Global Social Benefit Incubator Competition on Social Edge

The Global Social Benefit Incubator (GSBI™) is a capacity building program for leaders of social benefit enterprises.  It is run by Santa Clara University’s Center for Science, Technology and Society and the competition is hosted on Social Edge, the online community for social entrepreneurs.  Through the GSBI competition, up to 20 candidates, who best demonstrate a sustainable and scalable approach to addressing urgent human needs throughout the world, will each receive a full scholarship valued at US$25,000 to attend the GSBI program which combines 4 months of on-line preparation and culminates with an intensive two-week residential program at Santa Clara University in Silicon Valley.

The Global Social Benefit Incubator application process starts January 6, 2009 on Social Edge, Information on the online application for Santa Clara University’s seventh annual is available now at www.socialedge.org. Social benefit entrepreneurs from around the world should complete their first exercise online by January 16th.

“Through the access to world-class resources, participating social benefit entrepreneurs will be able to accelerate their innovations. This is a transformational program for people with the power and vision to change the world,” says Jim Koch, Professor of Management at Santa Clara University, Co-Founder and Director of the Global Social Benefit Incubator (GSBI). “The incubator brings together grass roots innovators and Silicon Valley executive mentors with university faculty to support the scaling up of innovative solutions that serve the common good all over the world.”

In the past, participants have come from Costa Rica, India, Namibia, Philippines, Rwanda, Argentina, Cambodia, Paraguay, Ecuador, Bangladesh, Jordan, Laos, Nepal, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Canada, Haiti, Indonesia, Vanuatu, and the United States. The cross-cultural community and personalized mentorship help social entrepreneurs accelerate progress. Alumni like Matt Flannery, GSBI 2006 participant and Founder of Kiva, the online global microlending venture, still benefits from the experience in this collaborative environment: "Through the GSBI I made trusted connections with people across the world. I now work with one of the GSBI participants I met there and have partnered with another."

The process of applying to the GSBI itself provides great value to social entrepreneurs. Applicants go through a series of three exercises designed to help them write and revise key sections of their business plans based on feedback from mentors at Santa Clara University and others in the Social Edge community. The rigorous application is rewarding, with many applicants commenting that they learned a tremendous amount by going through the process. “Applicants receive advice on their business proposition, their strategy and their application. This interaction helps them convey their story in a more compelling way and helps them clarify their impact and strategy for scaling their ventures. All of which will in turn help them secure future funding and support,” says Victor d'Allant, Executive Director of Social Edge.

Starting immediately, social entrepreneurs around the world should apply online now. There is no application fee. Applicants can prepare their applications now and post them online during January and February 2009.

Out of those who complete the three-part online application process, up to 20 candidates will be selected to attend the Global Social Benefit Incubator August 16 - 29, 2009 in California on a full scholarship. The scholarship covers tuition, room, and board for the two-week intensive immersion program focused on venture planning, beneficiary analysis, business models, metrics and successful scaling strategies. Selected candidates are responsible for their travel expenses (airfare, ground transportation, passport, visa). The winners will be announced no later than April 3, 2009.

More information can be found at:
Social Edge, A Program of the Skoll Foundation http://www.socialedge.org/features/gsbi
Global Social Benefit Incubator at Santa Clara University: http://www.scu.edu/sts/gsbi/
Questions: Sherrill Dale, GSBI  gsbi2009@scu.edu