Dinners With Purpose

Aly Khalifa is a design entrepreneur and NC State University alum who specializes in invention development. With degrees from both the College of Design and College of Engineering, Khalifa focuses on integrating disciplines to create breakthrough products. Aly has pioneered multiple products and community efforts that have helped foster an inventive culture in Raleigh including Designbox, SPARKcon, Gamila (which was recently acquired by Seventh Generation), and Aly’s latest effort Lyf Shoes, which offers a sustainable and custom footwear option built with 3D printing technology. The shoes are made of single source infinitely recyclable materials and are created and assembled without the use of toxic glues or mass production.
As the Institute for Nonprofits’ second Social Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Aly will help lead a team of campus and community stakeholders in creating and executing the Institute’s Social Innovation Fellows program, a new initiative to support students working on inventions and ventures that are seeking to create social impact. He will also provide workshops and mentoring to NC State students from both STEM and Humanities.