NCIIA's Sustainable Vision

NCIIA has invested more than $2 million in 40 projects around the world; we train and connect with hundreds of world-changing faculty and students.

Sustainable Vision 2012: Design Revolution

Attend Sustainable Vision: Design Revolution on March 21, 2012, in San Francisco (part of Open 2012, NCIIA’s annual conference.)

Funding

Sustainable Vision grants fund the development of breakthrough technologies created and commercialized for the benefit of people living in poverty. These grants support the creation of sustainable and scalable ventures developed by university innovators and partners as an outcome of experiential educational programs.

Training and mentoring

The Sustainable Vision VentureLab is an intensive, five-day, highly experiential workshop designed to enhance the success of your venture. Participants develop strong, sustainable business models that create products or services for the benefit of people living in poverty. 

"I came in thinking about my product—how I was going to develop it and how I would sell it. I left thinking about the user—how they were going to use it and why they would buy it." —2010 VentureLab participant

Faculty development

The Sustainable Vision TeachingLab is for faculty who have demonstrated commitment to expanding their knowledge, teaching, and venture engagement in projects that serve emerging markets.

Network

Sustainable Vision Connect. Join an international community of faculty who seek to address global challenges through technology and market-based innovation. 

A Few of Our Visionaries:

Christelle Scharff, Pace University, 2007 & 2008 SV grantee

Vision: educate and empower Senegalese students and women business owners to develop and use mobile phone apps.

Outcomes: training sessions in mobile app development for faculty and students in 7 universities; entrepreneurship bootcamp for students; creation of a network to connect customers with developers. First student/faculty start-up targets mobile banking application for seven banks in West Africa.

Paul Hudnut, Colorado State University, 2009 SV grantee

Vision: teach student entrepreneurs to keep the business model at the heart of their projects; then change the world.

Outcomes: the Global Social and Sustainable Enterprise masters program, a number of E-Team technology projects and ventures focused on issues including maternal health and clean cookstoves.

Brian Thomas, Baylor University, 2007 SV grantee

Vision: provide villages in Honduras with renewable (hydro) electricity through a franchise model; spur new businesses and improve lives

Outcomes: a new electricity generation business, Village Energy.