Report
Olushola Oladejo,
Terry Blum, ILSI Co-Founder and Faculty Director
Terry Blum Faculty Director
Tedd Munchak Chair in Entrepreneurship
Dori Pap Managing Director
Message from Our Directors
As we look back on the remarkable journey of 2024, we are excited to share this report, which highlights the profound impact and transformative leadership cultivated through ILSI’s seven unique program offerings.
Through our steadfast dedication to experiential learning opportunities, enduring community partnerships, and thoughtfully designed initiatives, we’ve witnessed extraordinary stories of growth and change. Over the past year, we convened six engaging Impact conversations, bringing the campus community together to address critical and meaningful topics. In addition, our commitment to progress and service has been exemplified by the funding of 54 Social Impact Fellowships to date, empowering a vibrant community of changemakers ready to shape a better future.
Beyond the quantifiable accomplishments lie the intangible yet invaluable outcomes—a reflection of our shared success. The heart of our work shines through the development of student leaders and the far-reaching influence of their contributions to social impact, both locally and globally.
As you explore this report, we hope you draw inspiration and insight from our shared journey. Your continued support and engagement have been vital to achieving these milestones, and we are grateful for your partnership.
Looking ahead, we remain resolute in our mission to empower students and the Georgia Tech community to create lasting change and improve the human condition for all.
About Our Center
Mission
We are an interdisciplinary institute that promotes servant leadership and organizational practices that contribute to a more just, caring, and sustainable world.
Themes
• Social Innovation
• Leadership Development
• Experiential Learning
Social Impact Fellows
Overview 2024
I was able to help grow the social media pages for both Umi Feeds and the Whitehall Terrace community garden. Maximizing social media engagement is a goal we had that was further aimed to increase volunteer support, donations, and raise awareness about the organization’s mission. I worked to help increase engagement by creating visually appealing posts for Instagram and Facebook. It was very rewarding to hear that my work on growing the social media led to a full volunteer day at the community garden.”
As a student majoring in Industrial Engineering and Data Analytics, I wanted an experience that would allow me to apply analytical skills and process optimization principles to social ventures. My involvement with the organization has been multifaceted, focusing specifically on the strategic planning of the 2024 Youth Mean Business Accelerator. My tasks ranged from planning the day-to-day program schedule, designing data-driven pitch decks to secure corporate sponsorships, to innovating our digital presence through targeted social media and LinkedIn content strategies. This fellowship has not only broadened my professional horizons but has also deepened my commitment to leveraging technology and data for social good.”
Varuni Chopra Beautiful Curly Me
Samantha Weinick Umi Feeds
Embarking on an internship with In Good Company (IGC) plunged me into the vibrant heart of startup culture, where technology meets social impact to champion the empowerment of disabled individuals in the workforce. My responsibilities spanned website administration, data analysis, automations, email notifications, and marketing. As a computational media major, this role offered me a panoramic view of how technology can drive social change, especially in creating equitable job opportunities. As I transition to new ventures, armed with valuable insights and experiences from IGC, I am more committed than ever to leveraging technology for social impact.”
Aabid Quraishi In Good Company
Connecting with students eager to contribute to socially impactful work has been an invaluable experience. The learning has been mutual—our Social Impact Fellows gain meaningful experiences while making a real difference, and I, as a teacher-turned-founder, deeply appreciate their invaluable contributions to our mission.”
Sarah Gabriel Founder, In Good Company
Impact Series
The year began with impactful Impact series discussions, including a conversation with Ambassador Andrew Young and Coach Bill Curry moderated by Chuck Easley on the leadership skills needed to navigate a complex world and an inspiring dialogue with Evan Thomas, acclaimed historian and author of A Road to Surrender. Hosted in partnership with the Denning Technology and Management Program (T&M) at Georgia Tech, Thomas’s conversation, moderated by T&M’s John Stanford, offered insights into pivotal historical moments and their relevance to contemporary leadership challenges.
Evan Thomas’s reflections on leadership during times of crisis provided attendees with valuable lessons on resilience, strategy, and the complexities of decision-making, sparking thoughtful discussion and engagement.
Through collaborations like these, ILSI continues to bridge academic and professional communities, offering unique spaces for networking, learning, and personal growth. Events such as this reflect our commitment to fostering meaningful connections and inspiring the next generation of leaders.
After 18 years of the Impact series featuring thought-provoking topics, 2024 marked an exciting expansion with the launch of Impact x The Intersection, a podcast designed to broaden our reach and bring meaningful conversations to a wider audience in an accessible format.
Our first episode featured two distinguished alumni: Josh Roberts (IE 2002), COO of Piedmont Atlanta Hospital, and Bill Todd (IM 1971), Professor of the Practice at Georgia Tech. Together, they explored their experiences in healthcare management, addressing challenges in the “broken” healthcare system and the intersection of healthcare and management, while highlighting innovative strategies for progress.
With Impact x The Intersection, we are creating a platform for transformative conversations that inspire and inform our community.
Ideas to Serve
2024 Ideas to Serve Poster Showcase: Student Projects Explore Mental Health, Environmental Justice, and Affordable Housing
Nineteen Georgia Tech students participated in the 2024 Ideas to Serve Poster Showcase, the culmination of the MGT 4189 Social Impact course. The course gives students the opportunity to explore complex local issues, including food equity, safety and justice, youth development, mental health, environmental justice, and affordable housing.
