In an AMA-style conversation with students, Maria Kim, MBA ’12, president and CEO of Redefine Alliance, reflected on her career in social impact, the recent transition from REDF to Redefine Alliance, and how students can pursue impact—no matter their field. Kim spoke candidly about the tension between financial and social returns when working for a mission-driven company. She emphasized that successful social enterprises can balance that tension between margin and mission—that both must coexist. She also discussed the role of lived experience in leadership and decision-making, encouraging students to recognize when to bring their own expertise forward, and when to listen and learn from others. The conversation ended with an inspiring note from Kim: “No matter where you end up, you have an ability to move the needle. Do not relinquish your power.” Thank you to Maria Kim for sharing her candid insights and advice with our students.
The Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation
Higher Education
The Rustandy Center is Booth’s destination for people committed to tackling social and environmental problems.
About us
The Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation is the destination at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business for people committed to helping solve complex social and environmental problems. As Chicago Booth’s social impact hub, the Rustandy Center offers hands-on learning opportunities, supports innovative courses, and pursues research—all with the goal of developing people and practices with the potential to solve the world’s biggest problems.
- Website
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https://www.chicagobooth.edu/research/rustandy
External link for The Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation
- Industry
- Higher Education
- Company size
- 11-50 employees
- Headquarters
- Chicago
- Founded
- 2012
- Specialties
- Social Impact and Environmental Impact
Updates
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The Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation reposted this
Congratulations to Melinda W., Booth '26, on becoming a board member for the Farmworker and Landscaper Advocacy Project in Chicago! Melinda took her board fellow experience from The Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation a step further by participating in Compass Pro Bono’s On Board program. Ready to continue your own board journey? On Board can help you take the next step. Applications close November 9. Apply today: https://lnkd.in/e2WP_SYs
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Congratulations to the finalists of the 13th Annual South Side Pitch, hosted by the Institute for Justice Clinic on Entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago Law School. We are excited to recognize Mamma Jamma Dance and Maternal Wellness as the recipient of this year’s Rustandy Center Social Impact Award, which honors a cash prize given to a finalist chosen by the Rustandy Center staff. Kemeera Nimahat—a dancer, dance educator, and doula—founded Mamma Jamma to help prepare women and their partners physically, mentally, and emotionally for birth and recovery. Through prenatal dance and movement classes to postpartum doula and newborn care, Nimahat seeks to give mothers a sense of dignity, calm, and empowerment around their birth. Mamma Jamma also earned second place overall, the Community Favorite Award, and the South Side Sensation Award, recognizing a business with a meaningful presence and impact on the South Side. Congratulations to Mamma Jamma and all of this year’s South Side Pitch finalists.
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What does a career in impact investing really look like? The Rustandy Center, Impact Capital Managers, and Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management recently held an event to explore that question and more. A panel of impact investing experts from ICM member funds—Amy Francetic, managing general partner and founder of Buoyant Ventures, David Clark Guillermo, investor at Impact America Fund, and Shundrawn Thomas, founder and managing partner of The Copia Group, LLC—shared their deep expertise in impact investing, what an average day in their firm is like, and how they are seeing the field evolve. Francetic discussed how AI is providing opportunities for smaller firms like hers to increase productivity. Panelists also encouraged students attending to look out for when companies have closed their funding rounds, as that’s when they will be recruiting for associates. Thank you to the panelists, Kellogg, ICM, and attendees for a great night of strengthening connections among the impact investing community.
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“This course gave me an opportunity to step back and think more broadly about the impact businesses and individuals can have on communities.” This was one of many reflections from a graduate of Chicago Booth’s Perspectives on Capitalism course. Developed by Chicago Booth’s Robert Gertner and James Carmichael, MBA/AM ’10, the course was created to encourage thoughtful, more nuanced conversations surrounding capitalism. A year after the first class was held, Gertner and Carmichael decided to offer the course to alumni as well. Now, University of Chicago alumni from across the world bring their diverse experiences and come together to not only discuss capitalism and its implications, but to also reevaluate the relationship between impact, business, and society—and their role within it. Read more about Perspectives on Capitalism, the insights gained, and the connections made. >> http://ms.spr.ly/6047asmxd
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We were proud to be part of SOCAP Global 2026 as the conference came to Chicago for the first time. Over several days of conversation, connection, and new ideas, we were especially proud to see five John Edwardson, ’72, Social New Venture Challenge alumni take the stage: Chad Wilson, Keenan L., Tom Voutsos, Daniel Buckman, and Grace Janusz. Each shared their venture and reflected on the experience of building a mission-driven business, bringing the perspective of social entrepreneurs directly into the broader SOCAP conversation. A special thank you to our The University of Chicago Booth School of Business student volunteers—Carly Oosten, Micaiah Burnett, Nicole Zhu, Ayesha Kazi, Stephanie A Champi, Adalberto Fuentes Martinez, Héctor Jiménez Pérez, CFA, Tyler Redmond, Marianna Ronan, Gowtham Selvi, and Adonia Bekele—for their support throughout the conference.
