Social Innovation at the Wond’ry.
The Social Innovation Practice at the Wond’ry empowers students and community partners to understand complex societal problems and then, translate good intentions into meaningful change.
Through experiential learning opportunities, the Wond’ry Social Innovation Practice engages students and partners in Vanderbilt’s culture of service and exploration. Here, students use human-centered design and systems thinking to support positive social, economic, and environmental change in Nashville and beyond.
Programs
Social Venture Think Tank
The Social Venture Think Tank (SVTT) is a competitive consulting-style program wherein students work with a Nashville-based non-profit to design new technological capabilities that support meaningful change in the Nashville community.
Map the System Competition
Map the System is a global competition that teaches students to use systems thinking to understand social and environmental challenges and then, identify interventions to help address them. Vanderbilt University partners with the Global Map the System Competition at University of Oxford to bring this program to campus. The winner of Vanderbilt’s on-campus competition advances to the global finals.
Coffee Equity Lab
The Coffee Equity Lab is an emerging experiential learning and research lab at the Wond’ry. Through a variety of programs and events, the Lab engages students in examining the pressing issues shaping our world through the lens of the coffee industry. The lab is also exploring collaborations with industry partners, which will advance progress towards equity, justice, and sustainability in the sector.
HULT@Vanderbilt Competition
The Wond’ry supports the Turner Family Center for Social Venture’s annual coordination of the HULT@Vanderbilt Competition. The HULT Prize is a global case competition hosted by the Hult Foundation. The competition challenges students to develop innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. The Hult Prize Competition at Vanderbilt is a preliminary competition, with the Vanderbilt winner advancing to the regional competition.
Partners
We build partnerships with non-profits, businesses, public offices, student organizations, faculty and staff, and community members who are committed to affecting positive social, economic, and environmental change. We extend thanks to all of our on- and off-campus partners!
Social Venture Think Tank
On-campus Partners
