Registration is now open!

REGISTER HERE

Please register by Thursday, February 8th, 2024 to secure your spot.

About GSIL

The Georgetown Social Innovation Lab is an annual pitch competition held at Georgetown University over the course of a weekend. GSIL gathers both graduate and undergraduate students to form teams and come up with innovative solutions to a pressing global problem. Students receive close mentorship by practitioners and entrepreneurs, so that by the end of the weekend they may pitch a technical intervention of their own design to a panel of expert judges. In the past, students have tackled issues around global health and nutrition and climate change. This year, we are asking participants to come up with ideas to create more resilient ‘Resilient Cities’. GSIL is a unique opportunity for students to interact with practitioners, engage in human-centered design in action, and launch their own social ventures.

Event Details

What?

Once registered, participants will be matched with 3 other teammates from across Georgetown University, and collectively undertake an “ideathon” on social innovation! 

When & Where?

GSIL will be held in-person at the Lohrfink Auditorium in the Hariri Building (GU Main Campus) on Saturday, Feb. 10th and Sunday, Feb. 11th. Attendance on both days is mandatory, and meals will be provided. The detailed run-of-show is listed below:

Day 1 (Saturday 2/10 from 9 am to 4 pm): 

• Check-in & Breakfast
• Introduction & Team Announcements
• Discussion on Sustainable Cities
• Team Ideation
• Lunch
• Team Ideation & Mentorship
• Workshop on Designing & Pitching Innovative Solutions
• Team Ideation & Mentorship

Day 2 (Sunday 2/11 from 9 am to 3 pm): 

• Check-in, Breakfast & Pitch Prep
• Pitches (5 minute pitch then 3 minutes of Q&A)
• Lunch
• Announcement of Winners

Who’s Coming?

Judges

• Uwe Brandes, Director for the Georgetown Global Cities Initiative 
• Dr. Marcus King, Director of MS in Environment & International Affairs, Earth Commons
• & more forthcoming!

Mentors

• Scott Davis, Georgetown Urban & Regional Planning Program 
• Stephen Gyor, Senior Sustainability Planner for the DC Office of Planning
• & more forthcoming!

Why Participate?

• GSIL is an opportunity for participants to network with like-minded and like-hearted individuals who are interested in social innovation, and collaborate at the intersection of business, policy, social impact!
• GSIL will help participants exercise their creative muscles in the field of resilient cities, as well as other adjacent fields such as climate, food & agriculture, public policy, technology for development, and social entrepreneurship.
• There are multiple generous prizes to be won (1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners).