I spent eleven days in May 2012 in Estelí, Nicaragua, as a volunteer member of a presenter team offering a workshop to engage Nicaraguan college students and faculty in learning concepts of sustainable and relevant innovation and development. The program, the Applied Global Innovation Initiative (AGII) at Grand Valley State University, has been evolving since 2004 in an ongoing relationship with La UNAN, the Nicaraguan national university system. Nicaragua, at the base of the socioeconomic pyramid, is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. AGII’s vision statement reads, “Empowering people to change their world with their resources.” Their mission states, “Through product innovation that is interdisciplinary, intercultural, and innovative in approach The Applied Global Innovation Initiative empowers individuals (communities, faculty, staff, and students) to address challenging environmental, economic, and social issues facing the world’s poorest populations.