The Zahn Innovation Platform Launchpad (ZIP Launchpad) is an incubator andentrepreneurial community that supports San Diego State University innovatorsand aspiring entrepreneurs to launch viable startups.Social enterprises are businesses whose primary purpose is the common good. Theyuse the methods and disciplines of business and the power of the marketplace toadvance their social, environmental, and human justice agendas. Further, socialenterprises are financially sustainable meaning revenue generated covers the cost ofbusiness.As Social Innovation Intern I provided strategic input and came up with creative solutions to meet our social enterprise goals as well help with other ZIP Launchpad initiatives. I advanced the incubation of student-led startups, provided strategic small business input, and offered creative solutions for incubating entrepreneursI developed an executable marketing campaign for social entrepreneurial segment of the ZIP Launchpad, with a goal of attaining 50/50 ratio of social/commercial enterprises, in Spring 2017 Experience Track (50/50 goal was attained)I supported the Assistant Director in building relationships with social impact domain experts, and on-campus partners, to facilitate teams and departments concluding with our Zahn Innovation Challenge.

At my time with 1to1 I worked with staff members to create a more sustainable lifestyle in surrounding San Diego communities, businesses, and schools. This work covered several facets of sustainability including water, food, energy, transportation, and waste. Working closely with the Educational Director on donor retention and grant writing, we generated a 47% increase in operating budget in 2015. I provided team support in community and educational programming connecting to almost 9000 students and 100+ classrooms. As the event lead for America’s Finest Film Festival 2015, we created the most successful and profitable event in 1to1’s history at the time, showcasing 20 San Diegan-made short films and drawing 1200+ attendees. As my first professional experience, these five months were hugely influential in my professional and life development.