optiMize

optiMize We help students turn ideas into impact and fund projects that pursue a positive future. Ask yoursel Stop waiting for someone else to change the world!

We are a student-led community that empowers others to innovate toward a just and sustainable future. Ask, "Why not me?"

May was filled with learning, connection, and growth. Through PODs, workshops, networking events, and our Detroit Trek, ...
05/31/2026

May was filled with learning, connection, and growth. Through PODs, workshops, networking events, and our Detroit Trek, fellows strengthened their skills, built meaningful relationships, and continued creating impact in their communities. 🌐✨

🌐 Cohort XIV Spotlight: Birthday Smiles Founded by Keeya Sannake and Natalie Juszczyk, Birthday Smiles is a nonprofit de...
05/27/2026

🌐 Cohort XIV Spotlight: Birthday Smiles

Founded by Keeya Sannake and Natalie Juszczyk, Birthday Smiles is a nonprofit dedicated to bringing the joy of birthday celebrations to children, even when resources are limited! 🎂

Their mission is to create meaningful memories for children and families by providing support, spreading joy, and building a strong sense of community. Through their passion for helping others, they hope to make birthdays special for children and families with limited resources.

We’re so excited to spotlight the amazing work they are doing and can’t wait to see the impact Birthday Smiles continues to make! 🌟

Congratulations to our lovely seniors! 🎓🩵We are so proud of you and grateful for all the amazing work you’ve done! 🌟
05/13/2026

Congratulations to our lovely seniors! 🎓🩵
We are so proud of you and grateful for all the amazing work you’ve done! 🌟

Workshop 4 was all about prototyping!Participants created low-fidelity prototypes, gathered feedback, and shared ideas a...
12/09/2025

Workshop 4 was all about prototyping!

Participants created low-fidelity prototypes, gathered feedback, and shared ideas across the cohort to keep refining their solutions.

Iteration is everything. 🌐💡✨

12/02/2025

Thanks to our incredible community, we’re only 13 donors away from unlocking our donation match for Giving Tuesday! 💛

Hear directly from our community about how Bamboo memberships empowered them to grow their ideas, find mentorship, and become part of something bigger.

Now, we need 13 more people to help us unlock this!

Every single donation gets us closer.

🔗 Donate through the link in our Linktree (in bio)

Giving Tuesday is HERE! Today’s the day! optiMize is raising funds to provide Bamboo memberships for Cohort 14, giving s...
12/02/2025

Giving Tuesday is HERE!

Today’s the day! optiMize is raising funds to provide Bamboo memberships for Cohort 14, giving student innovators the tools, mentorship, and community they need to bring bold ideas to life.

Your gift TODAY can unlock even more impact:
If we raise $5,000, a generous match will unlock an additional $5,000 and helping us reach our $10,000 goal!

Cohorts 12 & 13 benefited directly from Bamboo memberships, and now we’re paying it forward for the next generation of changemakers.
Donate now & help us unlock the match!

🔗 Link in our Linktree (in bio)

Thank you to everyone who has donated and continuing to support us!

One Week Until Giving Tuesday!We’re getting ready for one of the most meaningful days of the year, Giving Tuesday, and t...
11/26/2025

One Week Until Giving Tuesday!

We’re getting ready for one of the most meaningful days of the year, Giving Tuesday, and this year, optiMize is raising funds to provide Bamboo memberships for Cohort 14!

These memberships give student innovators access to the community, tools, and mentorship they need to bring world-changing ideas to life. 💡✨

We can’t wait to share more next week. Stay tuned to learn how you can support the next generation of change-makers and mark your calendars for December 2nd!
🔗 Donation link is in our Linktree (in bio)!

NEEDS & LEADS RECAP!🌐 This past Sunday, we hosted an amazing Q&A panel with SIC mentors to answer our participants’ burn...
11/13/2025

NEEDS & LEADS RECAP!🌐

This past Sunday, we hosted an amazing Q&A panel with SIC mentors to answer our participants’ burning questions!

Following that, we continued to solidify our statements, talk about project checkpoints, and identify our “needs” in order to propel the work further. After that, we offered “leads”, or actionable suggestions, to those needs. Come on collaboration!

Thank you to our amazing mentors and engaged participants who made this our best Needs and Leads yet.🩵

This past workshop, we dove deeper into understanding our stakeholders because every project is built on them, but how w...
10/27/2025

This past workshop, we dove deeper into understanding our stakeholders because every project is built on them, but how well do we really know them? 🤔

From fun icebreakers like guessing each other’s morning routines to mapping out pains, gains, and desires, we painted a clearer picture of the people at the heart of our work.

We also enjoyed some delicious Indian food and had pod conversations about what we’re looking forward to in the next workshops and events.

👉 Join us for Needs and Leads on November 9th! Don’t miss it 🌐

Did you catch us outside Joe’s Pizza asking, “If you could change the world, what would you change?” 🌍Now’s your chance ...
09/19/2025

Did you catch us outside Joe’s Pizza asking, “If you could change the world, what would you change?” 🌍

Now’s your chance to build on that idea! Join us for the Social Innovation Challenge, where we’ll help you turn your vision into a project with real impact.

It’s not too late to sign up- just use the form in our bio.
✨ Orientation is this Sunday, 9/21. See you there!

Special shoutout to everyone who stopped by our Diag boards 💙 Whether you shared transfer student advice (in collaboration with ) or answered our “change the world” question, we’re so grateful for your ideas and energy!

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500 S State St, Suite 1100
Ann Arbor, MI
48109

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