Social Enterprise Greenhouse (SEG), the 11-year-old nonprofit that exists to support social impact businesses, is adding another incubator to its programming. But unlike the others, which hone in on specific industries—food, impact and health and wellness, for example—this incubator is tailored to our specific moment in history.
The Covid-19 Response Incubator will be home to 10 to 15 startups that will leverage business skills to address the social and public health challenges presented by the novel coronavirus.
Over a period of seven weeks, Meg Wirth, SEG's health and wellness initiative director, and Constance Ferber, SEG's nonprofit innovation lab and social impact edge manager, will lead virtual workshops for the entrepreneurs.
"The curriculum is different from our other incubator curriculum—that’s really quite 'Business 101,'" SEG CEO Kelly Ramirez said in an interview with Rhode Island Inno. "This incubator is focused much more on innovation and thinking through response to social challenges."
Because the incubator is not industry-specific, Ramirez said, it will be a bit of an "experiment" to see what kind of startups it attracts. She expects that some founders in the health tech world will likely apply to the program, but overall, the incubator's programming is deliberately flexible. It will focus on identifying needs, developing solutions and launching and testing pilots so startups can get off the ground while the world's need is at its greatest.
"For this specific incubator, our hypothesis was, there are a lot of new social challenges and needs that are emerging; meanwhile, there are more people at home or who have been recently laid off, who might have the time and inclination to explore new opportunities," Ramirez said. "I think [we'll have] businesses that are responding to any needs that might emerge, from childcare to education to getting access to products you need."
The virtual nature of the Covid-19 Response Incubator also means that SEG will be able to recruit regionally, rather than focus specifically on Rhode Island. Ramirez said she and her team are planning to tap into the networks of other incubators, universities and other organizations.
Ultimately, it could be a way to make SEG become nationally relevant, she said.
Interested entrepreneurs can apply to the program here by May 27. The curriculum will start on June 15.
