The Social Enterprise Summit is designed to leverage the growing constituency of entrepreneurial nonprofits and social purpose businesses to a higher level of impact and effectiveness. The Summit, now in its 9th year, convenes over 600 executives and managers from these innovative organizations to meet other innovators, inspire their peers and learn fresh options for scaling their efforts. Topics include capitalization strategies, managing the double-bottom line, managing organizational culture change, and many other topics. This is the premier event for anyone interested in the concept of a vibrant social enterprise economy powered by organizations and ventures using market strategies to generate social benefit. The 600+ attendees include nonprofit professionals, innovative businesses advancing a social mission, local, regional and national networks of nonprofits and top-level decision makers from a variety of affiliations.

2008 Summit Steering Committee
- Arnold Chandler, Executive Director, First Book Marketplace
- Gordon Floyd, Executive Director, Children's Mental Health Ontario
- Julann Jatzcak, Vice-president, Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative
- Jim McClurg, Vice-president, Social Enterprise Alliance
- Kris Prendergast, President & CEO, Social Enterprise Alliance
- Bill Strathmann, CEO, Network for Good
- Andrew Wolk, President & CEO, Root Cause Institute

Gain Valuable Knowledge

• An average of 60 breakout sessions provide valuable lessons in business planning, financial systems, legal issues, marketing, performance measurement, change management and capitalization strategies as they pertain to social enterprise

• Meet one-on-one with session presenters to get your specific questions answered

• Tour local social enterprises and learn first hand how they achieve success in both their business ventures and social missions

Make Connections/Build Your Network

• Search for attendees with similar interest areas and get connected online before the conference

• Mix and mingle at the opening night Social Enterprise Marketplace

• Dine with a small group of attendees from your region or who share the same mission focus during the “Dine-Around” evening

• Create and/or attend an Affinity Group discussion

• Attend the special VIP reception for our members at the Sustainer level and above for a chance to meet keynote presenters and SEA Board Members

Get inspired

• Hear world- class keynote speakers. Past presenters have included:
  • John Bryant, Founder & CEO, Operation HOPE
  • Kathleen Buescher, President & CEO, Provident Counseling
  • Steve Case, Chairman, The Case Foundation and Co-founder, former CEO & Chairman of America Online
  • Jed Emerson, Senior Fellow, Generation Foundation
  • Katherine Freund, Founder & CEO, ITNAmerica
  • Jim Fruchterman, President, CEO & Founder, Benetech
  • Gary Hirshberg, President & CE-YO, Stonyfield Farm
  • Guy Kawasaki, CEO of Garage Technology Ventures
  • Steve Mariotti, President & Founder, National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship
  • Martha Perry, Associate Executive Director, McCune Foundation
  • Ed Skloot, Executive Director, Surdna Foundation
  • Bill Strickland, President & CEO, Manchester Bidwell Corporation
  • Jeff Swartz, President & CEO, Timberland

 

• Order audio CDs of the educational sessions and keynote presentations at the 8th Gathering, April 2007.

 

• Celebrate the exemplary practices of SEA Award Winners

• Be a part of the power and enthusiasm created when 600+ people who are out there making social enterprise happen everyday come together!

Quotes from Past Attendees

This conference was definitely worth every dollar spent. I left with a more realistic understanding of the work needed to develop and sustain a successful social enterprise and felt very connected to others with whom I share a common vision - to change the world.
                                                                                   -- Carol Lease, Executive Director, The Empowerment Program

Great experience - very motivating and informational - it already is having an impact on the four organizations we serve as volunteers
                                                                                   -- Dave Dukehart, CEO / President, Partners for Change

The program sessions provided great practical nuts and bolts approaches, while the plenary speakers offered considerable doses of inspiration.
                                                                                     -- Kristi Rendahl, The Center for Victims of Torture

Continues to be most important conference for me each year.
                                                                                    -- Jennifer Li Shen, Partner, Blue Garnet Associates

It was a fantastic opportunity to come and learn with like-minded people. The quality of the speakers and the workshops was superb and the different strands of learning made it a very worthwhile investment into mine, and my social enterprise's future.
                                                                                    -- Bev Meldrum, Partner, 2amase

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