Written By: Cynthia Munrayos
Hayden is a third-year Business Administration major at Northeastern University, and has been working at Innovation Studio for the past month. Currently, his focus is on social entrepreneurship and innovation with minors in Human Services and Writing. Hayden is passionate about businesses and organizations that have a social impact focus. He is actively working in the nonprofit, startup and community engagement space through his studies and co-op program.
“I think one of my takeaways from Innovation Studio so far is really pushing the idea that entrepreneurship and business and innovation can really be for anyone,” said Hayden. “Being in an industry where you might not feel like you’re in the majority or see many opportunities, having a space where you can ask the big and scary questions, and truly be yourself in an environment dedicated to openness, is invaluable.”
Hayden handles responsibilities including Salesforce data intake and assisting with blog and newsletter content creation. Particularly working closely with the community at our Roxbury Innovation Center on Washington Street from Monday to Thursday.
“The fact that I get to be in the Roxbury community every single day, just that in itself feels really impactful to me. I never want to enter a community and feel like I’m taking away more than I’m giving,” said Hayden.
Through his human services classes, much of his work involves engaging with local nonprofits that serve the university’s surrounding communities. One of these involves working as a tutor with nonprofits like 826 Boston, which is a writing, tutoring, and publishing organization assisting youth from K-12 to spread their voices through their stories.
“I’ve been really immersed in the world of nonprofits, social work, community engagement and running community programs. I think it’s really given me a good blend of learning business skills,” said Hayden. “It’s not just about creating a business with social impact. It’s about genuinely caring for the community, addressing its needs, and supporting business operations that benefit rather than harm it.
In his personal time, Hayden enjoys creative writing, particularly poetry and songwriting. From an academic and career perspective, he has developed a strong interest in investigative and journalistic writing. Some his work includes completing an in-depth research paper on Facebook’s algorithms and their societal impacts.
