This summer marked three years of GiveBackKids, a partnership between GiveBackHack, Columbus City Schools (CCS), and CoverMyMeds that introduces K-5 students to the world of social entrepreneurship. Our facilitators, volunteers, and guest entrepreneurs helped over 50 students at Leawood Elementary build their own businesses. Bonus points for creativity In just four weeks, these school-aged innovators … Continue reading “School-Age Changemakers: Three Years of GiveBackKids”
CLEVELAND, Ohio – On February 8th, GiveBackHack and the Veale Youth Entrepreneurship Forum collaborated to host the first GiveBackLabs event of 2024. The event was a day-long hackathon focused on addressing pressing issues related to justice and inclusion. The event brought together eight community experts and high school students to develop innovative business ideas aimed … Continue reading “Building Tomorrow’s Change-makers: Inside GiveBackLabs Veale Hackathon 2024”
Our Story So Far Who is GiveBackHack? GiveBackHack was founded in 2015 under the principle that we all have everything we need within ourselves to create the change we wish to see in our communities. We believe that by bringing together passionate people, facilitating discussion around ideas to solve problems, and providing a framework to … Continue reading “2023 Impact Report”
Check out some of our recommended top reads for 2024! Designing Your Life How to Build A Well-Lived Joyful Life Design thinking is a process that designers use to solve problems and create solutions. In their book, Bill Burnett and Dave Evans show how design thinking can help us design a fulfilling life. By using … Continue reading “GiveBackHack’s Recommended Reads”
COLUMBUS, Ohio – GiveBackHack, a local organization dedicated to launching social enterprises, hosted their annual GiveBackHack weekend on Oct. 13 to Oct. 15, where they awarded $15k in seed funding from IGS Energy and The Columbus Foundation to finalists. The event kicked off on Friday, Oct. 13 at 5 p.m., where attendees exchanged their ideas … Continue reading “GiveBackHack 2023 concludes with $15k given away in seed funding”
In today’s world, the environment faces constant threats, which calls for action. Many of us are willing to contribute positively, but the complexity of initiating the process often holds us back. This is where Planting is.Life comes into play, a remarkable website that was reimagined from the GiveBackLabs Green Tech Event. The mission of Planting … Continue reading “Planting.Life: Making Native Planting a Breeze”
Establishing meaningful connections with potential customers is crucial for successful business and sales conversations in today’s fiercely competitive business environment. One highly effective strategy for nurturing leads, and guiding potential customers toward a purchase decision, is through a meticulously designed sales drip campaign. By strategically positioning a series of emails, you can actively engage prospects, … Continue reading “Maximizing Conversations: A Winning Sales Drip Campaign”
I’m thrilled to announce that our team is launching a new event series – GiveBackLabs. For years we have been wanting to create events centering innovation for specific social issues, but just haven’t had the right opportunity. Whether it’s Green Tech, Reproductive Justice, Mental Health or another pressing social issue, GiveBackLabs are designed to provide … Continue reading “New GiveBackHack Event Series: GiveBackLabs”
On February 3rd, 2023 GiveBackHack kicked off their second-annual Design Challenge with Veale Youth Entrepreneurship Forum. The program was a great success, with 60+ students from 5 different high schools in Cleveland participating in the partnership event with The Veale Foundation. The event was focused on a Social Impact Design Challenge, and students experienced GBH … Continue reading “GiveBackHack and Veale Youth Forum Team Up for Youth Design Challenge 2023”
Who is GiveBackHack? GiveBackHack was founded in 2015 under the principle that we all have everything we need within ourselves to create the change we wish to see in our communities. We believe that bringing together passionate people, facilitating discussion around ideas to solve problems, and providing a framework to work through those ideas to … Continue reading “GiveBackHack 2022 Impact Report”
Emily Stuhldreher Promoted to Program Director of GiveBackHack
During Summer 2021, K-5 Pathway Program students participated in a 4 module business-building curriculum run by GiveBackHack. These modules provide Design Thinking inspired experiential education and introduces students to different entrepreneurs in the community.
