“People think that changing the world is a ridiculous ambition,” says Kyle Nacci, whose interests led him to found a campus group called Big Thinkers, inspired by URI’s “Think Big. We Do.” message. Big Thinkers eventually evolved into Thrive Academy, which concentrates on helping students discover their purpose. “If you focus on changing individual lives, you can see the immediate effects of your actions,” says Kyle who found his own purpose in helping others to thrive.

And what a thriving year it has been. Thanks to Kyle’s engagement with fellow student leaders, Thrive Academy has now spread to eight Rhode Island colleges and universities. He also received a Changemaker Fellowship from Rhode Island’s Social Entrepreneurship Greenhouse (SEG), a network of business and community leaders who contribute time, expertise, and money to create jobs and support positive change through social enterprise. The Changemaker Fellowship program selects one undergraduate at each of the Rhode Island universities and colleges—leaders who want to change the world through entreprenuership. It’s a joint initiative between SEG and the Founders League, a partnership focused on Rhode Island’s startup community.

“A lot of people aren’t interested in entrepreneurship because they think it’s just about making money. I want to show people that entrepreneurship is a tool for solving problems and helping people,” says Kyle. As director of Thrive Academy, he helps students connect with like-minded peers, create a life they love, and develop ventures that make a positive impact in the world.

“It wasn’t until I had a community of people to work with that I started achieving things,” says Kyle, who cites his first meeting with Big Thinkers as his proudest moment at URI.