About Us


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Duke
Long-standing Commitment to Social Innovation
Duke has been a pioneering leader in the study and practice of social innovation and entrepreneurship and Duke has proven success in supporting social entrepreneurs on the front lines of social change. For example, the Social Entrepreneurship Accelerator at Duke was a five-year program that supported innovative solutions to address global health challenges. In a similar vein, the Duke-UNICEF Innovation Accelerator supports innovative solutions that address the health and needs of children. Social entrepreneurs also receive engagement and support from Duke staff, faculty, students and alumni. The Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative coordinates campus engagement with the Accelerator.
UNICEF
A Track Record of Protecting Children
UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, to defend their rights, and to help them fulfil their potential, from early childhood through adolescence. By participating in the Innovation Accelerator, UNICEF builds on a 70-year history of innovating to improve the lives of children across the globe. UNICEF is committed to ensuring that every child lives in a safe and clean environment, thus its commitment to menstrual health and hygiene.
UNICEF USA
UNICEF USA supports UNICEF’s work, and other efforts in support of the world’s children, through fundraising, advocacy and education in the United States. UNICEF USA works with governments, civic leaders, celebrities, corporations, campus groups, churches, teachers and people just like you–anyone willing to help advocate for the survival and well-being of every child.
Our Mission
UNICEF and Duke University have come together to identify, assess, develop, build and scale sustainable solutions to the most pressing challenges facing children and youth around the world today.
Together, A Force for Good
The Duke-UNICEF Innovation Accelerator leverages these organizations’ networks and expertise to provide a unique environment that helps the best ideas come to fruition and change the lives of children.
Social Innovation Ecosystem
Enhancement of UNICEF’s innovation and market engagement capacity
Through this partnership, UNICEF and its participating Country Offices will have a strengthened ability to select and support innovations with the potential to scale, and work confidently with the private sector on market-wide and individual corporate engagement.
Increased impact through transformative learning, research, and thought leadership at Duke
The Accelerator has become an important hub for engaging faculty, staff, students and alumni around social innovation and entrepreneurship, global health, international development and civic engagement. The Accelerator draws on diverse perspectives and expertise from across Duke, while also engaging students in meaningful projects in an effort to inspire the next generation of social entrepreneurs and changemaking leaders. Finally, Duke captures and disseminates lessons learned and policy implications that will foster scalable, sustainable innovation to catalyze change for greater impact.