Are you looking to grow your entrepreneurial or intrapreneurial competencies to create positive impact and prepare for a fast-changing job market?
As the world looks to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, now is the time for the entrepreneurially-minded to step up to address pressing social and environmental challenges, and to develop the 21st century skills needed to succeed.
Join us for Social Entrepreneurship 101: an 8-week, part-time online program that covers the foundations of social entrepreneurship, from making sure you’ve identified the right problem, to developing a solution, to turning your idea into a sustainable business model. If you’re ready to roll up your sleeves, invest in your personal and professional growth, and turn your idea into impact, this is the right course for you!
Five (5) fully-funded scholarships are available! Apply by December 13 to be considered for a scholarship — more info below!
January 7th, 2021 – February 25th, 2021 Thursdays: 5:30 – 8:30pm ET Online: Zoom Classroom and Slack workspace
What You’ll Learn
Social Entrepreneurship 101 is an 8-week program delivered in two phases:
Phase 1 (Weeks 1-4): Explore your purpose as a social entrepreneur. Discover your problem space. Map opportunities for impact.
Together, we’ll begin with some of the big questions you may be asking yourself, such as:
I see so many urgent problems to solve. Which should I focus on specifically, and why?
There are so many things to do to get started. How do I prioritize?
What skills, knowledge, connections, and experience can I leverage to make an impact?
How do I move from idea to action?
Phase 2 (Weeks 4-8): Discover stakeholders. Build your business and financial models. Identify funding options and enterprise impact.
Questions answered during this phase include:
I have developed a clear idea of the impact that I want my enterprise to generate. How do I design my business to reach this impact?
How can I generate sustainable revenue (and profit) from my social enterprise?
What resources am I going to need to start my enterprise?
What funding models and options should I explore?
By the end of the 8 weeks, you’ll gain experience, confidence, and practice with core competencies in social entrepreneurship such as critical thinking, systems thinking, active listening, storytelling, decision-making, and business modelling.
What’s Included
In addition to the 8-week Social Entrepreneurship 101 online curriculum, participants will also gain access to online CSI community perks:
Invitations to ongoing CSI additional learning online workshops
Access to a SE101 community wide #Slack channel
Access to valuable tools, guides and worksheets for your future use
Who you’ll meet
You will connect with a cohort of changemakers who are similarly driven and committed to making an impact. SE 101 is open to everyone interested in making the world better through entrepreneurial thinking and approaches.
Social Entrepreneurship 101 was developed in partnership with experienced social entrepreneurs, coaches, facilitators, and educators, and based on the learnings from over 10 years of training social enterprises.
If you want to learn the fundamentals of creating a social enterprise, and ensure you make the right decisions and set the right priorities this course is for you!
The program was developed in partnership with experienced social entrepreneurs, coaches, facilitators, and educators, and based on the learnings of over a decade of training social enterprises.
You will feel more capable of driving your social enterprise idea forward with increased confidence. Come to connect with your peers and learn the building blocks of creating a viable social enterprise
PHASE 1: PROBLEM DISCOVERY, SOLUTIONS MAPPING, AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPACT
Together, we’ll help answer some of the questions you may be asking yourself, such as:
I see so many problems. Which should I focus on specifically, and why?
Do I have the right skills and enough knowledge to do this?
How do I move from idea to action?
There are so many things to do to get started, how do I prioritize?
WEEK 1
Topic: What are my motivations for wanting to start a social enterprise?
Outcomes: I understand why starting my own social enterprise is a good fit for me.
WEEK 2
Topic: What problem am I passionate about finding a solution to and why?
Outcomes: I have a framework to help me learn more about the ecosystem in which my problem exists.
WEEK 3
Topic: Why are the current solutions to this problem not working?
Outcomes: I have learned techniques to help me connect with those affected by the problem so that I deeply understand what is not working and why.
WEEK 4
Topic: Identifying opportunities for impact (new solutions)
Outcomes: I know (or am closer to knowing) where I can start to focus the efforts of my enterprise and with whom so that I can generate real impact.
PHASE 2: STAKEHOLDER DISCOVERY, BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL MODELS, SOCIAL ENTERPRISE FUNDING OPTIONS AND EXPLORING ENTERPRISE IMPACT
Together, we’ll help answer some of the questions you may be asking yourself, such as:
I have developed a clear idea of the impact that I want my enterprise to generate, how do I design my enterprise to reach this impact?
How can I generate sustainable revenue (and profit) from my social enterprise?
How do I move from idea to action, what areas of my enterprise should I focus on building first?
What resources am I going to need to start my enterprise?
What funding models should I explore?
WEEK 5
Topic: What is the vision and impact goals for my enterprise and who are its stakeholders?
Outcomes: I have a first draft of my enterprise’s compelling vision statement and I know all of the stakeholders that I will need to engage with in order to start testing my ideas.
WEEK 6
Topic: What is a business model?
Outcomes: I can start to get creative in imagining how my enterprise could deliver and generate value in order to achieve impact.
WEEK 7
Topic: What resources will I need to start my enterprise?
Outcomes: I can do a basic financial model to determine what I will need in the short term to get my enterprise off the ground.
