Pivot Fellows Design Programs for Social Good

Posted in Announcements News  |  Tagged Design thinking

Pivot Program’s Design Thinking course emphasizes experiential learning that extends well beyond the classroom. More than an academic exercise, it empowers fellows to tackle real-world social issues using problem-solving and innovation. Over several months, students worked in teams to develop creative solutions for their client, Progressing Life in the Community (PLC). An intensive process of ideation, refinement, and practice culminated in a final presentation to PLC on February 3rd.

Leading the course was Professor Evelyn Williams from Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business, who has played a pivotal role since the program’s inception. Williams’ expertise lies in human-centered design— the process of empathy-building, understanding user needs, and stepping into the perspectives of people whose experiences may differ from their own.

“I think in some ways I see Pivot Fellows as coming to the class already very, very creative,” Williams shared. “Their’s has been a life of the mind. I just give them structures to describe what they already have arrived at—they are creative, and these classes give them language to describe their ideas more effectively.”

This year’s client, PLC, is a nonprofit that serves children, youth, and families in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Washington, D.C. Founded in 1983, PLC is built on three core pillars: community, economic mobility, and capacity building. Through transformative programming, they empower clients to build stable, self-sustaining futures.

For their project, the 4P Project (Positive Proactive Programming with Purpose), PLC challenged the fellows to design programs that tackle economic mobility, addressing systemic barriers like generational poverty, literacy gaps, and limited technology access. The goal was to create lasting, multi-generational change—helping children, young adults, and families transition from where they are to where they hope to be.

Fellows were divided into teams, each focused on a specific target group: pre-teens, high school students, or heads of households. Their program designs were tailored to the unique needs of these users.

Some fellows brought personal experience to their work, making their final pitches both insightful and deeply meaningful.

“I came from foster care. And so what we’re working on now is dear to me,” shared fellow Shannon Sisney.

Professor Williams emphasized how the course fosters personal growth, helping fellows gain confidence in their abilities while harnessing their creativity to drive meaningful change.

“They wanted to make a positive impact on their community, and they will,” Williams reflected. “How do you make a profit and at the same time make the world a better place? They do just that. They’re thoughtful storytellers.”

The impact of the presentations was felt not just by the fellows, but also by PLC. PLC President and Chief Executive Officer Diana Banks emphasized the significance of their contributions.

“The presentations were visually stunning. They were suggestions that could be implemented right away. We have a team meeting on Thursday and the opening session for the meeting is just to review the presentations because there are things in there that we can do tomorrow.” 

When asked which programs Banks was hoping to implement, she was quick to respond: “ All of them.” She described the Pivot Fellows as bringing “a wealth of knowledge, creativity, and a desire to see things change that should absolutely be tapped into and leveraged.”

The final presentations were a moment of pride for all involved. Professor Williams captured the energy in the room:

Looking ahead, PLC will explore ways to implement some of the fellows’ ideas, such as dinners with dads, and youth advocacy council programs, bringing their visions to life and impacting the very communities their projects were designed to serve.