Get Involved in Social Innovation!

Many of the innovative products created by social entrepreneurs seem like obvious solutions, but anyone who has been involved in the development process is well-versed with the countless obstacles encountered between an initial idea and its implementation. A venture requires a combination of creativity, technical know-how, fundraising ability, and sheer persistence to even have a chance of being successful and sustainable. Unfortunately, there are too few opportunities for the next generation of social innovators to hone their skills in a (relatively) risk-free environment. Over the past decade, Dell has been working to provide a forum to aspiring student entrepreneurs through the Dell Social Innovation Challenge (DSIC).

The challenge allows teams of college students to submit project ideas in any of the four stages of planning: Define, Design, Pilot, or Scale. Separating an innovation’s progression into these categories illustrates the value of the contributors at each level to the overall process. Someone with significant knowledge of social issues and creative ideas to fix them may not have the technical skills to translate their idea into a feasible product. Likewise, those with the skills to create a product may not be the ones that have the initial spark of inspiration. And even with a great idea and the ability to turn the idea into a product, an innovation could easily fail without a feasible business model based on current market trends. Dell’s challenge emphasizes each of these aspects, encouraging individuals with a diverse range of skillsets to collaborate with the shared goal of curing a social ill.  As an added bonus, teams chosen as winners receive benefits ranging from access to funding and mentorship opportunities to cash prizes, not to mention the exposure given to their projects through the challenge.

Past participants of the Dell Social Innovation Challenge have created products that reduce food waste, lower pollution levels, improve health care, and promote the use of renewable energy. The current challenge focuses on the U.S. education system, which is currently in great need of reform, as well as women's empowerment. It is clear that this challenge is valuable to both the participating students and the communities which benefit from the successful projects. How can more programs like this be developed to reach an even greater range of students, and how can we encourage more people to get involved?

To learn more about the Dell Social Innovation Challenge or to get involved, visit: http://www.dellchallenge.org/ or connect with DSIC on Facebook or Twitter.