Creative collaborations are highly effective means whereby educators and business owners can gain mutual benefits while focusing on social responsibility. The presented teaching projects combined student education in sustainability and social responsibility with design research and business entrepreneurship. Sustainable, mission-based businesses are being developed by small business owners around the globe. Design collaboration presents two case studies in which university students designed apparel and accessory product lines for small companies seeking to make an impact through empowering women facing social challenges. Creative collaboration projects began with two start-up companies, the first based in Nepal and focused the challenge on translating hand woven textile product into marketable accessory products, and the second, the development of a children's apparel collection to be manufactured domestically by a group of female refugees that had been relocated to the United States and adopted by a local church. Project outcomes included cognitive and psychological results.