Penn Social Impact Accelerators

Executive Education

A short, intensive bootcamp designed to support people with big ideas. The Penn Social Impact Accelerator is a two-day experience offered in-person on the University of Pennsylvania campus. Upon completion, students will earn a certificate in Social Impact from the School of Social Policy & Practice at the University of Pennsylvania.

Students are invited to join from all sectors, including non-profits, for-profits, government agencies, and community organizations. Our students are looking to re-energize and renew their passion, learn more about the social impact landscape, working to grow their social enterprise, bring tested approaches to their initiatives, and expand their network. Our Accelerators are an additional opportunity for those who are looking for executive learning in a structured and condensed program.

This year’s Penn Social Impact Accelerator will occur October 9 – 10, 2025, with a welcome dinner on Wednesday, October 8th. Participants will be invited to stay and join us for our 10-Year Anniversary Celebration / Alumni Summit on Saturday, October 11th, where they will have the opportunity to meet many more alumni of our programs.

In-Person Programming

Program Dates: October 9-10, 2025 (on University of Pennsylvania campus)
Program Tuition: $1,500
Enrollment Deadline: September 8, 2025

What is included in the Penn Social Impact Accelerator program?

Personal Transition, Strategy & Social Innovation Design. The in-person Accelerator will combine themes focused on Personal Transition, Strategy, and Social Innovation Design in 2 full days of instruction on the University of Pennsylvania campus. Sessions will be broken up with community-building activities, meals, and other option events.

Personal Transitions will involve deep reflection and future planning around your personal and professional lives. Intentional goal setting will help create clarity around any next steps. Strategy work will dive into deliberate and tactical exploration of your social impact goals. Among other objectives, participants will examine their stakeholders and create/update logic models. Social Innovation focus will combine practices from design thinking and human-centered design to prepare changemakers for problem solving in a 21st century world.

*Upon completion of the Penn Social Impact Accelerator, students will be eligible for a certificate in social impact from the School of Social Policy & Practice at the University of Pennsylvania.

Pay Now

Agenda, times might be updated closer to the event

Wednesday, October 8, 2025

6:00-8:00 pm

Welcome Dinner

Join us for a welcome dinner and opportunity to get to know one another ahead of the program.

Thursday, October 9, 2025

8:45am-9:15am

Breakfast

On campus at the University of Pennsylvania

9:30am-12:00pm

Morning Session

Visioning for our thriving shared future and communicating vision.

12:00pm-1:00pm

Lunch

Lunch includes a structured networking option.

1:00pm-3:00pm

Afternoon Session

Project Life Cycles and Pathologies

3:00pm-4:00pm

Electives

participants can choose 1 elective workshop to attend.

4:00pm-5:00pm

Keynote

Keynote speaker will discuss “Inclusive Innovation”.

5:30pm-8:00pm

Dinner

Mingle with fellow changemakers at a local restaurant with a curated menu.

Friday, October 10 , 2025

8:45am-9:15am

Breakfast

On campus at the University of Pennsylvania

9:30am-10:00am

Morning Session

Yoga for the workplace

10:00am-12:00pm

Morning Session Part 2

Human Centered Design

12:00pm-1:00pm

Lunch

Lunch includes a structured networking option.

1:00pm-2:00pm

Afternoon Session 1

Field Story: AI and social impact

2:00pm-2:45pm

Afternoon Session

Ethics in our social impact practices

4:00pm-5:00pm

Evening Session

Scenario Planning

5:30pm-8:00pm

Dinner

Dinner and a fun activity

Program Instructors

Ariel Schwartz

Managing Director

Carl Sveen

Program Manager

Mandisa Thomas

Program Coordinator

Montana Tamny

Program Manager

Kaveh Sadeghian

Instructor

Get Tools You Can Use Immediately

Our Accelerators are designed to introduce you to the most impactful tools and frameworks to effectively drive social change in your communities and work. Each resource is carefully selected to help you advance your own social impact ideas and initiatives and put your learning into practice right away.

Earn Ivy League Credentials

Upon completing an in-person Accelerator, you’ll receive a certificate from the School of Social Policy & Practice at the University of Pennsylvania.

Join a Supportive Global Community

Launching and scaling solutions can feel lonely sometimes. You’re not doing it alone — the Penn community is made up of global thought leaders and world changers who are ready to support your impact idea. You will have the opportunity to grow your network by meeting new classmates and joining the CSIS alumni network, where you will be invited to future exclusive events.

Visit a Vibrant Campus

Join us on campus at the University of Pennsylvania for our in-person Accelerator June 5-7, 2024. This Accelerator will feature tools and frameworks focused on Personal Transitions, Strategy, and Social Innovation Design, spread out across 3 full days of instruction. In-person programming will also feature community-building activities, three meals a days, and optional evening activities.

Keep your Day Job

Whether your impact idea is directly related to your job or you’re building it on the side, our Accelerators are designed to be structured and intense so that you can quickly complete your program and apply new resources immediately.

INFO SESSION RECORDINGS BELOW

Info Session: Choose a Program for Arts and Culture- Recording

Info Session: Choose a Program for Director of Social Impact & CSR –Recording

Have any questions?

Email Us

Frequently Asked Questions

How will my registration be evaluated?

The Penn Social Impact Accelerators do not require an application. After enrollment, students must complete a short registration form through Canvas that will help us design a customized curriculum for your group. In order to officially reserve your space, all tuition costs must be paid prior to programming.

Are financial aid or scholarships available?

No. Our program is designed to have the lowest tuition possible without losing the integrity of the educational experience. We’re proud to say it is the most affordable comparable executive program that we are aware of. Since the program tuition is already being offered at a discounted rate relative to similar programs, we’re unfortunately unable to offer scholarships. Some students have received partial or full tuition from their employers or a donor.

What is the refund policy for PSIA?

The $950 tuition deposit is not refundable. Refunds on balances paid will be made consistent with the School of Social Policy and Practice OpenSP2* refund policy.

Refund requests must occur within 14 days of the start of the class or program (the first materials-release date, for on-demand classes or programs, or the orientation date, for structured programs). Programs that include live class sessions require cancellation and refund requests to be made at least 14 days in advance of the course start date.

The school may provide a transfer option to individuals who cancel beyond the limits of this policy, at the discretion of the program leader.

Refund requests will be honored only if less than 25% of course materials have been engaged with (based on course data analytics).

*OpenSP2 is a division of the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2) which reserves the right to change, alter, adjust this policy. OpenSP2 reserves the right to cancel any program for low enrollment or other extenuating circumstances at any time, before the start of the program. If SP2 cancels a program, all participants will receive a full refund. Please also note programs offered on 3rd party platforms (edX or Coursera) are subject to the policies of that platform.

Official communications may be sent to admissions@csis.upenn.edu.

Are there any prerequisites to enroll?

There are no educational prerequisites to enroll in this program — we are looking for leaders across all industries with a variety of perspectives. Applicants should be comfortable learning in the English language, and have the capacity to connect to our livestream for online programming.

If you have questions, or if you think you might need a learning accommodation, please don’t hesitate to reach out at admissions@csis.upenn.edu so we can discuss your questions.

What opportunities do you provide alumni?

Students who complete an entire program will automatically join our alumni network. Alumni are a critical part of the CSIS family, and they receive lifelong access to the CSIS community. We have a private LinkedIn and Facebook group dedicated to conversations online for anyone in our network to share resources and support one another. We also host a free alumni summit in Philadelphia to bring our diverse community together and offer one another a deep sense of community and connection. In September 2025, we will be hosting our annual alumni summit in-person.

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