NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Monday, November 11, 2013

Social entrepreneurs, Harvard affiliates, and students from across the United States convened in Northwest Labs on Saturday for the Igniting Innovation Summit, a conference meant to spark student interest in social entrepreneurship through a series of events.

Hosted by the student group Harvard College Social Innovation Collaborative, the conference sold out for the first time since its inception four years ago.

Nishin Nathwani ’15, director of the summit, said he thought the large crowd reflects a growing interest in social enterprise on campus, as well as the rise in prominence of social ventures nationwide.

“Social innovation at its core is finding new ways to address old social and environmental issues,” Nathwani said. “It’s about the theory of change that underlies your enterprise.”