Entrepreneurs looking to grow their businesses frequently turn to accelerator programs for support. But are these programs effective? As accelerators continue to proliferate in developing countries, we must ask critical questions about what is and is not working. This panel showcases three studies of accelerator effectiveness across …

While early-stage investment for entrepreneurs in emerging markets is growing, social enterprises still struggle to access the appropriate capital needed to help move them from “proof of concept” to scale. When banks are unwilling and invests are unable to finance the risk, blended finance - the mixing …

Small water enterprises (SWEs) are financially viable, socially inclusive businesses that offer demonstrated potential in providing a sustainable supply of safe, affordable water. They play a prominent role in filling the significant gap in access between basic technologies and large infrastructure by supplying fast-growing towns and slum …

Police officers in America killed more than 1,000 people in 2015. One in five of the victims were unarmed; one in four had a documented history of mental illness. In 98.5% of these cases, no charges were brought against the officers involved. This panel discussion begins with …

The wins we are having in finance and enterprise… are they getting us closer to the goal or preventing us from looking at the big picture? Two approaches have emerged in the transition to a more just economy. One aims to influence actors to change bit by …

Despite persistent political engagement and humanitarian assistance, traditional peace building efforts world-wide often breakdown due to their failure to secure long-term, equitable and inclusive economic development. Impact Investing presents a new opportunity to directly link capital and expertise with traditionally sidelined entrepreneurs, empowering them to generate the …

Traditional fund managers seek financial returns and are rewarded for achieving those returns. Impact fund managers seek both financial and social returns, yet are largely compensated just on their financial performance. This session explores the case for tying a fund manager’s returns to their actual impact and …

Utility-scale renewable energy generation in the Global South needs to take structural, social and cultural factors carefully into consideration, since the most competitive renewable energy sources are often on land that belongs to indigenous and other vulnerable communities. Institutional ESG safeguards are failing to mitigate social risk …

The confluence of urban revitalization, impact investing and concerns over gentrification have produced the need and necessary conditions for new business models that give cities the benefits of recovering their deteriorated urban cores without the negative externalities. Practitioners and academics discuss the promise and pitfalls of an …

In this panel discussion, Rags2Riches, a Philippines-based social enterprise empowering local artisans, and Alter Eco, a San Francisco-based social enterprise working directly with cooperatives of small-scale farmers, share how their work to create and support farmer cooperatives and artisan communities in Asia and Central and South America …

“We need to fight extreme wealth to defeat extreme poverty.” Impact investors are tackling this issue by being mindful that market-driven specific efforts do not end up increasing wealth inequality overall. Let us combine the broad discussion of drivers of wealth inequality with concrete examples of for-profit …

This will be a research-based, uncensored, BS-free, thought-provoking, and inspiring session to help participants integrate their own work with new ideas they’re learning at SOCAP to identify opportunities for more impact, satisfaction, and/or efficiency. We’ll each present a real tradeoff that we struggle with (e.g. breadth vs …

In 2008, Found Animals Foundation had 1 employee and lofty ideas about how to fundamentally change the way we save pets and enrich lives. Today, they’re a global social enterprise with 70+ staff, 600+ volunteers, 1+ million B2C customers nationwide, and 30+ strategic partners worldwide. In this …

Housing is a basic human need that our society struggles to provide for our most vulnerable community members, and there are myriad opportunities to innovate in the space. Come learn how One Degree and Compass Family Services teamed up to dramatically improve affordable housing in the Bay …

Research shows that the gender pay gap remains significant, with the typical woman receiving 21% less pay than the typical man. When education, occupation, industry, and job title are held constant, the pay gap remains. In the US, this gap has not changed substantially over the last …

While we all want to tout our successes, there is a lot that can be learned from failure. This is especially true for people who are preparing to launch a social enterprise, as they decide what approaches to take, where to invest limited resources, and where to …

The UN’s 17 SDGs are the world’s to-do list and achieving them by 2030 will take all of us working together. Business innovation plays a critical role in accelerating progress. But much of it is undiscovered in small to medium-sized businesses that are disconnected from the emerging …

Large amounts of time, talent and money are being poured into a range of (often innovative) entrepreneur support programs. While we should be taking stock of successes and failures, these many ‘program experiments’ are not cumulating into systematic insights that might spur further program innovations and a …

This session will explore what it means to move money in a way that is grounded ​and guided by Spirit​.​ Drawing from the wisdom of our spiritual traditions, this session will include time for spiritual practice, presentation and personal reflection​.​ We will offer suggestions and personal examples …

How do you turn an idea into a big impact? Socially minded entrepreneurs and investors have great aspirations, but they face the overwhelming problem of figuring out how to start. What’s the common theme among those who create social change? They think big, but start small. Every …

Ever wonder if major institutions - from Fortune 500 companies to INGOs - are investing for impact? We often hear impact investment positioned on a spectrum of investor expectations, with one side anchored by an appetite for high commercial returns and the other by philanthropic investors, or …

Lack of funding for entrepreneurs of color has been addressed as a matter of under-representation. An emerging approach highlights the demographic change in the United States toward a majority minority economy. This panel will address the different avenues to a more inclusive ecosystem, focusing on the economic …

Every leader builds a community of stakeholders (investors/donors, employees, members etc.) on which they depend. When leaders know how to create a robust and committed community, they can harness relationships that pull organizations through challenging times. This workshop introduces principles from the realm of spiritual tradition to …

With over $250M in debt and equity funding + 4x yoy growth in the off grid solar industry across India and Africa + over 10M households reached - this year is going to be the tipping point for the off grid solar industry. In impact investing, off …

While 67% of millennials believe that their investment decisions are a way to express their values, impact investing as a meaningful personal practice is still in its infancy and requires ongoing innovation. We can find inspiration for creating meaningful experiences from a perhaps unlikely source – religion. …