This year, the top two research projects were presented by Kenneth Liu, a biochemistry major, and Lydia Troupe, a psychology major. Liu tackled the topic of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB), one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality, particularly in individuals living below the poverty line. By highlighting this issue, Liu hopes to “raise awareness, and to promote local activism and political movement.” Troupe focused on the effects social media has on mental health in adolescents. She discovered heightened levels of depression and anxiety for those engaged in excessive use of social media and offered ways young people can cope to avoid greater risks of suicide.
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This class put me face-to-face with many deeply inspiring speakers who taught me how to effectively work to solve complex social issues. As a non-major student, I think this type of course is invaluable for me to gain the skills, approaches, and language used by my future peers. These tools have given me a more systemic view of healthcare and a more nuanced perspective on working towards healthcare reform.”
Kenneth Liu BA ’24
Alumni Spotlight
Olushola Oladejo, a Georgia Tech Scheller MBA alumna, is the founder of Foodpreneurs Hub. She uses her background as a food scientist to coach students on the food processing business so they can grow their enterprises and enhance food security in Africa. Olushola relaunched Foodpreneurs Hub in CREATE-X Startup Launch, a 12-week summer program providing Georgia Tech students with funding, mentorship, and pro bono legal services.
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More than 40% of food waste in Africa occurs post-harvest due to minimal food processing and storage skills, which threatens food security,” she said. “I noticed a problem and wanted to help solve it and empower students to create their path. I knew there were a lot of ideas about food processing that I could share with them to help them keep busy while looking for a job.”
Olushola Oladejo MBA ’24
Study Abroad
The Leadership for Social Good Study Abroad program offers students a unique opportunity to engage in hands-on experiential learning while addressing global challenges. In 2024, Georgia Tech students Samantha Bolton (BSBA ‘26) and Mallory Shurtz (BSBA ‘27) spent six weeks in Hungary, working closely with Tűzcsiholó Egyesület, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting families affected by generational disadvantage.
This immersive experience enabled students to step beyond the classroom and apply their business skills to real-world social problems. Tasked with creating a fundraising narrative and a media strategy, Bolton and Shurtz captured the organization’s mission and programs, including mentorship, family camps, and school supply initiatives. Despite language barriers, they successfully produced a documentary to amplify the nonprofit’s outreach and fundraising efforts, gaining invaluable skills in communication, problem-solving, and adaptability.
The program’s structure emphasized learning through cultural immersion and collaboration with diverse organizations, including Habitat for Humanity Hungary and Autistic Art. While based in Budapest, students attended courses and explored regional cities such as Prague and Vienna, deepening their cultural agility and global perspective.
This transformative learning experience highlighted the importance of engaging directly with communities to understand their needs and co-create meaningful solutions. In their end-of-program reflections Sam and Mallory emphasized how the program shaped their approach to leadership and reinforced the value of empathy and collaboration in addressing social challenges.
Partnerships Spotlight
Program Offerings Impact Series
The Impact Speaker Series fosters insightful discussions featuring esteemed leaders from corporate and social realms. This initiative serves as a valuable resource, empowering students, faculty, staff, and the wider Atlanta community to engage in meaningful conversation on topics that matter.
Study Abroad
The Leadership for Social Good Study Abroad Program in Central and Eastern Europe offers interested students the opportunity to gain insight into global civil society, learn about the challenges of creating and leading effective and sustainable social enterprises, and make a positive impact by working closely with a nonprofit organization in Budapest, Hungary.
Ideas to Serve
Through workshops and conversations with community leaders and changemakers, students explore complex social and environmental issues and develop an understanding of their role in improving the human condition for all.
Social Impact Fellows
The Social Impact fellowship provides students with a stipend and a high-impact learning experience by connecting them with Atlanta’s leading nonprofits and social enterprises. Through semester-long internships, students gain first-hand knowledge about the social sector, work closely with civic innovators, and develop leadership skills.
Leadership Studies Minor
The minor in Leadership Studies is designed to provide students with in-depth knowledge of leadership theory, skills, and practical experience through a rigorous, multi-disciplinary program of study.
Pro-Bono Consulting
Pro-Bono Consulting is a premier partnership between Scheller MBA students and Atlanta-based nonprofit organizations. MBA teams work closely with partner organizations’ leadership every semester to address critical strategic challenges.
Excel Alumni
The Excel Alumni Program values the relationships adults with intellectual disabilities gain in an inclusive environment and promotes continued inclusion through inviting alumni mentors and community partners to participate in events and contribute to the program.
Emerging Leaders Program
The Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) started in 2016 and is a collaboration between the Office of the Provost, the Office of the Executive Vice President for Research, the Institute for Leadership and Social Impact, and the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty. Over the course of six months, participants take part in several activities — workshops, small-group work, and coaching — to contribute to leadership development. Eligibility for the program consists of faculty with the following ranks: associate or full professor, senior or principal lecturer, senior or principal academic professional, and librarian or archivist III or IV.
Research Award
In an effort to strengthen the impact of the Institute for Leadership and Social Impact (ILSI), several competitive research grants are being offered. These awards aim to enhance the professional journey of faculty members or PhD students by supporting significant opportunities in the leadership and/or social impact space that are consistent with the mission of ILSI. Activities supported by this research award may include, but are not limited to: research expenses, bringing researchers, graduate students, or postdoctoral students to campus to collaborate, or research-related travel.
Meet Our Team
Pearl Alexander Part-time Professor of the Practice
Nicole Little Assistant Director
Terry Blum Faculty Director Tedd Munchak Chair in Entrepreneurship
Dori Pap Managing Director
Joel Cowan Adjunct Lecturer
Amber Slyter Meeting and Event Manager
Easley Jr. Professor of the Practice
Bob Thomas Professor of the Practice, Servant Leadership
Chuck
