Campus Events Bring Together Enlightening Ideas and Passionate Minds

On Friday, April 11, North Central’s campus came alive with the spirit of global changemaking, as two events — Impactathon and the Changemaker Challenge — brought together enlightening ideas and passionate minds. Hosted by the College’s Leadership, Ethics and Values (LEV) Program and supported by the School of Business and Entrepreneurship, the day was a celebration of innovative ideas aimed at making a difference.

The first event was Impactathon, an immersive, day-long experience where students engaged in hands-on workshops and connected with local industry leaders. In collaboration with Neetal Parekh, co-founder and CEO of Innov8social, the event was designed to make social entrepreneurship accessible, actionable, and transformative. Throughout the day, student teams pitched their own social impact initiatives, putting their ideas into practice in a real-world setting. As a result, two student teams — The Algae Initiative and Run with Your Heart (Youth Running Camp) — were invited to pitch their idea later that day at the 7th Annual Changemaker Challenge.

The Changemaker Challenge is the LEV Program’s signature campus-wide event, offering students the opportunity to pitch innovative solutions to pressing social issues. Presenting to a panel of judges, social venture initiatives can receive up to $5,000 in funding, and humanitarian projects can receive up to $2,500 in funding, thanks to the generous support of the Hartner-Gotsch Social Impact Grant and the Mironda K. Heston Scholarship.

“Our goal is for students to feel empowered and to realize they can create change right here, right now, just as they are,” said Julie Nagashima, assistant professor of ethical leadership; coordinator Character Education Certificate Program; Director of Leadership Ethics & Values. “Some arrive with a deep passion and drive to make a positive impact. Others come with an open mind to discover new ideas and skills. At the end, students are impacted by one another’s passion and see themselves as changemakers with something valuable to contribute.”

On the judging panel was Dr. David Green, Dean of the School of Business and Entrepreneurship at North Central College; Saily Joshi, DE&I Facilitator and Advocate for Social Equity at Justice and Human Rights; John Joseph, Managing Director and Board Member at West Suburban Angels; and Nicole Astra, Executive Director at APS Training Academy. By the end of the evening, a total of $14,000 was awarded to six student-led initiatives.

Emmanuel Agyekum ’26 took home the top prize of $5,000 in funding as part of the Hartner-Gotsch Social Impact Grant for the social venture, Safari Strivers. The project will power the launch of the Safari TechStyle Hub in Gisenyi, Rwanda — a community-owned, digitally equipped tailoring center in Gisenyi, Rwanda, to provide women with stable jobs, modern tools, and renovated sanitation facilities to foster dignity, economic opportunity, and long-term impact. Additionally, Corey Phillips ’26 received $3,000 for Social Storm LLC, and Gabriel Ham ’25, Taylin Lemke ’25, and Sean Carson Moore ’27 received $1,000 for The Algae Initiative.

For the humanitarian projects, Carolina Alfaro ’25 received $2,500 in funding as part of the Mironda K. Heston Scholarship for Safari Strives. In addition, Derick Maina ’25 received $2,000, and Macy Fleury ’25 received $500 for their initiatives.

The day’s events brought together a vibrant community of students, staff, faculty, administrators, and community partners — united by a shared commitment to expanding the reach and impact of social innovation and changemaking worldwide. “The most inspiring part is witnessing students create innovative and bold ideas that move people and spark action, inviting others to want to be part of their mission,” added Nagashima. “It’s powerful to see students care deeply about the world and to see them actively contribute to creating positive change in society.”

Results and project descriptions of each awardee:

Hartner-Gotsch Social Impact Grant (social venture funding) 

Safari Strivers by Emmanuel Agyekum

Funding: $5,000

Venture: Launch the Safari TechStyle Hub — a community-owned, digitally equipped tailoring center in Gisenyi, Rwanda — to provide women with stable jobs, modern tools, and renovated sanitation facilities.

Social Storm LLC by Corey Phillips

Funding: $3,000

Venture: Empower young adults from underserved communities through financial literacy and entrepreneurship education — delivered via workshops, peer-led learning, and media platforms — to close the wealth gap and inspire the next generation of economic leaders.

The Algae Initiative by Gabriel Ham, Taylin Lemke, and Sean Carson Moore

Funding: $1,000

Venture: Use funding to research and produce alternative paper products from algae.

Mironda K. Heston Scholarship (humanitarian projects funding)

Safari Strivers by Carolina Alfaro

Funding: $2,500

Project: Renovate the bathroom facilities at the Safari TechStyle Hub in Gisenyi, Rwanda, and facilitate a five-day feminist empowerment workshop for 50 young women to promote dignity, wellness, and community.

The Water and Dignity Project by Derick Maina

Funding: $2,000

Project: Bring clean water access and basic comfort to a rural Kenyan community by installing a secure 8,000L water tank system and providing mattresses to vulnerable families, especially those with infants — empowering girls, protecting health, and restoring dignity.

Run with Your Heart (Youth Running Camp) by Macy Fleury

Funding: $500

Project: Teach kids about the health benefits of exercise while raising money to support free cardiac screenings in schools across the country, so children's heart abnormalities don’t go undetected.