Tulsa to Tanzania: Social Innovation Fund Offers Access to Experiences and Opportunities
Once Makayla Fleming ’25 knew she would be attending a two-week Babson entrepreneurship program in Tanzania, she began to realize just how many firsts the trip would bring.
Her first passport. Her first international trip. Her first 15-hour flight. Her elated family, meanwhile, seemed to be celebrating the opportunity even more than she was.
“It was a big deal for me, but I think it was an even bigger deal for them,” Fleming said. “They saw what being at Babson meant, and what kind of access it gives students.”
The opportunity was made possible thanks, in part, to Babson’s Social Innovation Fund, which helps students with financial need participate in transformational programs that might otherwise be out of reach. The fund, awarded through the Arthur M. Blank School for Entrepreneurial Leadership, supports experiential learning led by Babson, partner organizations, or self-directed students and was made possible by Babson Trustee KP Balaraj P’25.
Each student may apply for up to $5,000 per experience, with a lifetime cap of $10,000 during their time at Babson.
Opening Eyes in Oklahoma
Fleming, who is concentrating on environmental sustainability, first learned about the fund during her second year at Babson, when she was invited to join a powerful trip to Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The visit gave Fleming the opportunity to learn about the historic 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and the legacy of Black Wall Street.
“I had never heard about Black Wall Street before, and being there firsthand—talking to people with connections to that history—it was eye-opening,” Fleming said. “Emotionally heavy, but so important.”
Students visited Tulsa’s Greenwood Women’s Business Center, a program dedicated to boosting women entrepreneurs and local economies, and met with local business owners to learn more about their journeys.
For Fleming, the experience was not only educational but life changing. “It helped me connect to my roots,” she said. “It also made me think beyond the East Coast, beyond just going into a Big Four firm. It made me think about entrepreneurship, about helping build community in new places.”
A Passport to Purpose
This past winter, Fleming was able to tap the fund again when she joined Babson’s Youth Entrepreneur Program in Tanzania.
The experience offered more than a cultural exchange. As a sustainability student, Fleming was struck by Tanzania’s landscapes, agriculture, and community-based ways of life.
“We were there to teach entrepreneurship, but we learned just as much,” Fleming said. “We came in thinking we’d help them—but really, they helped us understand what real listening looks like. They didn’t need saving; they needed partners.”
From Access to Opportunity
In just a few months’ time, Fleming also participated in a third global program—a short-term course in Malaysia and Thailand over spring break that focused on the intersection of business and voluntourism.
From exploring green business models in Southeast Asia to sharing a firelit New Year’s celebration with students in Tanzania, Fleming has gained not only knowledge but also perspective. These moments have expanded her sense of self, affirmed her desire to give back, and sparked new professional ambitions.
“The Social Innovation Fund didn’t just help me financially—it helped me dream bigger.”
Makayla Fleming ’25
After graduating, Fleming will join National Grid’s Graduate Development Program as a full-time Associate Analyst in the Commercial Services department. There, she will help companies integrate sustainability into their core operations—a role she says draws directly from her global experiences and values shaped by Babson.
“I want to help businesses think beyond profit,” she said. “My goal is to make sure sustainability isn’t an afterthought—it’s the strategy.”
These journeys played a crucial role in broadening Fleming’s perspective, and she was able to take them thanks to a fund many students might not even know exists.
“If I hadn’t had these experiences, I would have still been thinking in a really limited way,” Fleming said. “The Social Innovation Fund didn’t just help me financially—it helped me dream bigger.”
Those interested in Babson’s summer programs have until May 9 to apply here.
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