APRIL 5TH: 2nd Annual Silicon Valley Social Innovation Leadership Forum (SILF)

PLEASE REGISTER AT:  https://commerce.cashnet.com/cobjysjsu

The 2nd Annual Silicon Valley Social Innovation Leadership Forum will bring together social entrepreneurs, thinkers and leaders from non-profits, business, government, education, and the communities to share innovative leadership lessons, continue building a social innovation network, and form collaborations to find solutions to social and economic challenges in our own backyard. 

This Forum embraces the “Unconference” theme, or Open Space Technology, in which participants are engaged in selecting topics of interest. It will be a highly interactive event whose purpose is: Learn, Connect, and Collaborate!

This forum is co-sponsored by the City of San Jose, CommUniverCity, StepUp Silicon Valley, Social Enterprise Alliance - San Francisco Bay Area Chapter and San Jose State University Center for Community Learning and Leadershop. Some community-based projects borne out of the 2012 forum will be showcased.

Your participation is very important. 

Download the Forum Flyer here. 

Learn more about Sponsoring Opportunities here.

PLEASE REGISTER AT:  https://commerce.cashnet.com/cobjysjsu

APRIL 2ND: NonProfit Social Enterprise: New Streams of Income and Opportunity

PLEASE RSVP AT http://april2socialenterprise.eventbrite.com/

Nonprofits are starting businesses to directly benefit communities, generating new streams of income and opportunity. 

Launching social ventures is not easy.
What considerations should be made before, during, and after starting a
social enterprise? What does it take? What are some lessons learned?

Join nonprofit business leaders Michael Chertok from Digital Divide Data in
San Francisco, and Eric Weinheimer from the Cara Program in Chicago,
in a conversation hosted by Antonio Aguilera from Crowd4all.  

Sponsored by RSF Social Finance, and organized by SEA/SFBay.

We will gather on April 2nd from 6pm to 9pm. 

The reception will begin at 6pm at RSF Social Finance on 1002 O’Reilly Avenue,
followed by the panel conversation at the Pacific Room, Tides on 1014 Torney Avenue at 6.30pm. 

There will be wine, refreshments, camaraderie, and many pearls of wisdom to share.

Please RSVP AT http://april2socialenterprise.eventbrite.com/. 

We hope to see you there!

Michael Chertok is a co-founder and Chief Development Officer of Digital Divide Data. He is also the former chair of DDD's board. Previously, he served as Program Officer in the Global Development Program of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Michael has also worked as a consultant on philanthropy and international development to other private foundations and individual donors and was a Digital Vision Fellow at Stanford University. Michael was the co-founder and Managing Director of Global Catalyst Foundation, the philanthropy arm of a Silicon Valley venture capital firm, where he facilitated a seed grant to help launch DDD. Prior to this, he helped start the non-profit organization Schools Online to bring Internet access and training to more than 5,000 schools around the world. Michael holds a BA in Russian Studies from Yale University and an MBA and a Certificate in Public Management from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Since 1996, Eric Weinheimer has been the President and CEO of The Cara Program, a non-profit organization that provides comprehensive training, job placement and support services to individuals who are homeless and struggling in poverty. Under Eric’s leadership, The Cara Program has created and secured over 4,000 transitional and permanent jobs for Cara graduates. Also, The Cara Program founded and established two leading social enterprises – Cleanslate Chicago and 180 Properties (a joint venture with Mercy Housing Lakefront) to generate revenue and provide employment opportunities and on-the-job training to individuals who have significant obstacles to employment, including recent incarceration. Eric earned a B.S. from Boston College and an M.B.A. from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where he was recently awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award for Public Service. Eric was selected as a member of the Emerging Leaders Program for the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Class of 2011. Eric was also selected as a Chicago Community Trust Fellow for 2013, and he was recently appointed by Governor Quinn to the Social Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Task Force. He serves on the Advisory Board for the Social Enterprise Initiative at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and the Board of Directors for Streetwise, the Social Enterprise Alliance, Chicago Chapter and the Oak Park River Forest Community Foundation.

