The Igniting Innovation Summit on Social Entrepreneurship brings together students, academics, and leaders in the field who are passionate about developing innovative solutions to today's most pressing problems. Past Summit guests have included David Gergen (Harvard and CNN), Cheryl Dorsey (Echoing Green), and Nicholas Negroponte (One Laptop per Child). The theme of the 2012 Summit is "Voice Your Passion," and we aim to highlight various stories of social entrepreneurship and inspire attendees to envision their own involvement in this sector. The unconventional conference will explore this theme through TED-style talks, topic-specific discussion panels, expressive workshops, and an Innovation Showcase.
This year, we will be partnering with The Resolution Project, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, to host a Social Venture Challenge, through which students with promising plans for social enterprises have the opportunity to win a fellowship that includes funding and mentorship.
Ashoka is a global organization that identifies and invests in leading social entrepreneurs -- individuals with innovative and practical ideas for solving social problems. Opportunities: AshokaU, Changemakers.com initiative, Ashoka Youth Ventures.
Runa’s mission is to create livelihoods for indigenous farmers in the Amazon through their product line, which includes Guayusa tea – a beverage made from a native Amazonian tree leaf. Opportunities: College ambassador program, jobs in marketing and sales team, summer 2013 internship in Brooklyn, summer 2014 internship in Ecuador.
YouthTrade is built on a simple yet big idea – providing markets for goods of young entrepreneurs under the age of 35. Opportunities: Campus clubs program, champions program.
Taza’s product mission is to make minimally processed, full-flavored and textured stone ground chocolate, with sustainably farmed ingredients, that brings happiness into the lives of and inspires all of its key partners, employees, customers, and community. Opportunities: Chocolate guide (part-time), shipping coordinator (part-time), chocolate packaging staff.
GOOD/Corps is a strategic creative consultancy, aligning business strategy with social impact. Opportunities: Seasonal internships, associate strategist position.
The Peace Innovation Lab is a creative space for young people in rural communities to come together to design, prototype and implement interesting projects that contribute to local (peace building) and innovation efforts. Opportunities: Fellow program, campus ambassador program, three volunteer positions on global leadership team.
She’s the First is a not-for-profit that sponsors girls’ education in the developing world, helping them be the first in their families to graduate. Opportunities: National campus program, creative associate summer internship in NYC, executive assistant summer internship in NYC, operations coordinator summer internship in NYC, volunteer positions in NYC.
Designed Good curates the best in design and accent the real worth behind the things you buy. Designed Good is: Clothing. Artwork. Gear. Gadgets. Accessories. And the stories about how they’re making a difference. Opportunities: Social media internship, graphic design internship, campus outreach internship, brand relations/operations internship, guest bloggers for young social change agents.
Given Goods Company is a marketplace offering exclusively buy-to-give products. Opportunities: Internships in Boulder, raffle draw ($600 value).
Project HEAL raises money for individuals suffering with eating disorders who want to recover but are unable to afford treatment. Opportunities: Grant-writing chair, fundraising and communications chair, executive director position.
Njabini Apparel, started and run by college students, empowers disadvantaged and handicapped Kenyan mothers through employment and micro-business development programs. Opportunities: Campus ambassador program.
The Harry Potter Alliance fights the Dark Arts in the real world by using parallels from Harry Potter. It works for human rights, equality, and a better world just as Harry and his friends did throughout the books. Opportunities: Involvement in national campaigns and action, start a local HPA chapter.
The inaugural Girls Impact the World Film Festival, presented by the Harvard College Social Innovation Collaborative (SIC) and Connecther, is a film festival and scholarship program in which high school and undergraduate college students submit 3-5 minute short films that focus on a variety of global women's issues, including maternal health, microfinance initiatives, child-marriage, sex-trafficking, poverty alleviation, etc. Opportunities: Campus ambassador program, scholarships, volunteer positions for outreach.
BrightCo specializes in building group of young people from entrepreneurial networks, and in uniting those individuals around specific visions. Opportunities: Coder, U/X designer, project manager.