Students helping to improve inclusion and workplace culture through hands-on learning
Vermont Business Magazine Champlain College and nuwave Equity Corporation have announced the Vermont Culture Innovators Project, an impactful initiative designed to reshape workplace culture in Vermont businesses while offering students invaluable hands-on learning experience. This partnership underscores a shared commitment to equipping students with real-world skills such as effective communication, cultural awareness, and community engagement while fostering meaningful connections with employers in Vermont.
A four-semester grant from the Vermont Community Foundation will support students and faculty working alongside nuwave leadership to improve workplace culture through technology. These initiatives are designed to create measurable impacts on businesses across diverse sizes, industries, and locations. Students may contribute through a variety of tasks, including conducting research, supporting B Corp certification opportunities, and developing educational materials. Launching in spring 2025, the program will provide students with 10 hours of paid work per week each semester through spring 2026.
As a leading Vermont-based technology and consulting firm, nuwave optimizes organizational culture through the values of diversity, inclusion, and equity. Leveraging cutting-edge technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning, nuwave’s tools gather internal data through curated surveys to promote scalable, cost-effective cultural changes that boost productivity and enhance workplace social safety.
“Students bring energy, curiosity, and innovative thinking to every project they touch, which is what makes this partnership with Champlain College so inspiring,” said Emiliano Void, Founder and CEO of nuwave Equity Corporation. “This program unites the creativity of Champlain’s students, the expertise of its faculty, and the strength of local resources to improve workplace culture, support the adoption of digital tools, and enhance employee performance across Vermont.”
Champlain’s partnership with nuwave demonstrates the College’s leadership in experiential education by connecting students directly with industry partners to tackle workplace culture and inclusivity challenges. Through immersive, real-world experiences, students develop the skills to become transformative leaders while making meaningful contributions to Vermont’s business community. This initiative exemplifies Champlain’s innovative approach to preparing graduates who can immediately contribute to—and help reshape—the modern workplace in Vermont and beyond.
“This partnership is a powerful example of how education and industry can come together to address existing societal needs,” said Meg Jones, Assistant Professor at Champlain College’s School of Social Innovation. “Through the Vermont Culture Innovators Program, students are learning and leading by shifting culture in Vermont businesses and building social impact skills and confidence to thrive in their future careers.”
About Champlain College: Founded in 1878, Champlain College is a small, not-for-profit, private college in Burlington, Vermont, with additional campuses in Montreal, Canada, and Dublin, Ireland. Champlain offers a residential undergraduate experience from its beautiful campus overlooking Lake Champlain. Additionally, Champlain College Online provides an expansive portfolio of online degrees and certificates, reaching students across all 50 states and U.S. territories, while fostering strategic partnerships with forward-thinking workforce organizations. The College is known for its distinctive and innovative approach to career-focused education and its Upside-Down Curriculum, which helps students be ready for work, ready for life, and ready to make a difference. Champlain is ranked as one of the “Best Colleges” by U.S. News & World Report for 2025, and was named one of the “Best 390 Colleges” by The Princeton Review for 2025, including among its “Best Northeastern colleges.” For more information, visit www.champlain.edu.
About nuwave: nuwave is an award winning Burlington based business intelligence technology company focused on workforce optimization through culture. nuwave uses an interdisciplinary team of experts and emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to map out cultural strengths and gaps across organizations, and connect them to unique strategies and solutions that activate change across all levels of the workforce. By connecting culture to business outcomes, nuwave can help show the financial impact of positive and negative culture on organizational performance. For more information, visit www.nuwaveco.com.
Source: [Burlington, Vt., Jan. 8, 2025 — ] Champlain College
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