Social enterprise is important for a large variety of reasons. Here’s a quick top five: Addressing social and environmental problems: Social enterprises use business principles and practices to address pressing social and environmental problems, providing innovative solutions to the challenges faced by communities and the planet. Creating positive impact: Social enterprises are driven by a … Continue reading “GiveBackHack Q&A: Why is Social Enterprise Important?”
GiveBackHack provides engaging, educational experiences based on best practices that give attendees the expertise to move their ideas and products forward faster. Our Background These best practices are proven not only by institutions like IDEO and Stanford Design School, but also by the success we see from our events. The passion and energy of our … Continue reading “GiveBackHack for Corporate”
GBH was founded in 2015 under the simple yet profound principle that we all have everything we need within ourselves to create the change we wish to see in our communities. We bring Product Management and Design Thinking practices to the social impact space. We know that empowering individuals through our process helps create more … Continue reading “GiveBackHack for Communities”
GiveBackHack believes in building future changemakers. We are excited to engage with entrepreneurial-minded students with a keen eye for social impact. We provide experiential and immersive education opportunities that empower students through fundamental skill-building. GiveBackHack was an unforgettable experience! Through immersive lessons and engaging discussions, the GiveBackHack Team helped us learn and utilize the Design Thinking … Continue reading “GiveBackHack for Educators”
The GiveBackHack Launchpad for Social Impact is now coming to YOU. We’re excited to bring the magic and proven success of GiveBackHack in collaboration with your programming needs. We facilitate experiences that teach Lean Startup, Product Management & Design Thinking fundamentals to allow anyone – regardless of their background – to make their ideas a … Continue reading “Where Innovation Meets Action: GiveBackHack Services”
In Spring of 2021, seven alumni teams joined forces for GiveBackHack’s first-ever Rocket Fuel Round. Stretching from March 27th through April 3rd, 2021, Rocket Fuel Round aimed to help existing GiveBackHack’s social enterprise alumni combat their biggest business challenges through Design Thinking. This was an opportunity for these teams to receive training, mentoring, and the … Continue reading “Spring Rocket Fuel Round Blasts Off!”
I recently had a chance to catch up with Alison Leddy, founder of Bust a Move to learn about their relaunch. Alison attended GiveBackHack Columbus in 2017 after attending Startup Weekend and developing her idea to empower young women of all body types with the confidence to stay active. “Bust A Move is an athletics … Continue reading “Bust A Move (Columbus 2017) Relaunches”
In a year marked by uncertainty and unprecedented challenges, over 100 dedicated designers, developers, hustlers, and every day engaged citizens tuned it to make a positive dent in 2020. Through October 9 to October 17, GiveBackHack hosted its first entirely virtual (and global!) event, in which 100+ participants of geographic and experiential diversity committed themselves … Continue reading “GiveBackHack Hosts Their First Ever Virtual Event”
Hey friends! We hope our Half-Baked event prepared you for our most recent pivot: GiveBackHack Global will now take place virtually between October 9–17. Thank you for being flexible as we work to make GBH Global the raddest re-imagined event of 2020 since drive-in raves (and yes, that is a thing!). If this isn’t your … Continue reading “5 Reasons Why You Should Attend GiveBackHack Global”
One thing we know at GiveBackHack is that ideas need an audience to become a reality. Our goal is to provide individuals seeking to impact the issues that affect their community with both the platform and resources they need to bring their idea to life. The first step to actualizing your idea is communicating it … Continue reading “4 Steps for Crafting a Compelling Elevator Pitch”
What will GiveBackHack look like in 2020? The team at GiveBackHack is committed to keeping everyone’s health and safety at the forefront of our decisions. Just the same, we want to ensure that the GiveBackHack experience is as fun, empowering, and impactful as it always has been. In 2020, GiveBackHack will be a global, virtual … Continue reading “GiveBackHack 2020 FAQs”
