In this issue: The 2019 GSBI Online accelerator Cohort, Recognizing Our Mentors, Last Mile Distribution Strategies No Images? Click here
Announcing our newest cohort of social entrepreneurs
by Cassandra Staff Our 2019 GSBI Online accelerator program launches today! We are thrilled to announce our largest cohort of social enterprises yet - seven focusing on off-grid energy solutions are set to work through a playbook replicating scalable social enterprise models; 42 #socents with a broader range of solutions to addressing poverty are set to start off in our Online accelerator program, which further divides into four affinity groups: Women-Led, San Francisco Bay Area impact, Energy, and Last Mile Distribution. To learn more about our new affinity group model and to see the complete list of accelerator participants, read Cassandra Staff's blog here→.
Mentor Appreciation Night
by Lynne Anderson The entrepreneur's journey is often a solo endeavor. It's a windy road with its fair share of peaks and valleys. There are moments when you need to change direction. Some days you wonder if you'll ever reach your destination. Miller Center's cadre of Silicon Valley mentors know this journey well and, just as important, they share a connection with others who choose to pursue this path. This unique blend of skills and perspective position Miller Center mentors as valued advisors and careful listeners who skillfully accompany the entrepreneurs selected for its Global Social Benefit Institute (GSBI) programs. To recognize the significant contributions of its mentor network, Miller Center recently celebrated those reaching 5- and 10-years of service. Mentor Network Director Lynne Anderson captures why many of the volunteers consider mentoring a must and shares some impressive impact metrics in her latest blog →.
Last Mile Distribution: Lessons from Agricultural Sales Agents in Ghana
by Erin Ronald
Kimmie Meunier Distributing products and services to remote communities, known as the “last mile,” is a global challenge. MoringaConnect (GSBI '17) targets smallholder farmers, and works to increase incomes by providing agricultural practices and market connections through trusted sales agents. Global Social Benefit Fellows (GSBFs) Erin Ronald, Jean Baptiste Tooley, and Kimmie Meunier spent the summer in Ghana, conducting on-site research and interviews with locals to find the best agent recruiting strategy. Learn more about their findings here →. Join Us : GSBI TECh Showcase & ReceptionJoin us on February 12 at The Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose to learn how social enterprises are leveraging technology to create scalable social impact in their communities and beyond. In the news, announcements & moreCONSCIOUS COMPANY MAG | GSBI '17 alum Relevée is featured in Conscious Company Media's magazine for its mission of eradicating gender-based violence. Relevée achieves this by providing women who have experienced abuse with goldsmith skills and a chance to earn a respectable salary in their studio. To learn more about Relevée and their products, click here→ WORLD-CHANGING WOMEN | GSBI alum '17 Ayla Schlosser, founder and CEO of Resonate, and Steph Speirs, co-founder and CEO of Solstice, and Lisa Kleissner, Miller Center board member and co-founder of Toniic, were listed under "World-Changing Women in Conscious Business" in Conscious Company Media magazine. ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT | Endurance Electric, a participant in Miller Center's GSBI Last Mile Distribution (LMD) Playbook, is one of 13 environment-focused enterprises chosen to participate in the Huella de Corfo program. Endurance Electric also won the 14th Entrepreneur Prize from BancoEstado and the "50 Ideas" Prize from Inacap Technology University– earning a total of US$100K in grants! 2019 ASHDEN AWARDS LONGLIST | Congratulations to We Care Solar, Africa Clean Energy, Sistema Biobolsa, Solar Sister, and Promethean Power! These five clean-energy GSBI alumni are longlisted for the 2019 Ashden Awards. See the full list here → 2019 ACUMEN FELLOWS | Four individuals from GSBI alumni orgnizations have been named Acumen Fellows of 2019. Congratulations to Managing Director of Sosai Renewable Energies Company, Habiba Ali; PEG Africa Learning and Development Manager Ebo Ferguson; Coschool 's Director of Operations and Finance Elipe Orduz Gutiérrez; and Sajad Rasool from Video Volunteers! See the full list here → JIM KOCH FEATURED ON ANDEGLOBAL.ORG | Miller Center founders Jim Koch, Ph.D., and Eric Carlson, Ph.D., wrote a book codifying "what works" in social venture business planning. To read the main takeaways, click here → Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship is a pioneer when it comes to accelerating social enterprises, so you'll find our team at a variety of events across the globe. We're actively accompanying entrepreneurs on their journeys and sharing our learnings with others in the ecosystem. If our paths may cross, please reach out to us - we'd enjoy connecting! Please note some listed events are not open to the public.
For more calendar of events, visit our website. Missed one of our newsletter editions? Click here for Miller Center's newsletter archive. ABOUT US Miller Center's Global Social Benefit Institute (GSBI®) helps social entrepreneurs help more people. Since 2003 we have accelerated over 900 social entrepreneurs, who have raised over $940M, and positively impacted the lives of over 320M people. Unless otherwise indicated, all images and photography are property of Santa Clara University. © 2018. GSBI is a registered trademark of Santa Clara University. All Rights Reserved.
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