WEEK 8
Topic: How could I get my enterprise funded, what options are available and what should I focus on doing next?
Outcomes: I understand some of the funding options available and have a clear idea of what I should focus on next in order to get my enterprise off the ground.
Core Entrepreneurial Competencies You’ll Learn
You will leave this training with some core entrepreneurial competencies that will support you in building an inclusive, meaningful and impact-driven enterprise. These include:
Critical thinking (the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment)
Systems thinking (understanding the numerous factors that contribute to a problem you are wanting to solve)
Decision making (selecting the best course of action that will bring about authentic impact).
Listening (giving one’s attention in order to learn new things without bias or judgment)
Storytelling (crafting and telling stories to better understand the impact that you want to generate)
Business Modelling (how to design an enterprise)
Tools and Guides You’ll Use
Some of the tools and guides we will be using include: Impact Gaps Canvas, Flourishing Business Model Canvas, Research Plan Template, Research Findings Template, Theory of Change, Evaluating Opportunities Worksheet, Enterprise Golden Circle.
We are offering this program at the significantly reduced rate of $100+pay what you can (PWYC)*, discounted from $450. We are also offering five fully-funded scholarships. These scholarships are intended to unlock access, opportunity, and impact for program participants who may face financial constraints to their involvement. All applicants (CSI Members, Non-CSI members, DECAs and PECAs) are eligible to apply. Find details below!
COVID-19 Considerate Pricing Option 1: $100. Thanks to our sponsor, we’re offering this program at the greatly reduced rate of $100 + Pay What You Can. Regular course price and value at: $450 Option 2: +pwyc. If you are able to pay more than $100, the difference will go towards subsidizing spots for others who may not be able to afford it. Thanks for helping to pay it forward. Option 3: Scholarship. We’re offering five, fully-funded scholarships. Please see details below and apply if you could otherwise not afford to participate.
*Why PWYC? If you are able to pay more for this course than the $100 minimum, your contribution will help others access the program for whom the cost would otherwise be prohibitive. Thanks for helping pay it forward!
Scholarships
In an effort to reduce financial barriers to SE 101 program participation, we are delighted to offer five fully-funded participant scholarships sponsored by the Centre for Social Innovation. All applicants (CSI Members, Non-CSI members, DECAs and PECAs) are eligible to apply. To apply for a Scholarship, please complete this form by December 13, 2020 at 11:59pm ET.
Once you complete your Eventbrite registration, we will send you a compilation of ‘Pre-Course Work’ materials that will help you prepare for the 8 weeks of course work to come. Make sure to take the time to complete the work and invest in your journey ahead. Pre-Course Work will include a personal and professional values evaluation, a written reflection of your story of self and entrepreneurial motivations, and pre-course research topics on Social Entrepreneurship.
No, it is not required that you have a clear business idea to participate in SE 101. In fact, many participants use the first 4 weeks of the program to further research and discover the full breadth of their business ideas and potential solutions within the current landscape.
It is important that you show up on-time and ready to engage with the material, facilitator and other participants, having already completed your out of class work.
As a perk to this course, you will receive a complimentary day pass to work from CSI Annex for the remainder of your workday. You’re also invited to connect with CSI members and community at Salad Club on Wednesdays after class. Use this time to get to know your fellow classmates and colleagues and further develop your network.
This 8-week course is dedicated to sharing the tools of how to build a successful social enterprise. Upon completion of SE101, you will have developed working models of your social enterprise that will help you to understand how to structure your business for success!
There is a wonderful amount of research and modelling that must be done prior to completing your first business plan. Once you complete SE 101, you will have the foundational pieces to begin putting together a successful business plan!
The Centre for Social Innovation is a community, catalyst, and launch pad for social entrepreneurship and innovation. Accessing the entrepreneurial experience of facilitators, guest speakers, and the community at large offers a more meaningful opportunity for networking and deeper learning. SE101 also uniquely focuses both on personal and professional development.
You will need a laptop/ computer and access to an internet connection to be able to download and read through weekly materials. It is suggested that you keep a detailed journal to track your weekly progress and enterprise research. Come to class prepared to capture information shared through worksheets and slide shows. Please also bring pen, scratch paper, and post-it notes for your in-class time.
This course is extremely useful to individuals wishing to learn more about what it means to be a social entrepreneur. You will learn how to holistically understand the roles and driving motivations of a thriving social enterprise and what it means to generate meaningful entrepreneurial impact.
Many successful social entrepreneurs begin as socially and environmentally aware citizens who are passionate and in search of meaningful solutions to the communities they are a member of or intending to generate solutions for. This is a great opportunity to gain access to incredible tools and learnings towards those outcomes!
Yes, it can be. If you are a part of a company where you want to generate impact for meaningful change, even within your own corporate culture, this is a great place to begin. SE101 gives you the opportunity to develop your storytelling skills, research abilities, and systems thinking approaches to understand and address complex challenges.
Roll up your sleeves, invest in your growth, and turn your idea into impact
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Part of the CSI Educates Initiative
At CSI, we equip people, organizations, and systems with the skills, knowledge, and networks to evolve their leadership skills and entrepreneurial competencies. Learn more about our approach here.
