The Georgetown Pivot Program has been selected by the Association to Advance Collegiate Business Schools (AACSB) as one of 25 initiatives that inspire change in the business education realm. This year’s Innovations That Inspire challenge invited business schools to share how they are serving as “catalysts for innovation,” recognizing programs that help transcend the cultural, political, economic, and financial contexts in which they serve.
The 10-month Pivot Program, which began in 2018 through a collaboration among the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business, Georgetown’s Prisons and Justice Initiative, and the District of Columbia government, enables previously incarcerated individuals to obtain a certificate in business and entrepreneurship. Participants in the program attend courses, complete internships, and receive weekly stipends through the D.C. Department of Employment Services. Upon program completion, Pivot Fellows go on to pursue full-time employment options or take part in Georgetown Venture Lab programs to start their own businesses.
Related: Georgetown Pivot Program preparing formerly incarcerated individuals for employment >
“So many parts of Georgetown contribute to the Pivot program,” said Pietra Rivoli, co-executive director of the Pivot Program. “This project married our commitment to our city with the university’s broader commitment to racial justice.”
“The demand for innovation that engages experts across disciplines and addresses the needs of both local and global communities has never been more apparent than in these unprecedented times,” said Thomas R. Robinson, CEO and President of AACSB.
Learn more on the Pivot Program website.