At GiveBackHack Cleveland 2019, there were three teams that walked away with funding and resources to move forward. Project ADAM, an algal bloom testing kit and community engagement program, was one of the most impressive. Team ADAM describes their project as follows: Algal blooms, or sudden growths of algae due to chemical pollutants in water … Continue reading “GiveBackHack Cleveland 2019 Winner Spotlight: Project ADAM”
Overview – GiveBackHack Cleveland, 2019 On September 20th to 22nd of 2019, Cleveland hosted its 3rd GiveBackHack at StartMart, Tower City where 65 participants committed their entire weekend to build social impact ideas into reality. On Sunday evening, 7 teams presented to a panel of judges: ADAM, Winner – First Place (Tied), $2,500 from The … Continue reading “GiveBackHack Cleveland 2019”
On April 26th, 2019, 120 people left their 40+ hour work week, showed up at CCAD’s Crane Center and committed an entire weekend to take a brand new social impact idea into reality at the sold-out GiveBackHack Columbus 2019. GiveBackHack is the launchpad for social innovation. Born right here in Columbus and generously hosted by … Continue reading “GiveBackHack Columbus 2019 – Impact Infographic”
For the 5th year in a row, GiveBackHack Columbus gathered some of the brightest and most philanthropic minds in the city in order to tackle some of our pressing social issues using technology. On April 26th, more than 100 attendees poured into the third floor of the Crane Center at the Columbus College of Art … Continue reading “GiveBackHack Holds Their 5th Successful Columbus Event”
General GiveBackHack FAQs Who attends GiveBackHack? Participants come together from 4 main categories: People in the impact space — folks who work at non-profits or in social enterprises, folks who volunteer, who have experienced the problem themselves, or engaged citizens People in the tech space — designers, developers and other technical talent People in the startup/business … Continue reading “GiveBackHack FAQs (frequently asked questions)”
After Emily Lawrence gave birth, she was lucky enough to have a supportive sister, who just so happened to also be a doctor. “My sister sees pregnant women a lot,” Emily explained, “so she knows all the ins and outs. It’s also just nice having that sister relationship… I was comfortable talking to her about … Continue reading “GiveBackHack Spotlight – Lilac Pack”
Event Overview On February 1, 2019, 95 excited Baltimore community members left their 40+ hour work week, battled the snowy weather, and showed up at the Allovue office space in the Remington neighborhood in Baltimore to commit an entire weekend to bringing a social impact idea to reality at GiveBackHack Baltimore 2019. GiveBackHack is a … Continue reading “GiveBackHack Baltimore 2019 Impact”
When you’re short on time and working to communicate your idea, you have to put a lot of intention into the information you do and don’t share. That’s why we thought we’d provide you with a step-by-step analysis of a company that did it well from GiveBackHack. Below, you’ll find the pitch from OpenSheet – a … Continue reading “Creating a Compelling Pitch”
Sarah Woods wasn’t entirely certain of what her pitch was going to be when she agreed to attend GiveBackHack Columbus. As a female Product Manager working in technology, she was always interested in social causes and giving back to the community, but wasn’t sure where to start. Little did she know that after one weekend … Continue reading “GiveBackHack Spotlight – Shatter”
For many people, a job is just a job. But Adam Morris wanted something more. He wanted to do something that would not only challenge him, but also help people and effect measurable change in the community. Today, Adam is fulfilling this vision as the head of Wild Tiger Tees, a non-profit t-shirt company that … Continue reading “GiveBackHack Spotlight – Wild Tiger Tees”
GiveBackHack is a launchpad for social impact. We have always been driven to bring communities together, help people learn from one another, and ignite the flame of community members who have a spark for social entrepreneurship. We support all kinds of people – community leaders, developers, designers, and more – who are creating sustainable solutions … Continue reading “GiveBackHack Goes Global With High School Student-Focused Summit”
Ryan Scott concluded Columbus Startup Weekend with a potential solution to a serious issue, but he didn’t have a lot of help. A few of his teammates from that weekend continued to meet and work on the idea, but for the most part, he was on his own. However, Ryan never considered giving up, as … Continue reading “GiveBackHack Spotlight – Bonifier and Pip”
