Eccles, Adobe, and Tech-Moms: How a Student Collaboration is Turning Stories into Social Impact
In the digital age, storytelling and tech have the power to reshape futures. The 2024 Eccles Adobe Social Impact Challenge is an example of this potential, as it united students from the David Eccles School of Business with Adobe and Tech-Moms to make a real difference.
Through this unique business case competition, students helped amplify the stories of women breaking into the tech industry, using digital storytelling to bridge gaps and inspire future success. This initiative goes beyond typical competitions, offering real-world impact, résumé-boosting experiences, and a supportive community dedicated to making a difference.
This year, nearly 80 students across 37 teams participated in the annual Social Impact Challenge with a clear mission: raise awareness for Tech-Moms, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering women to break into tech. With Adobe Express as their primary toolkit, participants created innovative marketing campaigns to connect Tech-Moms with women across Utah, especially in underserved and rural communities.
Tech-Moms is much more than a nonprofit, though — it’s a community built on shared experiences, support, and growth. Tech-Moms offers a part-time technical skills course that opens doors to long-term, flexible careers in tech. The organization serves as an inspiration for mothers who want to achieve economic independence without sacrificing their families’ needs. Since 2020, Tech-Moms has helped hundreds of Utah women gain confidence in their abilities and find paths to fulfilling careers.
As founder Trina Limpert puts it, “Tech-Moms is about creating a future where women not only thrive in the workforce but redefine it.”
The Social Impact Challenge asked students to design a strategic marketing campaign to spread Tech-Moms’ mission. Using Adobe Express, each team created visuals and narratives aimed at reaching women across Utah who might benefit from Tech-Moms’ programs but may not yet know about them. Teams were encouraged to create an emotional connection through inclusive messaging, compelling visuals, and a strong call to action encouraging women to explore careers in tech.
In this competition, students learned to craft digital narratives with Adobe Express, building assets they can display in their portfolios. Students also earned Adobe Badges, valuable credentials for their résumés and LinkedIn profiles. By working with Tech-Moms, students gained insights into nonprofit marketing and digital storytelling that will set them apart as job candidates, all while working on strategies to help Tech-Moms grow its community.
The Social Impact Challenge is more than a competition — it’s a platform that allows students to engage with meaningful causes and experience firsthand the potential of their ideas to make a difference. With Adobe Express, they created impactful visuals, learned how to use data and design to tell a story, and showcased the power of digital tools in amplifying social messages.
As we celebrate this year’s winners, we also recognize the shared commitment to fostering a more inclusive tech industry. The Social Impact Challenge continues to inspire, and thanks to partnerships with organizations like Tech-Moms, Eccles students are reminded that their ideas can drive change in the world around them.
