Sustainable Development Innovators and Entrepreneurs

From the days of Jobs and Woz launching Apple from their Silicon Valley garage, to the hundreds of startup incubators spanning the state today, California has a reputation for innovation and entrepreneurship. UC Berkeley is one of the leading universities for producing new companies and attracting funding for startups. Unsurprisingly, many graduates of Berkeley’s MDP program become social impact innovators and entrepreneurs as well. Here are some examples of new sustainable development endeavors founded or supported by our MDP students and grads:

Beamlink: designs portable cellular networks for post-disaster communication and rural connectivity, supporting emergency coordination.

Climate Farm School: an educational program for mid-career professionals looking to learn more about regenerative food systems.

Impact Circles: helping social innovators scale their collective impact by growing circles of social impact enthusiasts, subject matter experts, and thought leaders. Since its inception, Impact Circles has served 3000+ social innovators and facilitated 200+ partnerships across Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Mana Organics: a tea company sourcing sustainably from single estates in Assam, India; innovators in organic practices and green tea manufacture.

Nested Solutions: An international community of sustainable development practitioners who work together with businesses, governments, non-profits, and civil society to achieve a just, fair, and equitable transition towards a sustainable future.

Sajhe Sapne: Ensuring rural women in India can enter the modern workforce through the establishment of physical spaces in villages where women come together to learn new skills, play, get exposure, open networks, and find growth opportunities.