It all started with a problem. Maybe you experienced the problem yourself, or you’re close to someone who has. Regardless, you have an idea for solving that problem, and you think you’re the right person to make that idea a reality. On Friday night, you pitched the problem and your solution to a roomful of people. … Continue reading “Rocket Fuel: Your Guide to GiveBackHack Funding”
On April 27th, 2018, 120 people left their 40+ hour work week, showed up at CCAD MindMarket and committed an entire weekend to take a brand new social impact idea into reality at the sold-out GiveBackHack Columbus 2018. GiveBackHack is the launchpad for social innovation. Born right here in Columbus and generously hosted by the … Continue reading “GiveBackHack Columbus 2018 – Impact Infographic”
Event Overview GiveBackHack launched in Cleveland in 2017 and after a successful first event, the organizing team determined to make the 2018 weekend even bigger and better. On May 11, 2018, over 100 people gathered in Cleveland from across five states and 12 counties, with some participants traveling upwards of 500 miles to attend the … Continue reading “GiveBackHack Cleveland 2018 Impact Report”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 1 June 2018 Foundations of 9 New Social Enterprises Launched at 2nd Annual GiveBackHack Cleveland CLEVELAND, OH: The foundations of 9 new social enterprises were launched at GiveBackHack Cleveland (May 11-13). Each social enterprise took a different approach to community impact, targeting issues like housing insecurity, transparency in public records, access to … Continue reading “2018 Cleveland GiveBackHack Press Release”
It’s hard to believe GiveBackHack Columbus is a wrap! For those unfamiliar with the event, GiveBackHack is a weekend of social innovation that brings community members together to create and launch sustainable solutions for social impact. GiveBackHack connects the entrepreneurial, technology, and social impact communities to learn from one another. It blends startup concepts like rapid prototyping, iteration, and … Continue reading “After GiveBackHack: Where is DACA Time Now?”
GiveBackHack is a launchpad for social innovation, which means we’re pulling together resources to help you launch your business. We know this is hard. It takes a ton of work to vet an idea, iterate, and bring it into reality. Everything we pull in is intended to help you learn quickly, overcome common barriers, and … Continue reading “Resources for Cleveland 2018 Teams”
Developing creative solutions for important social issues isn’t easy. It takes focus, critical thinking, logic, and the motivation to keep going, despite the long hours and obstacles encountered along the way. As such, the attendees of Columbus’ annual GiveBackHack event always appreciate a bit of a caffeine boost to keep their minds sharp. Enter Crimson … Continue reading “Four Years of Crimson Cup at GiveBackHack!”
When Haven Collective co-creators Melissa Blackburn & Danielle Lim met in grad school, they hit it off with the first ‘hello’. This former operations strategist and marketer duo shared a passion to empower and support entrepreneurs to truly succeed. Besides an affinity for the startup scene, both have a deep passion for a balanced lifestyle. Together, they co-founded … Continue reading “Haven Collective Offers Support for GiveBackHack Organizing and Teams”
By Jackie Mantey for Columbus College of Art & Design and cross-posted from https://www.ccad.edu/news/givebackhack-returns-ccad-april GiveBackHack returns to the Columbus College of Art & Design campus for its fourth year on Friday, April 27, through Sunday, April 29. This weekend-long event brings together passionate community members to develop sustainable, technology-based solutions to pressing social issues. Teams of members from the … Continue reading “GiveBackHack Returns to CCAD in April”
Participating in GiveBackHack not only allows community members to find like-minded individuals of various backgrounds (social impact, technology, business & more) to help execute on ideas, it provides top mentorship and even better: resources and funding. All resources listed below will be awarded at the conclusion of the GiveBackHack weekend after Sunday evening pitches! The full … Continue reading “Resources for GiveBackHack Columbus 2018 Teams”
NEWS PROVIDED BY AWH Feb 20, 2018, 08:00 ET COLUMBUS, Ohio, Feb. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — AWH, a digital product consulting, user experience, and software development firm, today announced a client partnership with DACA Time, a Columbus social enterprise offering a secure online platform to ease the DACA application process for Dreamers. According to Chris Slee, founder and Chief Product Officer at … Continue reading “AWH and DACA Time Team Up to Empower Dreamers With New Social Enterprise”
