International Social Entrepreneurs Punctuate 10-Month Accelerator Program with an Investor Showcase at Santa Clara University
Miller Center social entrepreneurs will fine-tune business plans with
their Silicon Valley mentors and pitch impact investors on plans
addressing serious global issues
SANTA CLARA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–For the past six months, 14 social entrepreneurs in countries such as
Egypt, India, Kenya, Mexico, Myanmar and Rwanda have worked individually
with Silicon Valley executive mentors to hone their social enterprise
business plans. On Aug. 18, the participants in the Global Social
Benefit Institute (GSBI®) Accelerator at Miller Center for Social
Entrepreneurship will take the next important step in their social
enterprises’ development: presenting their business plans to a roomful
of impact investors during the invitation-only GSBI Investor Showcase.
GSBI Investor Showcase Supports Obama’s and Pope’s Social
Entrepreneurship Efforts
This 4th Annual GSBI Accelerator Investor Showcase coincides with other
high-level recent attention paid to social entrepreneurship and impact
investing. In June, President Obama hosted his 7th annual Global
Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) in Silicon Valley, where he talked with
entrepreneurs from 150 countries about tackling global challenges. Also
in June, Pope Francis led the second Vatican Impact Investment
Conference, which aims to bridge the worlds of impact investing and
Catholic social ministries serving the poor.
“Miller Center is aligned with the goals of both the Obama
administration and the Vatican conference, supporting social
entrepreneurs who are striving to solve the world’s largest problems—the
elimination of poverty, the advancement of women and girls, and climate
resilience in the face of global climate change,” said Thane Kreiner,
Ph.D., executive director of Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship.
“Hosting the GSBI Accelerator social entrepreneurs here in Silicon
Valley is significant because this region has that special ‘jet fuel’
for entrepreneurs that you can’t find anywhere else. During the Investor
Showcase, impact investors have a chance to evaluate promising social
entrepreneurs in person, without having to travel the globe to meet
them.”
Impact Investing Powers Social Entrepreneurship
Among the attendees at the Investor Showcase are impact investors: those
whose investments take into account positive social and environmental
impact as well as financial return.
“Unlike venture capital or traditional donor-based funding, the goal of
impact investing is to balance social/environmental and financial goals,
which makes it a highly aligned and important source of capital for many
social enterprises,” said Miller Center’s John Kohler, an
impact-investing expert and speaker at the pope’s Vatican conference.
“Impact investment dovetails with our GSBI programs, which help social
entrepreneurs to apply proven business solutions to the problems of
poverty, so that their enterprises can become more successful and affect
exponentially more people.”
Miller Center puts special emphasis on social enterprises working to
empower poor women and girls–particularly those in areas affected by
climate change. Of the 14 social
enterprises in this year’s GSBI Accelerator cohort, eight are
women-led or specifically benefit women, and six focus on resilience to
climate change. They are working to solve problems ranging from impure
water and unemployed youth to farming droughts and dangerous childbirth.
Their businesses are positively impacting 27 countries across Latin
America, Africa, Asia, India, and North America.
About Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship
Founded in 1997, Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship is one of
three Centers of Distinction at Santa Clara University in California.
Miller Center accelerates global, innovation-based entrepreneurship in
service to humanity. Its strategic focus is on poverty eradication
through its three areas of work: The Global Social Benefit Institute
(GSBI), Impact Capital, and Education and Action Research. To learn more
about the Center or any of its social entrepreneurship programs, visit www.scu.edu/MillerCenter.
About Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University, a comprehensive Jesuit, Catholic university
located 40 miles south of San Francisco in California’s Silicon Valley,
offers its more than 9,000 students rigorous undergraduate curricula in
arts and sciences, business and engineering; master’s degrees in
business, education, counseling psychology, pastoral ministry and
theology; and law and engineering doctoral degrees. Distinguished
nationally by one of the highest graduation rates among all U.S.
master’s universities, California’s oldest operating higher-education
institution demonstrates faith-inspired values of ethics and social
justice. For more information, see www.scu.edu.
Resources for Further Information
Information for Investors
The Investor showcase is not open to the general public, but some
invitation-only seats are available. Interested investors, social
enterprises, donors or like-minded organizations may request an
invitation at http://www.scu-social-entrepreneurship.org/new-events/investorshowcase
or email gsbi@scu.edu. The
event will also be live-streamed at www.scu.edu/investorshowcase.
Information for Media Representatives
Members of the press interested in interviewing any GSBI Accelerator
social entrepreneurs or Miller Center mentors while they are in town, or
attending the Investor Showcase, may contact Pat Haines, Senior
Director, Marketing at Miller Center, phaines@scu.edu
or 408-551-7118.
Contacts
Martell Communications for Miller Center
Colleen Martell, +1
408-832-0147
cmartell@martellpr.com
