It was an honor to be among such amazing Social Entrepreneurs at The Gathering. I met many fabulous people who I have read much about i.e.: Julius Walls of Greyston Bakery, Mark Cole from Golden Gate Communities & Sandi Romero from Mama's Hot Tamales, to name a few.

I found the conference to be a great educational experience that offered up many resources as well. I am working on partnering with Kitchens with Mission (a social enterprise that helps increase sustainability) for the bakery café training ground that I am creating. To be around those who demonstrate possibility only reinforces the potential that there is among us.   

- Robyn Brown, The Gary Center, La Habra, CA - First time attendee

It was wonderful! Good people doing great work and learning how to do more! Exhilarating! Out of the box thinking abounded...workshops were amazing! Keynotes inspiring....I attend a lot of conferences and it is critical to me that I get value for my dollars and time. THIS was it!

I was also privileged to obtain two scholarships for other non profits in my area - thanks! very generous!   

- Dee Tucker, Rancho Santiago Community College District, Santa Ana, CA  - First time attendee

It was absolutely incredible. The best learning experience I have had in a long time. Every workshop attended and each of the keynoters just kept enlarging the potential and giving so much practical information for application. There was a great spirit of sharing and helping one another…no one was hiding trade secrets. We took advantage of the opportunity to see social enterprise in action and learned a lot through that venue as well. It seems like you thought of every way to enrich our lives while we were gathered. The addition of the presentation of Freedom Writers and meeting some of those whose lives were touched by the experience on which the movie was based was a great idea. I can’t think of anything bad about the conference.. All the assistance for registration, travel, etc. was greatly appreciated.

- Sheila Fitzgerald, Transitions Women’s Hearth, Spokane, WA - First time attendee

The Gathering was almost a religious experience. To encounter a community that is so open, sharing and focused on social change was an absolute inspiration. I couldn’t believe the sheer size of the event and the number of people who had traveled so far to be there – from Scotland, Hong Kong, France, Australia – it was amazing.

The variety of workshops and the expertise of presenters were both outstanding. I had to use a buddy system to split up the workshops just to make the conference navigable. I especially liked the way the diverse workshops were brought back into context by the revolutionary insights of the keynote speakers.

I thought I was a nut for sacrificing so much to accomplish my nonprofit mission; this conference convinced me that I’m not alone. I can’t even imagine missing the next one.    

- Jessica Baron, Guitars in the Classroom, Solana Beach, CA - First time attendee

This was my first gathering and the information was truly priceless! Awesome!  

- Deirdre Jones-Shook, Houston Area Urban League, Houston, TX - First time attendee

My whole frame of reference has been shifted. My mind has been opened to an entirely new dimension – in a very positive way! 

- Susana DeJesus, The Puerto Rican Education and Cultural Foundation, Rio Grande, PR - First time attendee

After attending my first Gathering (#7- Atlanta) there was never a question about returning for the 8th Gathering in Long Beach. I'm sure that others experienced my same delight to finally meet and learn with others who have been operating social enterprises, but felt alone in our efforts to do things differently.

I now feel assured that there is truly a movement addressing the varied needs of social entrepreneurs, I've been impressed with the variety of attendees (consultants, practitioners, etc) and their individual passions, as well as the understanding of the organizers for the need for a variety of topics and levels of learning needed by those in attendance. Coming with thirty years of human services background, I was pleased to find an abundance of financial topics this year, presented by professionals from the business community. It's evident to me that the future of the social enterprise movement is in good hands, and will continue to flourish.

Thanks to all who make the Gatherings happen (and happen in a way that's congruent with the message of social entrepreneurship). Next year I hope to be able to have more of our staff in attendance.   

- Cliff Doescher, The Arc of Greater New Orleans, New Orleans, LA  - Repeat attendee

This was my fourth gathering. I attended the gathering in Seattle, Minneapolis and San Francisco. I took a break from Milwaukee, although I heard the gathering was excellent. I do incur quite an expense flying to non-hub cities. However, I did plan to attend the Atlanta gathering but my twin grandsons were born on the opening day of the gathering and I was grandma 24/7 for the next seven weeks.

I was more than ready to come to the Long Beach Gathering. I am sort of the lone ranger in Hawaii when it comes to social enterprise and the gatherings offer me an opportunity for inspiration and to learn about the latest trends in the movement and re-connect. This gathering did not fail in that regard. I am also a field trip junkie and I have gained so much from the social enterprises we visited in Seattle, Minneapolis, San Francisco and Long Beach. The tamales were to die for! I especially liked the screening of Freedom Writers. What an inspiration. Chaminade University has started a Not-for-profit emphasis in their MBA program and I will be adjunct faculty teaching social enterprise management. The gathering was very timely and has helped me with the curriculum for the course.

I thought this gathering was a bit different than the other three. The keynote speakers weren’t the social enterprise cheerleaders we had before. I missed the electricity. Haven’t quite decided about Mr. Kauffman—would have appreciated a little less arrogance.

I also really appreciated the gathering in Long Beach. I didn’t have to take a red eye! 

- Sally Little, Entrepreneurial Solutions LLC, Mililani Town, HI - Repeat attendee

This was my fourth attendance at a Gathering. I attended my first as Kibble's prize for receiving the UK Social Enterprise of the Year Award. That particular event did much to shape and consolidate our thinking around the development of a range of small social enterprises to work with at risk young people. That thinking has today been translated into social enterprises offering joinery, metalwork, warehousing, logistics, ICT, marketing, catering, janitorial services and print solutions. There are more in the pipeline as a direct result of networking at last week's conference!

Scotland is ideally placed geographically to benefit from best practice in Europe and North America, and Kibble has developed a range of networks over the past 10 years. Kibble provides very specialised services for young people with complex social, emotional, educational and behavioural problems and we need to look beyond our own borders for ideas and inspiration to develop responsive child and youth care services. Social enterprise is the vehicle which keeps these services running and it is important that we keep it roadworthy. The resources at the Social Enterprise Alliance provide us with useful tools and maps, while the Gathering offers a chance to meet fellow travelers, share our stories, conduct some business and leave refreshed and replenished. See you next year! 

- Lesley Fuller, The Kibble Centre, Paisley, UK - Repeat attendee

I thought the conference was great this year -- best yet! Thanks for all of your work to put it on.  

- Joshua Tripp, Community Wealth Ventures, Inc. - Repeat attendee