Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Columbia Business School: Social Enterprise Conference 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Reminder: AngelAfrica Enterprise Forum on Sept 25th & 26th
Date: September 25 & 26, 2009
Time: 7:30am - 4:00pm
Location: Desmond Tutu Center, 180 10th Ave (between 20th & 21st Streets) New York, NY 10011 MAP
Africa Social Enterprise Forum Special Limited Promotion!
Bring a friend to the conference on us--FREE--when you purchase your full conference pass for the AngelAfrica Enterprise Conference
About the Conference
Join us for the AngelAfrica Enterprise Conference, an annual event which showcases innovations and opportunities in investment, economic development and entrepreneurship on the African continent.
The 2009 conference will gather 250 over two full days to jointly showcase their leadership and innovation in Africa's private and social sectors.
Full Conference Schedule
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Acumen Fund Fellows Mixer and Multimedia Party
The Bubble Lounge and Acumen Fund welcome you to join the returning Acumen Fund Fellows on Tuesday, September 22 from 6 - 11 pm for an evening of drinks, live music, and multimedia work from around the globe. Meet the Fellows, listen to music from DJ VRL and view photography and video footage from various social enterprises in India, Pakistan and Kenya.
Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Ticket price includes one complimentary drink.
In addition, the Fellows' photography will be available for purchase online prior to the event. To view and bid on photography from this year's Fellows , please visit AcumenBubble.cmarket.com.
All ticket sales, online auction, and live auction proceeds and a portion of bar proceeds go to benefit Acumen Fund.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Women's Social Entrepreneurship Panel
6:30-7:00: Registration/Networking
7:00-8:30: Panel Discussion/Q&A
Where: The Feldenkrais Institute,134 West 26th Street, 2nd Floor
Cost: $10 (light refreshments included)
RSVP by September 20th to: http://womeninsocialentrepreneurship.eventbrite.com
Moderated by Ann MacDougall, Chief Management Officer at the Acumen Fund, the conversation is ideal for anyone, male or female, who have ideas and need inspiration, interested in learning more about the field of social entrepreneurship and meeting with like-minded individuals.
Women play a key role in traditional and social entrepreneurship globally, and living in New York we are surrounded by women who are in the midst of changing the world through entrepreneurship.
Through a conversation with our panelists, including Elizabeth Scharpf and Katie Orenstein--two uber-entrepreneurs and Echoing Green fellows-- and Amini Kajunju, CEO of Workshop in Business Opportunities, we will highlight the power of women in this field, both domestically and internationally, feature the various models of social entrepreneurship (non-profit, for-profit, hybrid), and discuss the challenges and opportunities that female entrepreneurs face.
Moderator: Ann MacDougall, Chief Management Officer, Acumen Fund
As Chief Management Officer, Ann manages Acumen's core operating activities and is a member of its management committee. Before joining Acumen Fund, Ann MacDougall spent 17 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers, in various senior roles. Most recently she lived in Paris and held the role of Global Deputy General Counsel. Prior to that, she was US General Counsel and a member of that firm's ten person management committee. Before PwC, Ann worked at US West and the NYC law firm of Sage Gray Todd & Sims. Ann holds a JD from Brooklyn Law School and a B.A. from Tufts University.
Panelists:
Elizabeth Scharpf
Elizabeth is starting a business called Sustainable Health Enterprises (SHE) in Rwanda that will provide a sustainable model to provide affordable sanitary napkins for women and young girls. Elizabeth, a recent Harvard MBA and MPA-International Development graduate, is an entrepreneur who spent most of her professional career starting up ventures or advising businesses on growth strategies in the health-care industry. Previously, she worked for a boutique management consulting firm, the Clinton Foundation, and the World Bank in South America, Asia, and East Africa, respectively.
http://www.echoinggreen.org/fellows/elizabeth-scharpf
Katie Orenstein
Katie is a journalist who has started a company called the Op-Ed Project, which aims to train more women and minorities to take part in global debates (op-eds, political commentary, even Congress are dominated up to 85% by well educated white males). An author and journalist, Catherine Orenstein has written for the op-ed pages of The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Miami Herald, and her commentary has been nationally syndicated. A graduate of Harvard (BA) and Columbia (MA), she is a fellow at The Woodhull Institute for Ethical Leadership, a women’s think tank
http://www.echoinggreen.org/fellows/katie-orenstein
Amini Kajunju
Amini Kajunju is the CEO/COO of Workshop in Business Opportunities (WIBO) which is a private non-profit organization that is committed to assisting men and women with the drive to become successful entrepreneurs. WIBO’s flagship 16-week workshop, “How to Build a Growing Profitable Business” is currently conducted in nine underserved communities of New York City.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Two New Volunteer Opportunities with Acumen Fund
The Acumen Fund Communications team is currently looking for a volunteer to write, edit and manage content on two of our key online properties – the Acumen Fund blog and website. This is a 3-month, full-time volunteer position. The volunteer will be expected to work out of Acumen Fund’s New York office.
The Communications Volunteer will be a key member of Acumen Fund’s communications team, working with Acumen Fund staff (across functions and geographies) to ensure timely, accurate, compelling content on the website and blog, and to support internal knowledge building. This is an unpaid position, but you’ll learn a lot about the sector as well as the inner workings of Acumen Fund and have the opportunity to share your words with the ever-expanding Acumen Fund community.
The ideal candidate will have a facility for the written word (and for the technology needed to share such words), as well as a passion for Acumen Fund’s vision and mission.
Click here for the full position description. Apply by sending a cover letter and resume to mtada@acumenfund.org. Please include the job title “Communications Volunteer” in the subject line. Deadline for applications is 5:00pm EST September 30.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Lessons From the Field: A Discussion with Acumen Fund Fellows
Will Surekha Dial an Ambulance? Market Research at the Base of the Pyramid
Joanna Harries, 1298 Ambulance Services (India)
Barriers and Breakthroughs: True Tales of BoP Sales
Heidi Krauel, D.light Design (India)
Time:
5:30pm - Registration
6:00-7:30pm - Panel and Discussion
Networking reception to follow
Location: Cantor Boardroom (Room 11-75), Kaufman Management Center, Stern School of Business, New York University
44 W 4th Street, New York, NY 10012
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Jacqueline Novogratz and Tim Brown at UC-Berkeley on Sept 8th
On Tuesday, September 8, the Blum Center for Developing Economies at UC-Berkeley will be hosting Tim Brown, the CEO of IDEO and Jacqueline Novogratz, CEO of Acumen Fund, in a session called Putting the People First: Human-Centered Poverty Alleviation.
In a discussion moderated by Acumen Fund board member Stuart Davidson, Tim and Jacqueline will discuss innovative approaches to global development and the ways that IDEO and Acumen Fund have worked together to find solutions that start with the poor as people.
The event is free and open to all but reservations are recommended. For more info and to RSVP, go here.