As the field of social entrepreneurship develops, a number of barriers to large-scale impact persist. One of our greatest challenges is ensuring that inspired individuals have the experiences, develop the skills, and build the networks that will allow them to have a significant and sustainable social impact.

In April of 2007 we convened 100 invited leaders dedicated to advancing the social entrepreneurship field through the education and acceleration of social entrepreneurs. Participants included thought leaders, investors, social entrepreneurs, educators, researchers, and policymakers who each contributed a unique perspective to this important conversation. By gathering a diverse and committed group of leaders to talk, listen, and work together, this conference advanced our understanding of the social entrepreneurship pipeline and the gaps therein. As a group, we mapped creative strategies for building a more robust and scalable pipeline and identified research, funding, and programmatic priorities moving forward.

Press

The Business of Good: NYU Stern’s Conference of Social Entrepreneurs
http://www.onphilanthropy.com/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=7069 
onPhilanthropy, April 26, 2007

"This disaster stuff is happening to you, too..."
http://www.sharingwitness.org/health_welfare/this_disaster_stuff_is_happeni/ 
Bill Shore, April 16, 2004

Press release available at http://w4.stern.nyu.edu/news/news.cfm?doc_id=7186%20

Advisory Group

We planned the conference with significant input from an advisory group composed of representatives from the following organizations:

• ACUMEN FUND
• ASHOKA
• THE ASPEN INSTITUTE’S BUSINESS AND SOCIETY PROGRAM
• BLUE RIDGE FOUNDATION NEW YORK
• CITY YEAR NEW YORK
• DUKE UNIVERSITY'S CENTER FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
• DRAPER RICHARDS FOUNDATION
• ECHOING GREEN

Sponsors

Lead Sponsor: Stewart Satter Program in Social Entrepreneurship

Supporting Sponsor:Citigroup Foundation

In-Kind Sponsor: frog design

2006 CONFERENCE
Third Annual Conference of Social Entrepreneurs: 
Where Practice and Research Align
April 6-8

Overview
The NYU Conference of Social Entrepreneurs: Where Research and Practice Align brought together entrepreneurs, scholars and philanthropists to discuss the theoretical frameworks and practice-based knowledge involved with the process of starting new social ventures. By gathering leading academic researchers and social innovators from around the world, this conference was designed to forward our understanding of social entrepreneurship and help set the agenda for future inquiry in the field. Our goal was to help facilitate creative partnerships and cross-national knowledge sharing to broaden our understanding of social entrepreneurship.

Thursday evening kicked off the conference with a cocktail reception to honor the first annual Stewart Satter Social Entrepreneur of the Year. Scott Berrie (EMBA ’99), president and co-founder of Scojo Vision and Scojo Foundation, was presented with the award. The award was created to recognize those who use market forces and business skills to create permanent solutions for people in need.

Friday’s schedule featured keynote speakers and panel discussions and Saturday’s sessions were targeted to academic researchers. Sessions integrated researchers and practitioners for multi-faceted discussions on current topics in the field. Approximately 350 individuals were in attendance.

In conjunction with the conference, Stern’s student group, the Corporate Ethics & Social Enterprise Association hosted a Career Fair. This Career Fair provided an opportunity for approximately 35 top CSR representatives, social ventures, socially responsible investing firms and non-profits to showcase their organizations and network with potential employees.

2005 CONFERENCE

Second Annual Conference of Social Entrepreneurs:
Financing New Social Ventures
March 4

Overview

Becoming sustainable or profitable is often the top concern for social entrepreneurs. Management teams of start-ups spend an exorbitant amount of time focused on furthering their business models. However, the social capital markets lack the efficiency of the traditional capital markets, making the process of capital raising a challenge for both nonprofit and for profit social ventures. Concurrently, scarce philanthropic, government and investment dollars have caused nonprofits to innovate new revenue generating businesses to augment their budgets. Nonprofits, struggling to survive in an increasingly competitive landscape, are working to become more efficient by adapting business models to their organizational needs. Trends in philanthropy have also forced the social sector to adapt.

Some in the philanthropic sector has adopted venture capital principles to become more highly engaged with their grantees, and they now expect a higher level of performance. This rise of venture philanthropy has forced nonprofits to develop performance measurement tools and improve accountability within their organizations.

This conference is designed to teach strategies to be successful in this evolving philanthropic and investment landscape. Participants will learn from the experts how to develop their long term financing plans, hear advice from accomplished social entrepreneurs on how they overcame the challenges presented by the social capital markets, find out if a revenue generating business is right for their organization, and meet philanthropists and investors who are looking for high potential investment opportunities.

The morning will focus particular attention on the entrepreneur with topics likely to include: how to develop your financing strategy including HR issues, board governance, and mix of revenue sources; how to assess the opportunity for developing a social enterprise; and the investor landscape. The afternoon will focus on the social capital markets and how to make philanthropic investing more efficient.

Click  here to download the PDF of NYU Stern's 2005 Conference of Social Entrepreneurs

2004 CONFERENCE

Watch the 2004 Social Entrepreneurship Conference Here:

http://sterntv.stern.nyu.edu:8080/ramgen/bces/poole_4_2_04_2_60.rm

http://sterntv.stern.nyu.edu:8080/ramgen/bces/poole_4_2_04_2_60_part2.rm