Host, Antonio Aguilera is founder of Crowd4all, games for communities to access paid work online. He is launching Cocinas Joya, high-quality, low-cost kitchens in Mexico to help women start businesses. Antonio serves as president of the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of Social Enterprise Alliance, leaders across sectors using business to benefit communities. He serves on the board of directors for The Stride Center, a nonprofit social enterprise that harnesses technology to empower men, women, and families on the road to self-sufficiency in the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento. He is former Chief Social Enterprise Officer at CVE, Inc. in San Francisco, where he directed 3 businesses that help people with mental health disabilities get jobs. Antonio started a VoIP company in Mexico to help people living with HIV access healthcare, and he has held various leadership roles in for-profit and nonprofit organizations in the United States, Mexico, and Germany. Antonio is a passionate thinker and doer of business, technology, and collaboration for the common good.                                              

About Digital Divide Data

Digital Divide Data powers the data entry, XML conversion and digital preservation needs of publishers, libraries, content hosts, academic researchers and businesses world-wide. DDD's services unlock and extend the value of data, documents, publications and archives, making them searchable and accessible online, on mobile devices, or in any information system. These services are delivered on the foundation of a socially responsible model that creates opportunity for the world's poorest citizens to earn competitive wages, complete their education, and achieve upward mobility through working in DDD's business. Digital Divide Data has trained more than 2,000 people with marketable skills, grown to employ over 700 staff, and graduated more than 400 staff members from entry-level jobs to employment that earn them four times the average income in Cambodia and Laos.

About The Cara Program

The Cara Program is a Chicago-based, non-profit organization that assists homeless individuals and those struggling in poverty to achieve real and lasting success by providing comprehensive training, quality job placement and critical support services. Since its founding in 1991, The Cara Program has placed over 3500 individuals in quality jobs at companies like JP Morgan Chase, Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Hyatt Hotels. Over 75% of employed Cara graduates stay on the job for at least one year. In addition, The Cara Program creates over 200 transitional and permanent jobs annually through its social enterprises. The Cara Program's first social enterprise, Cleanslate, is a neighborhood beautification business that was founded in 2005. Another business is 180 Properties, a joint venture with Mercy Housing Lakefront, that hires and trains people to maintain foreclosed homes for major banks. Most recently, The Cara Program created a temporary staffing business called TCP Staffing to provide employees for temporary jobs in the private sector. The Cara Program has also gained a distinctive reputation among nonprofits for its data-driven approach and effective use of metrics to demonstrate the impact of its programs.

About Crowd4all

Crowd4all organizes festivals centered around making games that train people to work online. Crowd4all festivals foster collaboration across a wide variety of stakeholders, who make games that provide qualified labor on-demand for work distribution platforms online. Festivals feature challenges and game-a-thons where games are made in collaboration, igniting civic participation and social entrepreneurship. Blending work with play towards a more inclusive online workforce, Crowd4all is a nonprofit startup launching in 2013. 

About RSF Social Finance

RSF Social Finance offers investing, lending and giving services that generate positive social and environmental impact while fostering community and collaboration among participants. Since 1984, RSF has made over $275 million in loans and $100 million in grants to non-profit and for-profit social enterprises in the areas of Food & Agriculture, Education & the Arts, and Ecological Stewardship.

About SEA SFBay

SEA SFBay is an alliance of leaders across sectors using business to benefit communities. Established and emerging leaders meet to support each other, exchange learning and resources, and be part of the conversation. We are an official chapter of SEA, the largest alliance of social enterprises in North America with a 15-year history of field leadership, a national network of over 1,000 members, and a local footprint of 13 chapters in 11 states. Members are top practitioners, investors, leading thinkers, policy makers, entrepreneurs, and service providers.

Collaborative Social Enterprise Mixer!

