This week I met the third cohort of the Ron Moelis Social Entrepreneurship Fellowship at a networking breakfast at John Jay College. The Fellowship, which was established in 2017, aims to connect John Jay students with the most socially responsible, innovative companies in New York City as well as a wider community of practice.

The 2019 cohort is made up of 10 bright and engaged young people who have a broad range of skills, expertise, and interests. Their areas of study range from forensic science to securities and social studies, and this diversity will strengthen the cohort with each Fellow bringing their own expertise and perspective to the group.

Despite their differences, they all have one thing in common: they are socially conscious and can articulate well-thought-out social criticism. By taking part in the Fellowship, these students have an avenue to foster their entrepreneurial spirit and develop the skills and tools needed to solve social issues.

Over the spring semester, this group will take classes focusing on aspects of social impact and entrepreneurship, as well as work with three socially innovative organizations and start-ups. The group will assess and advise two of the start-ups, taking their classroom skills into the real world immediately.

One of the things that will be essential to this group’s success will be building relationships with the other cohorts and developing a professional network of like-minded, socially oriented people. I hope that the Fellows will use this time as an opportunity to cultivate professional relationships with each other, the previous other cohorts, and within the community of practice, so they can share their learnings, glean inspiration, collaborate and generate positive social impact for years to come.

The Fellowship would not be possible without the John Jay College team. Thank you for your continued hard work and your support of the students – not just the 2019 cohort, but also the cohorts who have completed the Fellowship.

Best of luck to all the 2019 Fellows!

For more information about the Ron and Kerry Moelis Social Entrepreneurship Program or the Fellowship, please visit: www.jjay.cuny.edu/moelis-social-entrepreneurship-program