Spring 2018 PROJECTS
Below is a list of our 2018 student-led consulting projects. Each team consists of three to five CU graduate students who provide pro-bono consulting for an impact investing firm or social enterprise. This is a unique CI3 program that allows students to directly engage with and acquire experience in the field of social impact.
The project scope and final deliverable are agreed upon prior with CI3 in a detailed TOR, and the team reports to both the client and CI3 board members throughout the semester.
Below is a list of our 2018 student-led consulting projects. Each team consists of three to five CU graduate students who provide pro-bono consulting for an impact investing firm or social enterprise. This is a unique CI3 program that allows students to directly engage with and acquire experience in the field of social impact.
The project scope and final deliverable are agreed upon prior with CI3 in a detailed TOR, and the team reports to both the client and CI3 board members throughout the semester.
acumen
https://acumen.org/
The Organization:
Acumen is an impact investment fund with a vision to help build a world beyond poverty through investing in companies that deliver critical goods and services in health, energy, agriculture, and education. Acumen has invested more than $100 million of patient capital in approximately 100 mission-driven businesses in South Asia, East Africa, West Africa and Latin America that have collectively served more than 200 million customers.
The Organization:
Acumen is an impact investment fund with a vision to help build a world beyond poverty through investing in companies that deliver critical goods and services in health, energy, agriculture, and education. Acumen has invested more than $100 million of patient capital in approximately 100 mission-driven businesses in South Asia, East Africa, West Africa and Latin America that have collectively served more than 200 million customers.
growsquares
https://www.growsquares.com/
The Organization:
GrowSquares produces a personalized, modular outdoor garden for urban consumers and for urban schools. Its product is meant to simplify the gardening process by reducing the research, material acquisition and maintenance times of our users in order for them to focus on becoming more competent gardeners. The system is built on a mobile app that pings and captures remote microclimate data and then helps the client set up his / her own square-foot garden.
The Organization:
GrowSquares produces a personalized, modular outdoor garden for urban consumers and for urban schools. Its product is meant to simplify the gardening process by reducing the research, material acquisition and maintenance times of our users in order for them to focus on becoming more competent gardeners. The system is built on a mobile app that pings and captures remote microclimate data and then helps the client set up his / her own square-foot garden.
iota
https://iota.org/
The Organization:
IOTA’s vision is to create, enable and foster permissionless innovation. The IOTA Foundation, in its role to serve the public’s interest, will be solely dedicated towards the development, research, education and collaboration necessary to elevate the ecosystem to the next level. It will act as a regulated and independent entity, taking a neutral position when it comes to politics, ideology and alternative technologies, especially the ones related to Free and Open Source Software.
The Organization:
IOTA’s vision is to create, enable and foster permissionless innovation. The IOTA Foundation, in its role to serve the public’s interest, will be solely dedicated towards the development, research, education and collaboration necessary to elevate the ecosystem to the next level. It will act as a regulated and independent entity, taking a neutral position when it comes to politics, ideology and alternative technologies, especially the ones related to Free and Open Source Software.
motion eco
http://www.motioneco.com/
The Organization:
MotionECO is creating the market for renewable diesel made from used cooking oil that can be used in transportation, public services and logistics - anywhere that conventional diesel is used. It aims to break the cycle of cooking oil reuse in kitchens to provide clean, sustainable, low-carbon fuels to power diesel engines.
Our Approach: Sustainable biofuel marketing, distribution and logistics; Biofuel sustainability and carbon auditing and certification; Pilot project design, implementation and evaluation; Biofuel brokerage.
The Organization:
MotionECO is creating the market for renewable diesel made from used cooking oil that can be used in transportation, public services and logistics - anywhere that conventional diesel is used. It aims to break the cycle of cooking oil reuse in kitchens to provide clean, sustainable, low-carbon fuels to power diesel engines.
Our Approach: Sustainable biofuel marketing, distribution and logistics; Biofuel sustainability and carbon auditing and certification; Pilot project design, implementation and evaluation; Biofuel brokerage.
POLITize!
http://www.politize.com.br/
The Organization:
Politize!'s mission is to strengthen the democratic political culture in Brazil, providing civic education to everyone, everywhere and filling an important gap in our democracy. Its platform provides over 1.000 contents in different formats (texts, videos, podcasts, infographics), co-created with a network or more than 150 partners, reaching over 10 million people in less than 3 years, making us the largest digital channel for political education in Brazil.
The Organization:
Politize!'s mission is to strengthen the democratic political culture in Brazil, providing civic education to everyone, everywhere and filling an important gap in our democracy. Its platform provides over 1.000 contents in different formats (texts, videos, podcasts, infographics), co-created with a network or more than 150 partners, reaching over 10 million people in less than 3 years, making us the largest digital channel for political education in Brazil.
purpose built communities
https://purposebuiltcommunities.org/
The Organization:
Purpose Built Communities (PBC) offers a proven model for transforming distressed neighborhoods into healthy communities where people of all incomes can thrive. PBC works with local organizations to catalyze and implement its model, with 18 projects underway across the country and another 45 in development. By scaling this effort through partners in philanthropy and finance, all 825 distressed urban neighborhoods can be transformed and intergenerational urban poverty can be eradicated once and for all.
The Organization:
Purpose Built Communities (PBC) offers a proven model for transforming distressed neighborhoods into healthy communities where people of all incomes can thrive. PBC works with local organizations to catalyze and implement its model, with 18 projects underway across the country and another 45 in development. By scaling this effort through partners in philanthropy and finance, all 825 distressed urban neighborhoods can be transformed and intergenerational urban poverty can be eradicated once and for all.
transform finance
http://transformfinance.org/
The Organization:
Transform Finance envisions a world where capital is a tool for the advancement of real, transformative social change. Through thought leadership, trainings, convenings, and the Transform Finance Investor Network (with a commitment of over $2 billion in aligned capital), the organization supports all stakeholders, from community leaders and activists to investors and entrepreneurs, who are exploring that vision.
The Organization:
Transform Finance envisions a world where capital is a tool for the advancement of real, transformative social change. Through thought leadership, trainings, convenings, and the Transform Finance Investor Network (with a commitment of over $2 billion in aligned capital), the organization supports all stakeholders, from community leaders and activists to investors and entrepreneurs, who are exploring that vision.
xemana
http://www.xemana.net/
The Organization:
Xemana created a new way to educate and motivate blue-collar workers beginning with Spanish-speakers. The app delivers short, story-based and culturally relevant videos to the worker’s phone. For management, the app delivers real-time access to a dashboard to measure individual progress and retention. It is completing its beta and is preparing to license its app. Xemana plans to expand to industries also reliant on Spanish-speaking workers and also facing rising employment costs.
The Organization:
Xemana created a new way to educate and motivate blue-collar workers beginning with Spanish-speakers. The app delivers short, story-based and culturally relevant videos to the worker’s phone. For management, the app delivers real-time access to a dashboard to measure individual progress and retention. It is completing its beta and is preparing to license its app. Xemana plans to expand to industries also reliant on Spanish-speaking workers and also facing rising employment costs.