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What does the reversal of the 2009 EPA Endangerment Finding mean for the future of climate governance? Join the UChicago Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth and the Rustandy Center for an evening of conversation featuring Christian Leuz, Michael Greenstone, Megan Ceronsky, John Podesta, and other climate thought leaders to explore this development in US policy—and its implications for climate, technology, and the economy. Event Details: Wednesday, November 18 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. CST 5807 S Woodlawn Ave, Chicago Harper Center Room 104 👉Register here >> http://ms.spr.ly/6045asd91
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Applications for the 2026 John Edwardson, '72, Social New Venture Challenge (Edwardson SNVC) are now open. The Edwardson SNVC is the Rustandy Center’s flagship program that’s helped 250+ social venture startups raise over $305M since its 2010 inception. The SNVC is part of the Edwardson Social Entrepreneurship Program, the university’s launchpad for businesses and nonprofits founded on social missions. Want to learn more about the SNVC process? Watch the SNVC kickoff session >> http://ms.spr.ly/6043aSrnl Do you have an idea for a social venture? Apply here >> http://ms.spr.ly/6044aSrnm Learn about last year’s SNVC Finalists >> http://ms.spr.ly/6045aSrnW #EdwardsonSNVC #BoothSocialImpact #SocialImpact #SocialEntrepreneurship
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With SOCAP Global26 around the corner, we are thrilled to introduce our last SOCAP Fellow, Grace Janusz, CEO and cofounder of HandsIn. Fourth place winner of the 2026 Edwardson SNVC, HandsIn is an AI-driven, web-based ASL e-learning platform that utilizes real-time gesture recognition and supplemental learning tools to provide a flexible, accessible environment for learners developing their ASL skills. See how HandsIn is making learning ASL easier and more accessible >> https://lnkd.in/guNKre3M
Meet Grace Janusz, Co-Founder of HandsIn and a SOCAP Global26 Fellow, in partnership with the The Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation. What if learning a new language wasn’t about memorizing words—but about becoming more capable of connecting with the people around us? Grace Janusz is building toward that kind of learning experience. As Co-Founder of HandsIn, Grace is helping make American Sign Language more approachable, practical, and easier to keep practicing. HandsIn is designed around short, focused lessons and curated learning paths that help people build ASL skills step by step—from first introductions and fingerspelling to everyday conversations. The approach starts with a simple insight: learning a language requires practice. Rather than treating ASL as something people can learn once and check off a list, HandsIn is creating a learning experience designed to make regular practice easier to fit into everyday life. And the potential impact goes beyond language learning. Greater ASL fluency can help more people communicate across the Deaf and hearing communities, creating more opportunities for connection, understanding, and participation. That’s the kind of innovation we’re excited to bring into the SOCAP26 Fellows community: entrepreneurs who see an everyday barrier and ask what it would take to redesign the experience around greater access, connection, and inclusion. We’re thrilled to welcome Grace to SOCAP26 in Chicago this October in partnership with the Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation at Chicago Booth and to learn from her perspective on education, accessibility, entrepreneurship, and the role technology can play in helping people connect. Get to know Grace and follow along as we spotlight the SOCAP26 Fellows building the future we want to see.#SOCAP26 #SOCAPFellows #RustandyCenter #ASL #Accessibility #InclusiveDesign #EdTech #SocialInnovation #SocialEntrepreneurship #Chicago #SharedProsperity
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We are happy to highlight our fourth SOCAP Global26 Fellow, Chad Wilson, founder and CEO of immersionED. A participant in the 2022 Edwardson SNVC, ImmersionED creates adaptive simulations where learners apply knowledge and demonstrate real-world competencies. Learn about immersionED’s work >> https://lnkd.in/edegsuMX
Meet Chad Wilson, Founder & CEO of immersionED and a SOCAP Global26 Fellow. What if education measured not just what we remember, but how we think? Chad Wilson is building toward that future. A former investment banker turned high school history teacher, Chad saw firsthand how traditional approaches to learning could leave students disengaged. During the pandemic, one comment from a student who knew the history in his lesson from playing Assassin’s Creed sparked an idea: What if the immersive, problem-solving experiences that make games so engaging could become a core part of how we learn? That idea became immersionED. Today, Chad is leading the development of adaptive, AI-powered learning simulations that put students into realistic scenarios where they apply knowledge, make decisions, solve problems, and receive feedback on how they think—not simply what they can recall. The goal is bigger than making school more engaging: it’s about making the skills needed for school, careers, and life more visible and accessible to learners. Chad’s own path—from finance to the classroom to entrepreneurship—reflects the kind of cross-sector thinking we’re excited to bring into the SOCAP26 Fellows community: leaders who question systems that aren’t working and build new models around what people actually need to thrive. We’re thrilled to welcome Chad to SOCAP26 in Chicago this October in partnership with The Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation and to learn from his vision for the future of learning, technology, and human potential. Get to know Chad and follow along as we spotlight the SOCAP26 Fellows building the future we want to see. #SOCAP26 #SOCAPFellows #EdTech #FutureOfLearning #EducationInnovation #ImpactInnovation #Chicago #SharedProsperity
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