With over 80 people attending, the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of SEA opened 2013 with a successful mixer co-Hosted by Young Women Social Entrepreneurs, and Young Nonprofit Professionals Network, in collaboration with the Relay Foundation, RallyPad, and others.

We’re collaborating so that you can, too.  On January 17th from 6:00-8:00pm, we met and shared ideas with other leaders in this ever evolving space!  We started the weekend early with familiar friends at a new event location, Blu Restaurant (located above Sports Club LA, 4th Floor) was the perfect spot for young professionals. A sophisticated atmosphere with amazing views of San Francisco's Market Avenue.

Stay tuned for another collaborative mixer coming up!

Dia de Muertos Social Enterprise Mixer in The Mission - November 1

November 1: 5:30-7pm, Frjtz in the Mission

Join us to meet and share ideas with other leaders in this ever evolving space!

No need to RSVP, bring others passionate about Social Enterprise and celebrate Day of The Deads in the Mission District:

Frjtz in the Mission

590 Valencia St (between 16th St & 17th St) 

San Francisco, CA 94110

Social Enterprise Pitch Night - November 29, 2012

On November 29th, from 6pm to 8pm

Join a friendly group of established and emerging leaders
passionate about Social Enterprise!

 To attend, please RSVP at http://seapitchnightnov29.eventbrite.com/

This is a great opportunity to pitch your idea, learn and collaborate with some of the most innovative projects coming out of the Bay Area, and share your insights and encouragement - to help these ideas take off!

Be ready for an inspiring showcase of social enterprise ideas from nonprofit and for profit companies and individuals just getting started! You will find opportunities to learn and collaborate. After the presentations we will have time to network and further share insights and conversation.

During this meeting, members will elect new chapter officers and directors, then enjoy an exciting evening of social enterprise start-up ideas and innovations.

Bring your colleagues and friends! All perspectives are welcomed! Put your thinking cap on, and bring your learning spirit to support our fantastic local social enterprises! Together we build and grow social enterprise in the San Francisco Bay Area.

This event is free to SEA members and $10 for nonmembers. To attend, please RSVP at http://seapitchnightnov29.eventbrite.com/

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PITCH:

You will have the opportunity to present a 5-minute pitch outlining your social enterprise idea (whether you are a nonprofit, for profit, or sole proprietor). If you are interested in pitching: Please submit your idea at http://bit.ly/pGDDoU before November 21st. We can only accommodate 5 Pitch presentations! Send us your Pitch now! We will advise if you have been chosen by November 25th. 

5-minute Pitch outlining your social enterprise idea (or newly launched social enterprise) including:

• Description of your idea / Social business model
• Evidence your targeted market will buy/use it
• Your competitive advantage
• Why your team can be successful
• Financial / social impact projections

If you have technical requirements, or plan to use PPT slides, please advise so a projector can be available.

Please submit questions to seasfbay@gmail.com.

Innovative Cross-sector Collaborations and Multi-stakeholder Initiatives

On Thursday, November 8th. From 1 pm to 3pm.
Join an interactive roundtable online with innovative leaders working to foster and facilitate cross-sector collaborations across the United States.

RSVP HERE TO ATTEND ONLINE

Our communities face challenges and opportunities that require collaborative action for collective impact. In Maryland, Colorado, Illinois, Washington, D.C., and California, leaders are taking new and exciting approaches for bringing their communities together to work across the sectorial divides of a bifurcated economy.

This session is a great opportunity to explore models for community-powered collaborations; join on-going initiatives; share, learn, and collaborate with other collaborators!

Please RSVP to receive instructions for joining online using any device with audio/video capabilities, and access to broadband Internet.

Roundtable Participants

Alex Simon is Executive Director of Compass Partners, a social enterprise supporting  students in their social entrepreneurship, connecting thems with opportunities to engage in microfinance and social innovation around the world. He has worked with a variety of organizations including the Young Presidents’ Organization, Ashoka, MFI Connect and Minga. He is a Startingbloc Fellow, a travel-addict, and former caterer extraordinaire. Alex graduated from George Washington University, where he was a Compass Mentor, with a degree in International Affairs.

