MARCH 4, 2022

Welcome to the 2022 Social Innovation Symposium, hosted by NYU Stern School of Business, NYU School of Law and the Wagner School of Public Service

This year’s theme, Innovation for Impact: How Crisis Drives World-Changing Ideas, will explore extraordinary responses to change and crisis. Whether faced with a global pandemic, generational poverty, or the existential emergency of climate change, panelists will speak on how they’ve been able to design new solutions and foster unexpected optimism. Participants will be inspired to innovate under pressure and will learn tips and tricks from social impact leaders of today.

Keynote Conversation

CEO, B Lab

GM, Tom's of Maine

Breakout Sessions

Getting to net-zero carbon emissions requires more than just incremental improvements. It requires radical innovation now. Hear from a panel of business leaders working on exciting new technologies addressing the climate crisis. Gain insights that you can apply to your own work on how to foster innovation and stay motivated to find solutions to difficult problems.

60% of the world's population depends on informal economies for their livelihood. Despite government efforts to integrate this population into the formal economy, the majority of the world lacks access to credit and the formal job market. How can new technologies revert this trend? Hear from representatives of four successful models in the global south empowering informal merchants to trade without money while building creditworthiness.


Crisis. Stress. Burnout. Each of these has a unique impact on our productivity and creativity. But what if we can learn to use mindfulness to improve our creative and innovative thought processes? Gain insights from acclaimed author and positive psychologist, Amy Blankson, and leaders in the mindful tech movement, Nina Hersher and Jay Vidyarthi, as they discuss ways your organization can emerge more creative, compassionate, and innovative in the midst of crisis.


In 2020, we saw social media being used in more explicit ways to promote social change across the globe. Learn from impact professionals and social media strategists about the most effective ways to leverage social media in support of the nonprofit causes you care about and the potential negative impacts to keep in mind.


Whether due to lack of capacity at hospitals or patient unwillingness to visit practitioners for fear of contracting COVID-19, the healthcare industry has been faced with a new, pressing problem: how to provide healthcare remotely? Hear from a panel of experts about how the healthcare industry innovated quickly to provide digital health solutions and the long-term implications for different segments of society.


With an increasing amount of money being invested into startups with social and environmental missions, how can venture capitalists best identify, prioritize, and measure businesses based on their impact? Hear from a panel of venture capitalists on how the VC landscape has shifted over the past few years to better drive impact for people and the planet.


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