UChicago Launches Harris Social Impact Fellowship with Gift from Ben Appen

A transformative gift from Ben Appen, founding partner of Magnitude Capital and longtime social impact philanthropist, is making possible the launch of the new Harris Social Impact Fellowship—an 11-month program at the Harris School of Public Policy designed to train a select group of technically-skilled recent college graduates to use data and evidence in pursuit of the public good.

The commitment, by Appen and his wife, Leslie Chang, will help support an inaugural cohort of fifteen fellows, funding their full participation in an immersive experience that combines rigorous academic coursework with real-world impact projects. Through this fellowship, Harris aims to catalyze a new pipeline of mission-driven professionals possessing data analysis and technical skills who are prepared to support, advocate for, and work to help the nonprofit sector tackle urgent policy issues.

“In my career and philanthropy, I’ve seen firsthand how critical it is to equip future leaders with the tools to understand what works—and why,” said Appen. “This program will empower talented young people to make tangible contributions to public service early in their careers, grounded in evidence and driven by the chance to bring fresh and increasingly important skills to organizations that strive to improve lives in communities around the world.”

Launching in 2026, the Harris Social Impact Fellowship is designed for recent college graduates and other young people with strong STEM training. Fellows will spend Summer Quarter building foundational skills in data analytics, economics, and political analysis before embedding with high-impact civic partners — including the UChicago Urban Labs, Behavioral Insights and Parenting Lab, and the Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation — for intensive project-based learning throughout Autumn, Winter, and Spring Quarters. These projects will offer fellows firsthand opportunities, working in tandem with some of the world’s leading public policy researchers, to advance progress in policy realms from early childhood development and education equity to gun violence and urban governance.

“This program reflects the best of what Harris stands for: rigorous training, practical application, and a deep commitment to public impact,” said Ethan Bueno de Mesquita, dean and Sydney Stein Professor at Harris. “We are profoundly grateful to Ben Appen and his family for their vision and partnership in launching this initiative. Their support will not only change the trajectory of these fellows’ careers—it will help shape the future of social policy.”

The animating idea, according to Appen, who serves on the board of Innovations for Poverty Action and has had deep involvement with other social impact organizations, is that the fellowship gets more technically talented people into public service and excited about making an impact in the non-profit sector.

“Our ambition is that the non-profit organizations that fellows embed with –- or that they ultimately go work for — will benefit from having access to this analytical talent that can better help it understand which of their programs are working, how they might be adapted, and even identify brand new paths forward,” he said. “It’s critical that efforts in the non-profit space be designed, executed, and measured with rigor – that’s how you reveal the kinds of vital insights that can lead to real progress.”

In addition to embedding in organizations committed to the most rigorous kinds of research and analysis, fellows will complete a capstone project, as well as interact with senior-level mentors and enjoy professional development opportunities throughout the duration of the program. The fellowship will culminate in a presentation of their work to faculty, civic partners, and the broader University community.

The fellows’ connection to the University and the policy ecosystem that they have been exposed to will not end there, however. After completing the program, fellowship alumni will benefit from sustained engagement opportunities, including the chance to mentor future fellowship cohorts, network with their peers, join advisory boards, and more. These opportunities will help extend their impact for years to come.

“This is about creating a durable pipeline of impact leaders, connected by this shared and distinctive experience,” said Associate Professor Austin Wright, faculty director of the fellowship. “Fellows are not only gaining these invaluable skills that set them apart, but becoming part of a lifelong community of changemakers committed to solving complex policy problems in the real world.”

“It’s not a secret that the recruiting landscape for the most talented young people with science and technical backgrounds is dominated by private firms in technology and finance,” Appen said. “Having the Harris Social Impact Fellowship, a program that is selective and confers status -- similar in some ways to Teach for America or The Marshall Scholarship -- will offer today’s brightest young leaders an attractive early-career path in the public policy and service arena.”

In addition to Appen, the Harris Social Impact Fellowship benefits from a group of generous benefactors and advisors, many of whom are involved in quantitative finance and other fields that have been reshaped by the application of rigor and discipline. That group includes CEO and co-founder of NextLadder Ventures Ryan Rippel, who focuses on how AI can boost inclusive upward mobility. He previously ran the U.S. anti-poverty efforts for the Gates Foundation and serves on the Fellowship’s advisory board. 

“Our world will be transformed over the coming decade by AI’s advancement across broad swaths of human endeavor. It will be critical that we move more of our strongest technically trained Americans into roles where they help shape how our society can respond and ensure everyone is brought along together,” Rippel said. “I’m excited to help out on the Harris Fellowship because I think it can be an important part of this effort to ensure all in this country have access to tools critical for unlocking opportunity and upward mobility.”

The Harris Social Impact Fellowship is a signature component of Harris’s broader commitment to applied, data-driven public policy education.

To learn more or support future cohorts, visit info.harris.uchicago.edu/social-impact-fellowship.