance to the finals. We will announce the five finalists later this month, and at the virtual event, they will pitch "shark tank" style and we'll announce three winners who will receive a total of $100,000 in seed money live.
Learn more, watch each pitch and vote
College Crusade of Rhode Island
The College Crusade of Rhode Island’s mission is to prepare and inspire young people in Rhode Island to become the first in their families to attend and complete college. By removing and reducing barriers to success, the College Crusade promotes equity and opportunity for more than 4,000 Rhode Island students. The COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly cruel to low-income Rhode Islanders and Crusaders are among the most vulnerable as they face educational disruptions, financial hardships, and health disparities exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Now Rhode Island is seeing an alarming trend of low-income and first-generation college students dropping out, failing to enroll, or taking reduced course loads. The College Crusade is initiating new programs and supports tailored to meet the needs of these students for whom a “gap” in their college studies could easily become a “trap” as they seek to achieve social and economic mobility.
Fuerza Laboral
Fuerza Laboral develops leaders to confront social injustice. As workers themselves are on the front lines of the injustices they face, they are the best equipped to solve their problems through powerful and creative actions that obtain concrete results. Through educational programs and hands-on activities in cooperative development, Fuerza Laboral will work to create a pathway for low-income workers to create their own successful and socially responsible businesses in industries that traditionally have been exploitative to minorities and other vulnerable groups.
Genesis Center
Genesis Center’s mission is to provide the highest quality education, job training, and support services to people of diverse cultures so that they may achieve economic independence and participate fully in society. Genesis Center plans to develop a food enterprise that will redesign the culinary arts training program model from a traditional classroom setting to paid “on the job” training. This shift will better meet the needs of unemployed and underemployed residents in the community while strengthening the local economy.
House of Hope CDC
House of Hope Community Development Corporation is a nonprofit organization founded in 1989 in Warwick, Rhode Island. Their mission is to prevent and end homelessness in the state and end the personal and social trauma of homelessness. They create affordable housing delivered with life changing services and work with other advocates for policies to ensure that everyone can have a safe, stable home. House of Hope CDC is working to create a tiny house village as an innovative way to combat the affordable housing crisis here in Rhode Island, address social determinants of health, and that is ultimately a place of healing as a fresh start for those who are homeless.
Impact Rhode Island
Impact Rhode Island provides access to education, coaching, mental health and training courses to underprivileged Rhode Island residents. Impact Rhode Island’s goal is to influence and provide guidance to program participants on the importance of education, entrepreneurship, and homeownership. Their programs will create self-sufficiency and increased economic impact on Rhode Island’s neighborhoods. The organization is a licensed RI Real Estate School and will be offering several other educational programs. Impact Rhode Island’s plan will allow the organization to use earned revenues to provide funding for our beneficent programs and allow us to offer scholarships to participants.
Man Up, Inc.
Man Up, Inc. provides a broad range of economic development opportunities, resources and support services to adult men of color, who have not been afforded the opportunity to aspire to more progressive goals; while simultaneously addressing the social, financial and legal issues that create barriers to high-wage/career track employment. Man Up, Inc.’s plan is to start an indoor Hydroponic Vegetable business that–will not only provide financial sustainability to the organization but–will also provide additional training and high-wage employment opportunities for the population they serve.
Oliver Hazard Perry Rhode Island
Oliver Hazard Perry Rhode Island (OHPRI) provides innovative and empowering education programs at sea and ashore to promote personal and professional development, civic engagement and ocean literacy, while working to build a more resilient Rhode Island for today and tomorrow. The organization provides these experiences aboard Rhode Island’s Flagship, the 200’ full rigged ship, the SSV OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. The Perry Corp provides training, experience, and credentials to participants while showcasing the vast opportunities available to them through a more meaningful connection to the ocean and marine environment. Program graduates are prepared to take advantage of job opportunities that promote economic prosperity, community participation and environmental stewardship, while helping to create a more equitable, just, and dynamic community in Rhode Island and Beyond.
Progreso Latino
Progreso Latino’s mission is to deliver transformation programs that assist individuals in achieving their professional and civic goals. Progreso Latino offers comprehensive adult education and workforce development programs that use innovative approaches. It is a unique agency with wrap-around services like immigration resources, a food pantry, and more. One of those transformative efforts is the Job Club. It is a project that mainly benefits individuals with language and other barriers who are seeking employment. Our vision is to secure more resources to support even more community members in finding work so they can support their families. And, we want to do this for many more years to come!
Smith Hill Community Development Corporation
Smith Hill Community Development Corporation (SHCDC) has been expanding affordable housing and program offerings in the Smith Hill neighborhood of Providence since 1992. SHCDC’s innovative idea is to develop a “Pathway to Adulthood” for young adults at risk of homelessness due to the adverse experiences that they have faced throughout childhood. This innovation will demonstrate the importance of combining affordable housing with social services to ensure a successful transition to adulthood. As there is nothing likes this currently in the state of Rhode Island, we have decided to tackle this issue through strategic phases that will gradually expand upon the number of affordable housing units and programming opportunities offered in Providence for young adults.
Vote for the non-profit you think should win. Voting runs October 19-23.
VOTE HERE