Greg Wendt, CFP is founder of two non-profit organizations, Green Business Networking; a non-profit business community of over 4,500 business owners and professionals committed to greening the economy for Greater Los Angeles, and Green Economy Think Tank convening sustainability leaders in cities around the country to evolve actions and solutions for the green economy. The Living Economy Salon, fosters a dialogue and connects people around new innovations in economic models that promise a more fair and abundant economy for all living things.

Jeff Raderstrong is a community engagement consultant. He is the Founder and Editor of UnSectored, an online platform for people interested in developing collaborative efforts to create social change. He has garnered national recognition for UnSectored, as well as grown the site from a group blog into an organization that uses online engagement to facilitate offline action. Jeff co-founded the Social Entrepreneurs of Grinnell (SEG) in college, which became a microfinance institution. Jeff assisted in a campaign to have SEG recognized as one of five White House Champions of Change.

Jason Hardebeck is a self-described dot connector and maker of things! He is Chief Instigator of gb.tc (formerly Greater Baltimore Technology Council). Armed with a cache of data sets made available by the federal, state and Baltimore city governments, GBTC and its volunteer force of tech hackers, data analysts and community activists gathered looking for answers to some of Baltimore’s seemingly intractable issues: vacant housing, substance abuse and a lack of educational opportunities.
 

Author of 34 books, Marc J. Lane is a nationally recognized business and tax attorney, founder of Marc J. Lane Wealth Group. Marc is an innovator in helping social enterprises, social entrepreneurs, investors, lenders, and philanthropists leverage capital to maximize financial results while driving positive social change. He teaches Social Enterprise at Northwestern University School of Law. Marc was recently appointed Chairman of Illinois’ Task Force on Social Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Enterprise by Governor Pat Quinn.

 
Antonio Aguilera is president of the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of Social Enterprise Alliance, leaders across sectors advancing social enterprise to benefit communities; and part of the largest network of social enterprises in North America. Antonio is hosting usConverging sessions to generate joint business solutions to shared community challenges on the spot. He is founder of Crowd4all, a training game to access paid work online; and former Chief Social Enterprise Officer at CVE, Inc., where he directed 3 businesses that help people with mental health disabilities get jobs.

Susan Rae Ross is currently doing development work in Sri Lanka. If technology permits, she will join this conversation as a subject matter expert. She is a highly regarded business woman, international health and development expert, author and speaker. As  founder and CEO of SR International, she provides corporations, nonprofits and government agencies with strategies and tools to actively manage their stakeholder engagement processes and facilitates successful partnerships across traditional sectors.

Susan’s third book, Expanding the Pie: Fostering Effective NonProfit and Corporate Partnerships, examines current trends, benefits and challenges of these partnerships as well as providing a meta-analysis of cases studies from around the world and a step-by-step decision tree on how to select and mange partnerships.

This session is a collaborative effort convened by the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of Social Enterprise Alliance as part of its Collaboration Language, Action, and Process (CLAP) content series. The CLAP content series highlights individuals and organizations creating opportunities for collaboration across economic sectors, fostering collaborations among collaborators. This series offers opportunities to promote collaborative work, recruit supporters, share and learn with others doing similar work, and unveil opportunities to participate in cross-sector collaboration initiatives.

Social Entrepreneurship Mixer and Fast Pitching Session

WHEN: Thursday, June 28th at 6:30 pm 
WHERE: Parisoma (169 11th Street in San Francisco)


Join other members of Social Enterprise Alliance at the Parisoma's Social Entrepreneurship Mixer featuring the hottest startups demoing their products and vision. Meet 200 attendees, including VC firms, startups, journalists and professionals eager to stay on the cutting-edge of their industry. From Kiva.org to Ushahidi, join us on Thursday, June 28th at 6:30 pm at Parisoma, located at 169 11th Street in San Francisco. 


Register at http://bit.ly/LmZtO2 and enjoy a 25% off for SEA members.