This post was originally published on Medium, by Derek DeHart summarizing the impact participating in GiveBackHack has had on his life mindset. On March 30, 2017, the idea of “social entrepreneurship” wasn’t really on my radar. In fact, it’s probably fair to say that I had few entrepreneurial aspirations in general. I had a job; I … Continue reading “How a Hackathon Changed My Life”
Read about GiveBackHack Philadelphia’s 2017 Impact: A social enterprise to give away menstrual products won at the inaugural GiveBackHack – Generocity Philly The hackathon for companies with both social impact and business potential just held its first Philly event. Organizers consider it a launchpad — “This weekend is really just the beginning.” generocity.org
This post was originally published on the CoverMyMeds internal blog, summarizing an employee’s participation in GiveBackHack Columbus 2017. Susan Bradley and her daughter, Eden, were doing a bit of spring cleaning around their home when they stumbled upon something they hadn’t seen in years: Eden’s old hearing aids. Eden, 11, was born with unilateral hearing … Continue reading “Mother & Daughter Team Up To Help Kids Get Hearing Aids”
We are incredibly excited to share the first round of pre-submitted ideas for GiveBackHack Philadelphia! Posted here is an in-depth view of ideas that will be pitched alongside the typical 50+ brand new ideas on Friday night of GiveBackHack. So, what do the ideas below mean to you? If you’re inspired by the ideas below, … Continue reading “Philadelphia 2017 Pre-Submitted Ideas”
Background On April 21, 2017, 75 people left their 40+ hour work week, showed up at StartMart in downtown Cleveland and committed an entire weekend to bringing a social impact idea into reality. GiveBackHack is the launchpad for social innovation. Born right here in Ohio, GiveBackHack connects the tech and social impact communities – two … Continue reading “2017 Cleveland GiveBackHack Impact Report”
We are incredibly excited to share the first round of pre-submitted ideas for GiveBackHack Cleveland! Posted here is an in-depth view of ideas that will be pitched alongside the typical 50+ brand new ideas on Friday night of GiveBackHack. So, what do the ideas below mean to you? If you’re inspired by the ideas below, you can … Continue reading “Cleveland 2017 Pre-submitted Ideas”
On March 31, 2017, 114 people left their 40+ hour work week, showed up at CCAD MindMarket and committed an entire weekend to taking a brand new social impact idea into reality at GiveBackHack Columbus 2017. GiveBackHack is the launchpad for social innovation. Born right here in Columbus and generously hosted by the Columbus College … Continue reading “GiveBackHack Columbus 2017 Impact Report”
Participating in GiveBackHack not only allows community members to find like-minded individuals of various backgrounds (social impact, technology, business & more) to help execute on ideas, it provides top mentorship and even better: resources and funding. All resources listed below will be awarded at the conclusion of the GiveBackHack weekend after Sunday evening pitches! The full … Continue reading “Resources for GiveBackHack Columbus 2017 Teams”
Hi, I’m Bryan, a designer who always dreamt of also being an animator. Attending GiveBackHack last year helped catapult me to achieving this dream, and I’m going to tell you how it happened. But first, let me re-introduce myself: Hi, I’m Bryan, a designer and an animator. Let’s start back in 1995 when I first … Continue reading “From Buses to Businesses”
We are incredibly excited to share the first round of pre-submitted ideas for GiveBackHack! Posted here is an in-depth view of ideas that will be pitched alongside the typical 50+ brand new ideas on Friday night of GiveBackHack. So, what do the ideas below mean to you? If you’re inspired by the ideas below, you can get … Continue reading “Columbus 2017 Pre-Submitted Ideas”
New with GiveBackHack: post your idea in advance & bring your “partially-vetted” ideas For our first 2 years, we were hyper focused on being the launchpad for brand new social enterprise ideas that were all pitched for the first time on Friday night. We did this because we wanted to ensure a level playing field … Continue reading “Making an Even Better Launchpad”
Hi there, my name is Eileen. I’m a full time CEO at my company, Billion, and an avid eater of potato chips. My first GiveBackHack was the first one in Columbus, Ohio in the spring of 2015 and here’s my story. When I first discovered GiveBackHack, it was my junior year of college. I think … Continue reading “One in a Billion”
