Doing well and doing good is the mantra of a new generation of entrepreneurs and the organizations that invest in them. And Social Capital Markets 2008 (SoCap08) is a new event designed to bring together all of the people and organizations with a similar deep passion to change the world through sustainable businesses.
We're at the cusp of a massive sea-change (((because the poles are melting))) in the ways that businesses can impact global and local problems. In the past, startup profit-motivated businesses were funded by risk capital, and socially-focused organizations were supported by philanthropy. The profit-oriented were rarely allowed to let a social mission intrude, and the socially-oriented were discouraged from building sustainable businesses. But a new breed of entrepreneurs - and a new mentality of those who fund them - is changing the landscape of business, investing and philanthropy.
At SoCap08, attendees will learn what works and what doesn't in this new world of social capital and social entrepreneurs, which hybrid social & business models reach sustainability and which don't, and where this emerging industry is headed.
Attendees will be able to network with their peers, discovering a whole new realm of people they had hoped existed - organizations, groups, and individuals who share the same intention to launch and support sustainable businesses designed to impact global and local problems. Investors and entrepreneurs will find themselves helping to build a new community, gaining encouragement as they realize that they are not alone, but are part of something big, important - and rapidly growing.
Bridging Silos (((This is where the people of the future will live, because there's nothing actually *inside* the silos, but they're connected with bridges. And, therefore, turned into creative-class lofts.
Or something.)))
SoCap08 will include speakers and attendees from across the broad range of social business constituencies, including Fair Trade, "Base of the Pyramid," Digital Inclusion, CleanTech, Microfinance and New Capital (mission-focused investments and new philanthropy), and health/education/workforce initiatives.
Each of these groups has often traditionally worked in isolation. But at SoCap08, everyone will have the chance to understand the commonalities between their work, highlight best practices, and build the connective tissue between their entrepreneurial and funding activities.
We'll also explore a variety of "horizontal" issues affecting each of these groups. For example, one of the biggest problems in the emerging industry is the lack of expansion capital beyond the "seed" funding entrepreneurs can raise from family and friends, or from "proof of concept" funding from foundations. A systemic exploration of supply chain and distribution issues in fair trade will also be on the community agenda. One of the goals of SoCap08 is to highlight the need for new kinds of funding, and to bring together some of the smartest financial and entrepreneurial minds around to design new ways to expand financial options for social initiatives.
Enabling a New Ecosystem
In fact, SoCap08 is designed to thrill everyone in the social capital ecosystem...
