Phyllis M. Taylor Center for Social Innovation and Design Thinking

Ready to dive into the world of Design Thinking? This in-person workshop is the perfect chance to get hands-on experience, meet cool people, and have fun while learning.
Whether you’re a newbie or just curious, we’ve got you covered with practical tips and activities. Don’t miss out on this awesome opportunity to boost your skills and enjoy a great day out!

RSVP using the link in our bio

What a moment for our Changemaker Institute Fellows 👏🏾✨

Last week at Tulane Innovation Day during New Orleans Entrepreneur Week, our fellows took the stage for the Changemaker Institute Feedback Forum and they truly delivered! From bold ideas to thoughtful solutions, they wowed the audience and received incredibly valuable feedback to help take their ventures even further.
We’re so grateful to the Institute for continuing to be such an incredible partner. This collaboration is one we deeply value, and we’re excited to keep building together year after year.

Now, it’s time for the next step…
Join us for the Changemaker Institute Showcase on April 22 at 1PM in Tulane’s Business School! This event marks the culmination of our fellows’ journey in the pre-accelerator, where they’ll present their stronger, sharper, and even more impactful ventures again.
Come out, support, and celebrate! There will be food, refreshments, and a whole lot of inspiration.

RSVP link in bio

This weekend the Taylor Center hosted an interactive conversation about how we can strengthen our local food systems during .
Great discussion were held by Lesley-Ann Noel (author of Design Social Change), Melissa Fuster (author of Caribeños at the Table), Marguerite Sheffer (author of The Man in the Banana Trees), Professor of Practice Jelagat Cheruiyot, and Samantha Fleurinor from the New Orleans Food Policy Council. Together they explored how food, culture, policy, and community all intersect when we talk about access and equity in our food systems.
The conversation was thoughtful, engaging, and full of great ideas from the audience. We also loved seeing so many students and festival attendees stop by to spin the wheel and join the discussion.
Thank you to everyone who came through and spent time with us.

Meet the 2026 Changemaker Institute Fellows!!

The Taylor Center for Social Innovation and Design Thinking is proud to introduce this year’s cohort of innovators who are developing ventures that address real-world challenges and create meaningful impact. Over the coming months, these fellows will share their ideas, refine their ventures, and engage with our community for feedback and support.

You’re invited to be part of their journey:
Feedback Forum during Tulane Innovation Day
March 11, 2026
1:00 PM
Hear fellows pitch their ventures and offer real-time feedback to help shape their growth.

Changemaker Institute Showcase
April 22, 2026
1:00–3:00 PM
Celebrate the culmination of their work as fellows present their ventures to the broader community.

*Registration is required for both events. Links are in our bio.
Come support the next generation of changemakers and be part of bringing their ideas to life.

The Taylor Center is offering free professional coaching to members of the Tulane University community and changemakers across the Greater New Orleans. As part of the Associate Certified Coach (ACC) training, emerging coaches Rebecca Otten, Sienna Abdulahad and Julia Lang are providing a complimentary coaching package designed to support your growth personally and professionally. Whether you’re seeking clarity around goals, navigating transitions, strengthening leadership skills, building confidence, or creating accountability systems that actually work, coaching offers a supportive space to reflect, strategize, and move forward with intention. Participants will receive six one-hour coaching sessions over 3-4 months, tailored to your needs and goals. Coach bios are available on the Taylor Center website so you can find the best fit for your journey. If you’re ready to invest in yourself, we invite you to enroll.

Just before the holidays, the Taylor Center had the pleasure of hosting a Design Thinking workshop for , a New Orleans–based marketing agency, during their team work retreat. Choosing to pause, reflect, and invest in collective growth during such a busy season speaks volumes about their commitment to evolution as a team.
During the session, participants tackled a design challenge centered on reimagining an experience for a cause or organization they deeply care about and the results were nothing short of beautiful. From thoughtful collaboration to bold, human-centered ideas, the energy in the room was inspiring.
Moments like these remind us of the power of design thinking as a tool for connection, creativity, and impact. We’re grateful to the Spears Group team for trusting us to be part of their journey and for showing what’s possible when purpose meets process.

Honoring a decade of impact as we bid farewell to Julia Lang. Thank you for your leadership, mentorship, and heart. Wishing you the best on your next journey!

Join us today for our Design Thinking 101 Workshop, led by our Associate Director of Design Thinking, Dr. Tulio Maximo.

Tulio joined the Taylor Center this August and brings over a decade of experience designing educational tools, mobility solutions, and learning experiences that center empathy and improve quality of life for marginalized communities. His approach offers a fresh perspective on the Design Thinking process, one that we’re eager for our community to experience.

If you’ve attended a Design Thinking 101 workshop with us in the past, we’d love for you to reconnect and explore this evolving methodology through Tulio’s lens. Whether you’re looking to refresh your understanding or discover new ways to apply Design Thinking in your work, this session promises to be insightful, hands-on, and inspiring.

Event Details:
Propeller, 4035 Washington Ave, New Orleans, LA
Friday, November 7
5:00 PM

Congrats to Abigail Heck one of last years Changemaker Catalyst Award recipient! Pictured: Abigail in the field collecting Kenyan freshwater fish, then back in the lab extracting DNA for barcoding. Thanks to the funding she’s enabling cost-effective genetic sequencing methods to better understand biodiversity. Applications now open for the Changemaker Catalyst Award are now open, link in bio to apply!