Our Community

Social Innovators

The Social Innovation Forum's portfolio of nonprofit Social Innovators and social impact business Impact Entrepreneurs represents a range of social issues including food insecurity, healthy aging, environmental sustainability, youth development, and the arts. Explore our portfolio by year or social issue and read Innovator and Entrepreneur Spotlights to learn what it means to be a part of the Social Innovation Forum.

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  • MathPOWER

    • 2011 Social Innovator
    • Social Issue:
      Youth Development
      Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM)
      Education & College Access

    MathPOWER’s mission is to transform the lives of urban youth by developing proficiency in advanced mathematics and personal resiliency. MathPOWER envisions a world in which all students achieve competency in advanced mathematics, which serves as a gateway to lifelong learning and a productive career.

    MathPOWER photo

  • Medicine Wheel Productions

    • 2010 Social Innovator
    • Social Issue:
      Arts
      Civic Engagement
      Youth Development

    Medicine Wheel Productions engages young people and adults in constructive dialogue through public art to help them build awareness of self, community, and the human condition.

  • Innovator Spotlight

    Mill City Grows

    • 2014 Social Innovator
    • Social Issue:
      Environmental Sustainability
      Food Insecurity
      Gateway Cities
      Health & Nutrition

    Mill City Grows fosters food justice by improving physical health, economic independence and environmental sustainability in Lowell through increased access to land, locally-grown food and education.

    See the Spotlight
    Mill City Grows families

  • More Than Words

    • 2009 Social Innovator
    • Social Issue:
      Housing & Homelessness
      Social Enterprise
      Workforce Development
      Youth Development

    More Than Words is a nonprofit social enterprise that empowers youth who are in the foster care system, court involved, homeless, or out of school to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business. By working as a team to manage their own retail and online used book business, café, and community space, youth develop the employment skills, leadership, and self-confidence they need to successfully transition to adulthood.

    More Than Words Student and Jodi
  • Innovator Spotlight

    My Life My Choice

    • 2010 Social Innovator
    • Social Issue:
      Women & Girls
      Youth Development

    My Life My Choice is a nationally recognized initiative designed to stem the tide of commercial sexual exploitation of adolescents through survivor-led programs that educate and empower youth to create a positive life path while working to eliminate the violence and victimization of sexual exploitation.

    See the Spotlight
    Teenage girl

  • Mystic River Watershed Association

    • 2015 Social Innovator
    • Social Issue:
      Environmental Sustainability
      Civic Engagement

    Mystic River Watershed Association works to protect and restore the Mystic River, its lakes, tributaries, and watershed lands and to improve local environmental conditions for the more than one half million residents of the Mystic River Watershed.

    Mystic River Watershed Association

  • Partners for Youth with Disabilities (PYD)

    • 2018 Social Innovator
    • Social Issue:
      Disabilities
      Youth Development

    Partners for Youth with Disabilities (PYD) empowers youth with disabilities to reach their full potential by providing transformative mentoring programs, youth development opportunities, and inclusion expertise. PYD motivates youth to reach their personal, educational, and career goals, and guides organizations in becoming more inclusive.

    PYD logo
  • Innovator Spotlight

    Playworks

    • 2010 Social Innovator
    • Social Issue:
      Health & Nutrition
      Youth Development

    The Playworks mission is to improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play. Playworks’ vision is that one day every child in America will have access to safe, healthy play every day, recognizing that play creates valuable opportunities for children to grow physically, emotionally, and socially.

    See the Spotlight
    Group of school children

  • Political Asylum/Immigration Representation (PAIR) Project

    • 2018 Social Innovator
    • Social Issue:
      Immigrants, Refugees, and Asylum Seekers

    Political Asylum/Immigration Representation (PAIR) Project provides free legal services to indigent asylum seekers and detained immigrants, assuring fairness and access to justice. Since 1989, PAIR has served more than 11,000 asylum seekers and detailed immigrants, assisting more than 1,400 clients a year.

    PAIR Logo

  • Press Pass TV

    • 2015 Social Innovator
    • Social Issue:
      Social Enterprise
      Youth Development
      Education & College Access

    Press Pass TV is an award-winning organization that uses the power of media arts to provide meaningful employment and education, offer creative outlets for self-affirmation, teach life sustaining skills, and empower communities with the resilience to thrive.

    Press Pass TV students