Project Mentor: Dr. Willy Das, Lehigh@NasdaqCenter
2025 Impact Fellows:
Gianna Grillo '28
Nicholas Neustadt '28
Isaiah Sohn '26
Kathy Tiet '28
Project Description:
How can we design evidence-based interventions that help founders sustain well-being without sacrificing impact?
Building on Year 1’s cross-cultural research on how innovators define and pursue work-life balance, this project moves from understanding to action. In 2025, the team conducted in-depth interviews with founders and changemakers across industries and regions to explore how personal values, cultural norms, and organizational contexts shape their well-being. These insights revealed patterns of stress, coping, and recovery unique to entrepreneurial life.
In 2026, the next phase will prototype and test targeted well-being interventions, such as reflection tools, peer-support circles, and digital micro-practices, co-designed with entrepreneurs and ecosystem partners. The goal is to create scalable, evidence-informed solutions that foster resilience, improve recovery from burnout, and enhance sustained engagement among founders leading social and technological innovation.
Future teams will analyze pilot results, iterate on intervention models, and contribute to open-source resources and thought leadership on founder well-being. Students will also gain experience in human-centered design, qualitative analysis, and behavioral change frameworks applied in real entrepreneurial contexts.
We welcome students from all majors who are passionate about entrepreneurship, innovation, and social impact, and who want to help create a new model of success where thriving founders build thriving ventures.