Not for Profit opens 'House of Innovation' to Foster Social Sector Startups

Samaritas, a Michigan-based human services nonprofit organization, recently announced the opening of their “House of Innovation” within their headquarters in Detroit. The idea behind this new space is to promote teamwork - connecting entrepreneurs, tech innovators, and leaders in social services - so they can come together and develop solutions that can try and make a difference in how care is delivered. 

"Demand for the social safety net is rising while government funding has peaked and the nonprofit workforce is stretched thin," said Dave Morin, President and CEO of Samaritas. "As the complexity of issues increases, the path to survival for nonprofits requires intense innovation. We want to be the hub of that intersection between social service, innovative approaches, and tech."

To help tackle these kinds of inefficiencies, the House of Innovation has partnered with organizations including MindsEmerge, which offers an AI-based, screen-free program designed to boost early childhood literacy, and Pype, an AI-driven platform aiming to simplify compliance and cut down admin work for social workers. 

Morin emphasized that effective social services don’t just help individuals and communities, they also have wide-reaching effects, like fewer emergency room visits, better attendance at schools, and more people participating in the workforce.

Besides providing space and support for startups, Samaritas is teaming up with Michigan Central, Detroit’s hub for tech development, to help these startups get to market and find customers. 

"The oxygen startups rely on is commercialization and customer acquisition," said Sean White, director of strategy at Michigan Central. "Large community-facing organizations like Samaritas, with balance sheets and a drive for efficiencies, can be equally valuable partners. This collaboration expands opportunities for infusing technology across the social sector."

The statement highlights the fact that social services is a huge and largely overlooked market, with a market size of about $1.4 trillion and employs more than 12.5 million people. For these reasons, "Startups and innovators should view social services not as charity, but as a massive, underserved market ripe for disruption," Morin added.

Samaritas itself has been around for more than ninety years, and offers a wide range of services in Detroit, Lansing and Grand Rapids. On its website, it says that “service and mission are at the heart of what we do.”

To find out more, visit their site. They’re inviting startups who want to get involved to reach out to Samaritas leadership and explore collaboration opportunities by contacting Dave Morin or Kelli Dobner.