CUBE announces 2019-2020 cohort
April 30, 2019 • Erin Reitz • No Comments
Twelve new social ventures have been selected for residency this year at CUBE, UNC’s Social Innovation Incubator located at the Campus Y. Designed and managed in collaboration with Innovate Carolina and the Department of Public Policy, CUBE provides students with a year of seed funding, professional mentoring, and capacity building as they tackle complex social problems.
“We were inspired by how far-reaching and ambitious CUBE venture proposals were this year,” said Jakelin Bonilla, the Campus Y’s Social Innovation Initiatives Coordinator and CUBE’s program manager. “All 12 ventures are enthusiastic about implementing innovative ideas and creating a strong social impact, not just in the greater communities of Chapel Hill and Durham, but in other states, and even other countries.”
CUBE has incubated 42 social ventures at the Campus Y since it launched in 2012, including a mix of for-profit and non-profit companies working on issues such as food security, clean energy, STEM education, and college access. CUBE builds upon the Campus Y’s rich history of public service and commitment to long-term community partnerships.
Teams in this year’s cohort have proposed innovative solutions to issues like health literacy, maternal care accessibility, and environmental waste mitigation. The full list of ventures includes:
ABC’s of School is a school re-entry program for students with serious chronic illness.
AR Waste is an augmented reality platform making environmental sustainability education fun and interactive.
Durham Volunteer Doulas provides accessible, high quality doula care to low-resource women in the Triangle area.
FYI (Free Your Ignorance) uses hip-hop to help underserved students form a sense of self identity.
Jump Ahead combines jump rope, nutrition education, and healthy meals in an after school program for at-risk youth.
Lewin School is a community-based primary school with an emphasis on civic engagement, located in Baringo, Kenya.
Maya Logan addresses disparities that adversely affect Black girls and women in the STEM field.
Mind Over Matter brings all mental health resources at UNC together onto a single digital platform.
O.C.E.A.N.S. supports adolescents wrestling with obesity.
Queer_hack offers a space for queer people working in computer science to support, empower, and tutor one another.
TeacherBrain provides educators with holistic, professional wellness services in an affordable and accessible format.
Veera supports farmers and tackles food waste by creating an affordable, environmentally friendly cold storage device.