Deloris “Dela” Wilson has high aspirations for her role as the 2021-22 social entrepreneur-in-residence (SEIR) at the Brittingham Social Enterprise Lab (BSEL) at the USC Marshall School of Business.
“I hope to affirm the dreamer in the students I mentor,” Wilson said. “Often our life circumstances can dissuade us from taking the leap or from assuming the risk. I hope to inspire others to keep pushing forward.”
The founder and managing director of Axle Impact Studio, a global social impact strategy firm, and the founder of Due Goodies, a promotional products company targeting the student loan debt crisis, Wilson says she sees so much of herself in the Master of Science in Social Entrepreneurship (MSSE) students.
“I am excited to be a resource for ambitious ideas and multi-hyphenate passions, especially during a historic, global transition where rebuilding resilient systems is top of mind,” she said.
The Brittingham Social Enterprise Lab (BSEL) is a Center of Excellence at USC Marshall that equips students, faculty and staff with the business and entrepreneurship skills to develop market-based solutions to the most pressing problems of the 21st century, like poverty alleviation, health care, gender equity, education and sustainability. The lab uses education, community building, research and professional development to be the hub of social entrepreneurial efforts at USC.
Wilson’s primary responsibilities as SEIR are to meet with students weekly as a coach, mentor and advisor, helping them navigate career questions, new venture ideas, course assignments and—her favorite—strategic life design.
“I will use my own experience across the nonprofit and private sectors in building and scaling social enterprises, and participating in a number of fellowships, to share resources, inspiration, toolkits, frameworks and perspective as a social entrepreneur,” she said. “I will also support BSEL programming and look forward to being a resource for faculty and staff if desired.”
The BSEL introduced the idea of an on-campus professional not long after the program launched in 2014.
“Since 2016, we have offered the SEIR as a resource to students and alumni of our programs,” said BSEL Managing Director Abby Fifer Mandell. “We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Dela to our team.”
Person First, Strategist Second
A self-described “policy wonk by training and strategist by design,” Wilson brings more than 10 years of experience in building and scaling teams from conception to international impact, as well as C-suite coaching.
Before founding her own companies, she served as head of impact and strategy for HBCUvc, a leading nonprofit reimagining the innovation economy by developing the next generation of venture capital leaders, and head of strategy and operations for BEACON: The D.C. Women Founders Initiative, a public-private partnership and campaign among Google, the D.C. Mayor's Office and Georgetown's Institute for Technology Law and Policy. She earned a J.D. from Georgetown University, an MPA from Harvard University and a B.A. in political science from Spelman College.
Despite her passion for strategy, Wilson says, “I’m a person first. A strategist second. And I appreciate mistakes.”
Recommended Readings
Her three favorite books offer insight into her personality: Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein, Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself by Nedra Glover Tawwab and Sula by Toni Morrison. Epstein’s 2019 book, which Forbes called “the most important business—and parenting—book of the year,” examines the world’s best athletes, artists, musicians, inventors and scientists and finds that generalists, not specialists, are more likely to succeed. Tawwab’s book is a self-help guide based on her philosophy that a lack of boundaries and assertiveness is at the root of most relationship problems. Nobel Prize winner Morrison’s 1973 novel is an acclaimed example of black feminist literature.
Wilson also edited a book published with HBCUvc, Black Founders at Work: Journeys to Innovation, in which she helped chart the leadership and business journeys of some of the world's most successful technology entrepreneurs and venture capitalists.
Summing up the strengths she brings to her role as SEIR, Wilson said, “I bring lived experience in the outcomes that I am ardently attempting to design solutions for, and a perspective that orients the marginalized to the center.”
Wilson looks forward to adding mentorship for aspiring social entrepreneurs at a world-class business school to her lived experience. “Our understanding of business and social impact has expanded in recent years, and now the two are inextricably connected,” she said. “What an honor it is to learn from, learn with, coach and help guide some of the most brilliant minds that will lead teams into this new frontier.”
