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IFIA Magazine - Mar ch 2021 |

New connections to others who are solving
About this course important problems in your region and beyond
You may be a good candidate for this course if
People in every corner of the world are any of the following criteria apply to you:
solving social and environmental problems in You are considering applying to Salve’s Global
their communities. In the past decade, new Challenges or another social impact innovation
programs like MIT Solve have emerged to program and are seeking advice to create and
support those social entrepreneurs. However, complete the application
many startups find it difficult to develop You are solving an important social or
social entrepreneurship business plans that environmental problem and need help to
clearly communicate their work and impact describe your work.You are starting on an
to secure funding and other opportunities. idea or solution to a social or environmental
This five-week course helps early-stage social problem and need training or skills
impact startups define three key aspects of development to design and share your goals.
their business: What is Solve?

Impact Opportunity: What is the scale of Solve is an initiative of the Massachusetts
the problem you are working on? How many Institute of Technology (MIT) with a mission to
people are impacted and what are their solve world challenges. Solve is a marketplace
demographics? for social impact innovation. Through open
Theory of Change: How can you be sure that innovation Challenges, Solve finds incredible
your work addresses the problem you’re tech-based social entrepreneurs all around
solving? the world. Solve then brings together MIT’s
Planning for Scale: How can you reach more innovation ecosystem and a community
people to scale your positive impact? Where of Members to fund and support these
will you gain the funding to do so? entrepreneurs to help them drive lasting
Each week, we will share case studies from transformational impact. Join Solve on this
entrepreneurs and both nonprofit and for- journey at solve.mit.edu.
profit social enterprises around the world
to bring these concepts to life and help you What you’ll learn
design your own social business model and Skip What you’ll learn
impact plan. Upon completing this course, How to describe key aspects of a social impact
you will have: startup, such as impact opportunity, theory of
Written answers that correspond to five core change, and plans to scale
business models and impact questions. Those How to analyze existing social innovations
answers can be used to submit an application and peers and apply that analysis to your own
to MIT Solve’s open innovation platform work
A pitch video summarizing your work Gain confidence in your ability to identify and
(Optional) address social and environmental challengesv

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