Triple Bottom Line Interest

Mover & Shaker

Connector

Social JusticePassion

CreativityAficionado

CAMPUS Y

The Campus Y is the center for social justice and innovation at UNC! With a rich legacy of over 150 years of service, the Y is now home to over 30 committees &

2,000 student members, all with strong socially minded missions!

Exposing youth to tolerance,

Activism is built on the power of humanity

Launched ‘campaigns’ initiative that mobilizes students around

pressing social justice issues

Worked on transitional employment community

urban garden

Led 3 day social justice ‘Catalyst Conference’ to inspire 100 high school

students to be change agents

TRANSLATING SOCIAL JUSTICE PASSIONS TO ACTION

Importance of socioeconomic diversity

in service & activism

Aided in rollout of 4 year leadership & service development

program that leverages federal work study money

Strong passion for affordable housing &

transitional employment

$$$$$$$$$

I am a CONNECTOR.... MassChallenge:• Raised $14M+ worth of in-kind

offers so startups had access to the most needed resources

• Created and executed “office hours” program to match VC’s,

universities, foundations, & corporations to the startup

Campus Y:• Launched UNC’s Social

Innovation Incubator to connect student innovators to resources (mentors, funding, idea-sharing,

legal advice, & curriculums)•Created a microgrant/microloan

system to support students’ social justice initiatives

hBEIJING

aS

My life has been a winding road that has transformed me into a individual who values experience, yet yearns for risks, adventure,

and newness.

I am a MOVER....

From working in a juice store in Beijing to an accelerator in Massachusetts, I have come to value diversity of thought. It is through

disparate and honest opinions that future success is created. In assembling a team, a lens of diversity must be used. I firmly believe

that diversity is one the strongest tenets of innovation.

....and a SHAKERI see opportunity where others see failure.

When I hear risk, I think potential.

Reading Peter Drucker’s “Innovation & Entrepreneurship” & Eric Ries’ “Lean Startup” has taught me to take advantage of opportunities as

soon as they are realized!Business ideas need not be worked out to a ‘T’...Rather we must take risks, learn from our experiences, and get our ideas out to the public.

From mobilizing to shake things up in the

local community to SHAKING President

Obama’s hand....

I see profit maximization and social betterment ≠ mutually exclusive ideas but rather as cohesive forces that can strike unmatched success for the planet,

profits, and people when effectively pursued.

PlanetNew found passion for

biomimicry thanks to in depth academic analysis of

InterfaceFLOR

Aspiration for zero waste goal: Cradle to Cradle,

not cradle to grave

TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE INTEREST

ProfitAs a calculus & economics

guru, I love balanced equations and fiscal

responsibility!

How do we maximize profits to maximize

social change?

People

POWER to the PEOPLE!I see the potential in others, from my classmates to the larger human population

How do we empower all of our stakeholders to ensure innovation &

sustainability ?

• Lover of photography (notably 35mm B&W)

6 Years of working at band camp > ability to play 7 instruments

Marching band enthusiast!

• flute• saxophone• drums• mellophone

• trombone• tuba• trumpet

Embrace failureExploit uncanny collaborations

CREATIVITY & ARTISTIC AFICIONADO

Think artisticallyThought “collisions”

Founded TEDxUNCto increase highlight commonalities that

connect us & expose the community to creative

solutions for humanity’s greatest problems

So....what will I bring to StartingBloc?

A full head of golden locks that inspire and encourage the

kookiest of ideas

Observant eyes (that are open thanks to many cups o’ joe) that love to take in the environment, finding opportunity & potential

The desire to give feedback while constantly connecting to others through both common and disparate interests, ideas, and goals

A creatively analytical mind that loves arts driven ideas & data

driven results

Mackenzie Thomas@Mackenzie_RT

linkedin.com/in/mackenziethomascampus-y.unc.edu/mackenziethomas

"Stuff your eyes with wonder.Live as if you’d drop dead in ten seconds.See the world. It’s more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories.Ask no guarantees, ask for no security, there never was such an animal.And if there were, it would be related to the great sloth which hangs upside down in a tree all day every day, sleeping its life away. To hell with that. Shake the tree and knock the great sloth down on his ass!”

-Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451"