University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design + School of Social Policy & Practice

Join us to imagine and design a better future for the community you care most about.

Whether you’re looking to change direction, launch a new project, shape your community or simply live a more creative and purposeful life, the Executive Program in Social Innovation Design will start you on the road towards meaning and impact.

This innovative 7-month executive program from the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design and the Center for Social Impact Strategy (CSIS) at the School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2) provides a pathway towards positive impact. The program offers learning through online courses plus synchronous opportunities to create community, and a plan to apply skills in an independent project. Learn about the nuts and bolts of human-centered design, community needs assessment, performance measurement, and mobilization strategy.

Few programs combine rigorous training in design with strategy tools for social impact. This program integrates these two distinct but complementary subjects.

Who is this
program for?

It is for design professionals who want to utilize their skill set for positive change but aren't sure where to start.

It is for professionals working in mission-driven organizations but need design tools to achieve their goals.

It is for those seeking purpose and meaning at the intersection of work and values.

The Executive Program for Social Innovation Design (XSD)

This is a place for budding social innovators who want to take the first steps to identify a social problem, imagine innovative and sustainable solutions, and learn the tools to prototype and implement their ideas.

It is for:

— Designers
— Architects
— Urban planners
— Landscape architects
— Business professionals
— Nonprofit workers
— Government agency staffers

XSD Summit Images

Executive program for social innovation design

goals

Learn to move effectively between defining problems, designing solutions and piloting new approaches.
Connect with a fascinating and diverse community of creative problem solvers poised to make a difference.
Explore and test your ideas and move them towards reality.
Discover new frameworks and business models.
Build creativity and purpose into your daily work.

“I was most surprised at the speed and implementation of learning—how quickly I interacted with a new skill set, and the program support to experiment in the real world. XSD was a rigorous, valuable program, which is to be expected at Penn. But I didn’t expect the joy of interacting with teachers and colleagues who want to change the world. I found community here.”

— Allison Augustyn, XSD student 2021-2022, now an XSD Teaching Fellow

Program Overview

Our format lets you learn at your own pace plus includes opportunities to create a community. A feature of the seven-month experience is our on-campus summit in October, featuring Penn faculty, guest speakers, activities, and engaging workshops designed to connect you with the cohort and enhance the online course content. The program begins August 26, 2024, and applications will open on May 1. Look for our updated 2024 viewbook with more details posted on our website March 1, 2024.

ONLINE CORE COURSES (required)

Self & Society (3 weeks)

Design Thinking For Social Innovation (8 weeks)

Engagement for Impact (3 weeks)

XSD FALL SUMMIT (required)

On-campus Convening Event (required) (October 2024: dates TBD)

ONLINE INDEPENDENT STUDIO PROJECT (required)

Define, Design, Pilot

ONLINE ELECTIVES (one required)

Business Models (3 weeks)

Digital Media for Social Impact (3 weeks)

Inclusive Technology & Ethical Design (3 weeks)

Mobilizing People (3 weeks)

Performance Management (3 weeks)

XSD ONLINE EVENTS (optional)

Weekly Jam-out Sessions

Vision Day (February 2025: dates TBD)

Certificate Ceremony (April 2025: dates TBD)

Core Faculty

Sarah Rottenberg,Faculty Director, XSD

Sarah is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design and the Executive Director of the Integrated Product Design Program, a master's program at Penn that brings together design, business, and engineering. She also works as a consultant to corporate clients, training teams in design research methodologies and facilitating strategic product and business design sessions and teaches Design Thinking for Wharton Executive Education.

Ariel Schwartz, Faculty Director, XSD

Ariel is the Managing Director at the Center for Social Impact Strategy (CSIS) at the School of Social Policy and Practice at the University of Pennsylvania. Ariel has taught classes in Penn’s Nonprofit Leadership master’s program, including Social Entrepreneurship, Social Innovation, and International Development. Ariel studies how grassroots social sector organizations can make good use of donor-funded computing technology.

Julie Donofrio

Julie is the co-coordinator for OLIN Labs where she develops educational programs and supports research initiatives on topics such as community engagement and carbon neutrality. OLIN Labs acts as a conduit between academia and practice, recognizing the value of open dialogue among individuals with different expertise and methods but with common purpose. OLIN is the design studio is a firm of landscape architects, planners, and urban designers, located in Philadelphia and Los Angeles. Previously, Julie served as the Managing Director of PennPraxis, the center for applied research, engagement, and practice at the Weitzman School.

Kaveh Sadeghian

Kaveh develops transformative educational experiences for mission-driven leaders using trauma-informed, anti-oppressive, and equity-centered pedagogies. Kaveh has trained academic and industry innovators, and designed online programs. Currently, Kaveh is a Lead Strategist at 2U, where he directs the company’s learning strategy for undergraduate programs. Prior to 2U, Kaveh helped create Penn’s Center for Social Impact Strategy and served as its Creative Director. He continues his work at Penn as an Adjunct Professor, where he teaches courses on design-thinking, social innovation, and social impact strategy.

Important Program Dates

Mar 1

New 2024 viewbook released online

May 1

Applications Open

Aug 26

Program Begins

Want to learn more? Register for the next info session:

XSD INFO SESSION + ALUMNI PANEL

THURSDAY JULY 20 at 4:00 pm (eastern time)

You can SCHEDULE A CALL to talk to us one:one

Email us at XSD@DESIGN.UPENN.EDU

Watch the recording of our June XSD Alumni panel to hear directly about their experiences

APPLY NOW HERE

Create positive change.

You have the power to effect large-scale change and create solutions that matter to people. So, what’s next?

Apply Now Download Viewbook