Internship Description
Sorcha O'Byrne ’25 and Francesca Bruna Pipino ’25 spent the summer with the ReEntry Acceleration Program (REAP) at the Tamer Institute for Social Enterprise and Climate Change. O'Byrne developed a case study on funding a small business in New York City utilizing Columbia’s resources and network. Her work involved collaborating with stakeholders to create updated, impactful teaching materials for future REAP programs, enhancing the institute’s ability to deliver relevant and practical business education. Pipino worked with Startup Works — which connects formerly incarcerated individuals with entrepreneurial support through Columbia students, faculty, and alumni — and focused on enhancing the program’s curriculum and streamlining operational processes across fall and spring cohorts. Her work aimed to increase the program’s clarity, scalability, and long-term impact by developing a comprehensive playbook and structured processes to support justice-impacted entrepreneurs more effectively.
At the Tamer Institute I led the strategic overhaul of REAP Startup Works, an accelerator program for formerly incarcerated individuals and justice‑impacted communities. Recognizing that the program lacked structure and accountability, I redesigned the cohort timeline, clarified advisors’ roles, introduced a milestone‑based funding model, and built implementation tools to support ventures beyond the showcase. Working closely with Columbia Business School staff, I developed a roadmap that allows venture teams to make sustained progress and ensures equitable grant disbursement. This work directly advanced REAP’s mission to expand inclusive economic opportunity through education and capacity‑building.
My MBA studies equipped me to approach this challenge from a systems perspective. Courses on social enterprise and the ReEntry Acceleration Program immersion exposed me to the unique barriers faced by justice‑impacted entrepreneurs, while leadership roles in the Social Enterprise Club strengthened my stakeholder management skills. I also applied design‑thinking principles to reimagine the student and advisor experience, creating a milestone‑tracking system and templates inspired by agile workflows.
The main challenge was operating within an evolving program structure without a dedicated coordinator. Responsibilities had to be redistributed among existing staff, and I facilitated discussions to co‑design a realistic operating model. Balancing structure and flexibility was also difficult; teams at different stages needed accountability without feeling constrained.
This project reinforced my passion for social entrepreneurship and the power of thoughtful infrastructure. I saw how tailored support can catalyze both venture growth and reintegration for justice‑impacted individuals. The experience also deepened my skills in program design, stakeholder alignment, and operational strategy. I am grateful to the Tamer Institute for the opportunity and plan to continue working at the intersection of business, justice, and impact.