Startup Yale and The Great Give 2021

Startup Yale (https://entrepreneurship.yale.edu/startup-yale), the largest annual collection of pitch competitions and events on campus, is taking place between 30 April 2021 and 1 May 2021. Across the seven individual prizes listed below, all focused on various themes, there is over $100,000 up for the taking:

• Thorne Prize for Social Innovation in Health or Education

• Rita Wilson Prize in Support of Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Health Technology 

• Rothberg Catalyzer Prize @ Yale

• New Haven Civic Innovation Prize

• Miller Prize

• Yale Innovators Prize

• Sabin Sustainable Venture Prize

Learn more about Startup Yale and register to attend any or all of the events here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/startup-yale-2021-tickets-146812288507

Immediately following Startup Yale is The Great Give (https://www.thegreatgive.org/). The Great Give, organized by The Community Foundation For Greater New Haven (https://www.cfgnh.org/), is a 36-hr, online giving event to support Connecticut nonprofits, taking place between 4 - 5 May 2021.

Many of New Haven’s greatest entrepreneurial advocates and organizers are participating in The Great Give this spring, including Collab, founded by Yale College alumni Caroline Tanbee Smith ‘14 and Margaret Lee ‘14. As stated in the Collab mission statement:

Collab supports Connecticut’s entrepreneurial leaders to shape our communities from within. Collab is an organization that empowers individuals and families to use entrepreneurship to gain autonomy, build wealth, and shape their communities. We prioritize serving people of color and women — particularly Black and Latinx entrepreneurs — who face persistent and significant barriers because of structural racism and sexism. 

Entrepreneurship is a way to create economic stability for families, and also for individuals to have agency and ownership in their lives and their communities. Our core belief is that entrepreneurship (which we define as the act of taking a risk on behalf of our community) should be accessible to every single person, no matter where they come from. 

Over 90% of Collab’s Accelerator graduates are still actively working on their ventures and generating revenue here in Connecticut.

Between Startup Yale 2021 and The Great Give, we hope you have the opportunity to watch a collection of outstanding founders and innovators and support local organizations who help empower these entrepreneurs. Check out some of the outstanding programs that support innovation in New Haven that you can contribute to during The Great Give 2021, below:

Collab

https://www.thegreatgive.org/organizations/collab

Collab empowers individuals and families to use entrepreneurship to gain autonomy, build wealth, and shape their communities. Driven by our commitment to economic justice, we prioritize serving people of color and women — particularly Black and Latinx entrepreneurs — who face significant barriers to entrepreneurship.

The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven

https://www.thegreatgive.org/organizations/the-community-foundation-for-greater-new-haven

The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven is a philanthropic institution that was established in 1928 as the community's permanent charitable endowment. For more than three generations, thousands of donors have built our community endowment by establishing permanent funds or making gifts to existing funds that distribute grants to a broad variety of issues and organizations. These donors, past and present, make their gifts to ensure that programs and causes that matter most to them will be supported today and forever.

CitySeed

https://www.thegreatgive.org/organizations/cityseed

CitySeed is a nonprofit organization that seeks to provide all New Haven residents with access to fresh, local food.  We also work to build economic opportunity in the food system. We believe a just food system is foundational to a thriving community. CitySeed’s mission is to engage the community in growing an equitable, local food system that promotes economic development, community development and sustainable agriculture.

MakeHaven

https://www.thegreatgive.org/organizations/makehaven-inc

MakeHaven, Inc. is a not-for-profit, membership-driven organization, gathering place workshop for makers, creators, tinkerers and dreamers. The environment supports the development of and collaboration on a wide variety of projects, including: prototyping, fabrication, mechanics, electronics, crafts, art, and woodworking. Through free public events, skill building workshops and the independent projects of our membership, MakeHaven enables people to make things.

New Haven Promise

https://www.thegreatgive.org/organizations/new-haven-promise

New Haven Promise is a scholarship and support program designed to promote college access, college success and career and civic launch of New Haven's youth in the city and Greater New Haven.

District Arts and Education (DBA Holberton School New Haven)

https://www.thegreatgive.org/organizations/holberton-school-divc 

Holberton School is a two-year higher education program for anyone looking to become a sought after full-stack software engineer, regardless of background or experience level and career objective. We leverage project-based peer learning to ensure how our students learn is aligned with what’s expected of them in the workplace. Through our program’s framework, students develop strong technical skills as well as the professional and soft skills needed to succeed. They also learn how to learn so they can maintain their skills to keep up with the ever-changing tech industry.

IRIS

https://www.thegreatgive.org/organizations/iris-integrated-refugee-immigrant-services

The mission of IRIS-Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services is to help refugees and immigrants establish new lives, regain hope, and contribute to the vitality of Connecticut’s communities.

Elena’s Light

https://www.thegreatgive.org/organizations/elena-s-light

Elena’s Light is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization which strives to empower refugee and immigrant women and children in Connecticut, particularly in the New Haven area.