Our History
March 2015
The idea for Powerful Means is born on the “back of a napkin” during a meeting between Professor Wendy Angst and industry expert and adjunct instructor Matt Alverson, as they imagined what the future of high-impact, design-thinking projects could be for ND students.
September 2018
Professor Angst receives an initial endowment gift supporting experiential, beyond-the-classroom learning opportunities for ND students, laying the foundation for building the Powerful Means Initiative.
March 2020
The first class travels to St. Bakhita Vocational Training Center (SBVTC) in Kalongo, Uganda, quickly building a strong connection with the community and recognizing significant potential for positive impact.
Read about the first class collaboration
November 2020
The partnership between the University of Notre Dame and the Archdiocese of Gulu is finalized, paving the way for a multi-year collaboration between ND and SBVTC to identify and implement collaborative innovations to not only support the school’s students, but also to help the school become financially self-sustaining and improve the region’s economic prosperity.
May 2022
The first iteration of the Powerful Means Impact Fund is launched, providing financial support for the implementation of Notre Dame undergraduate business proposals.
January 2022
The Innovation for Impact Club is launched, enabling students from across campus to engage with the initiative, while also providing a structure through which to engage professionals from a wide variety of industries.
Read about the launch of Innovation for Impact
June 2022
The summer fellowship program is launched, supporting field research and prototype testing with one Glynn Honors student research, an International Development Minor student researcher, a Mendoza Fellow and an Inspired Leadership Initiative Fellow.
August 2022
Powerful Means receives another endowment gift designed to grow experiential learning opportunities for ND students.
October 2022
A collaboration with Hammes Bookstore is launched to sell textiles made by students at St. Bakhita VTC and further elevate the impact of the partnership with SBVTC.
Read about the Hammes Bookstore collaboration
November 2022
The What Would You Fight For: Fighting to Grow the Good in Business video airs, highlighting the collaboration between Powerful Means and SBVTC and quickly building the program’s visibility.
Watch the 'What Would You Fight For' video
December 2023
The Powerful Means directorship is endowed, supporting strategic growth of the Initiative.
January 2024
The second iteration of Impact Fund is piloted, providing both micro-investments and business consulting support from ND undergraduate students to partners at SBVTC.