Pivot Program Recognized as One of 25 Innovations That Inspire

The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) has recognized Georgetown McDonough’s Pivot Program as one of 25 innovations that inspire change in the business school education landscape. 

The Pivot Program is a 10-month certificate in business and entrepreneurship designed for previously incarcerated individuals. 

“Georgetown McDonough is always seeking ways to incorporate our Jesuit values,” said Pietra Rivoli, co-executive director of the Pivot Program. “This project married our commitment to our city with the university’s broader commitment to racial justice.” 

Each year, the AACSB recognizes business schools that are globally transforming the face of higher education as part of its Innovations That Inspire Challenge. This year’s challenge was catalysts for innovation, and schools selected are those that help transcend the cultural, political, economic, and financial contexts in which they serve. 

The Georgetown Pivot Program began in 2018 as a collaboration between Rivoli and Professor Marc Howard, who leads Georgetown College’s Prisons and Justice Initiative. Fellows in the program spend half their time in class and half in internships, and receive a weekly stipend from the D.C. Department of Employment Services. At the end of the program, fellows either seek full-time employment or participate in Georgetown Venture Lab programming as they prepare to launch a business. 

“So many parts of Georgetown contribute to the Pivot program,” said Rivoli.  “It is wonderful to see this collaborative effort get the recognition it deserves.”