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The best entrepreneurs of the year?

Filed in archive Social Entrepreneurs on April 9, 2009

The best entrepreneurs of the year?
Teaching slum dwellers in Guatemala to sell worm byproducts as fertilizer or helping disabled Nigerians become business owners rather than beggars: These might seem very controversial ideas in the first sight; well actually these are some of the noble ventures being undertaken by the 20 "social entrepreneurs" who have been selected to join the seventh annual Global Social Benefit Incubator (GSBI) at Santa Clara University.

According to Business Wire, the program, which received over 350 applications - triple last year's total - taps Silicon Valley veteran financiers, marketers, and executives as well as Santa Clara University faculty to help promising but resource-starved entrepreneurs with key business concepts: completing a cohesive business plan, generating ideas for funding sources and investors, and finding ways to increase their impact while maintaining positive cash flow.

The entrepreneurs get months of coaching from afar from Silicon Valley executive mentors like Tim Haley and Jeff Miller. Then, in mid-August, they come to SCU's campus for a two-week "boot camp" of back-to-back classes, lectures, business-plan honing, and cross-pollination with other entrepreneurs.

"The online application process for the Global Social Benefit Incubator, taking place every year on Social Edge, has become a unique learning experience for social entrepreneurs who have a chance to refine their business model with the help of Santa Clara University's talented community," said Victor d'Allant, executive director of Social Edge, the Skoll Foundation's online community for social entrepreneurs.

So probably next time, this is gonna be your opportunity!



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Tags: social  entrepreneurship  best  ideas  enterprises  development  social+enterprise  social+entrepreneurship 

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