PSU Impact Entrepreneurs News

Social entrepreneurs on stage at the 2012 Social Innovation Incubator Pitch Fest

The Elevating Impact Summit is a celebration of impact in many forms, and a big part of that is the showcase of new social ventures, concepts, and up-and-coming entrepreneurs. The morning Pitch Fest is an exciting first look at the latest and greatest ideas in social innovation. If you have a social venture that you’re passionate about, don’t miss this opportunity to pitch your concept to a panel of leading impact investors looking for the next big thing!

So, why should you apply to participate in the Pitch Fest?

• Enjoy the full attention of a panel of impact investors who will evaluate your pitch and offer personalized feedback.
• Meet and mingle with other like-minded social entrepreneurs in a collaborative and inspiring environment.
• Link up with the partner, employee, resource, or organization you’ve been searching for to complete your vision.
• Make a name for yourself and your vision! This is your chance to tell your story to a room full of people who are ready to listen. You never know when you’re going to catch the interest of the right person who can help you get to the next level.

SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION HERE

• Applicants must have a social enterprise concept or existing venture, either for-profit or nonprofit, that uses business tools to address a major social or environmental problem.
• You are required to submit a brief video that pitches your concept. Videos need not be “high-tech” or professionally produced. We know that it can be hard to convey an idea that you’re passionate about on a typed application, so this is your opportunity to insert your personality into the pitch. The video will be the most heavily weighted portion of the application, so make it count!
• Applicants must be registered for the event to be considered. Enter PITCHFEST at checkout to receive a special applicant discount when you purchase your ticket.

Want to work on your application offline? Download this Pitch Fest Application Cheat Sheet to help you prepare.

DEADLINE TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION: May 31st, 11:59PM

Questions? Email us at impactentrepreneurs@pdx.edu.

Leading up to the Elevating Impact Summit on June 21, we’ve invited event speakers and panelists to engage in a storytelling project. We believe that storytelling is an essential part of effective social innovation. How can we tell stories in a way that generates interest and creates connections? How can we listen to the stories of others with the empathy needed to achieve true understanding? We hope that by sharing stories of failure, transformation and success, you’ll learn more about our speakers and the promise and challenges of social innovation. 

Carolynn Duncan answers the question, “What is a hardship you overcame that shaped who you are today?”:

“I’ve actually the oldest daughter of a ten-kid family [...] I had to take on a lot of responsibilities as the oldest in being a guide and caretaker for my siblings over the years, and that has definitely shaped my views.”

Download: carolynn-duncan.mp3

Carolynn Duncan is the founder/CEO of TenX.org, a business education company which helps emerging entrepreneurs and business owners sharpen their business skills and as a result, exceed the $100K and $1MM revenue milestones: under Carolynn’s direction, TenX alumni have generated more than $20MM in revenues and funding since 2009.

Prior to TenX, Carolynn was affiliated with EPIC Ventures, a Salt Lake City-based venture capital firm, developed an entrepreneurial finance program and ran LivePitch events for FundingUniverse (now Lendio), assisted in launching the Eastern Idaho Entrepreneurial Center in partnership with BYU-Idaho and EPIC Ventures, founded the Hundred Dollar Business, was a founding employee of TagJungle, a tech startup in the blog search space, and worked at $3MM seed fund Provo Labs.

Carolynn has worked with at-risk youth through Utah Youth Village and the Casey Life Skills Program, volunteers as a “Big Sister” with Big Brothers, Big Sisters, is an advocate of Pathway, a distance learning program developed by BYU-Idaho, and has taught financial & employment literacy for young adults in the LDS Church. Carolynn has a Bachelor’s in Modern Dance, Music (Violin), and English (Literature/Creative Writing) from Brigham Young University-Idaho.

Carolynn will participate in the “Impact Funding” panel at the Elevating Impact Summit on June 21.

Leading up to the Elevating Impact Summit on June 21, we’ve invited event speakers and panelists to engage in a storytelling project. We believe that storytelling is an essential part of effective social innovation. How can we tell stories in a way that generates interest and creates connections? How can we listen to the stories of others with the empathy needed to achieve true understanding? We hope that by sharing stories of failure, transformation and success, you’ll learn more about our speakers and the promise and challenges of social innovation. 

Sona Andrews answers the question, “What lessons has your work taught you?” with a reflection on privilege and power:

“Those of us that are in positions of authority within our organization are the ones who least need [...] special treatment.”

Download: sona-andrews.m4a

Sona Karentz Andrews is currently the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Portland State University. In that role she is the chief academic officer of the University. Working with deans and other administrators, the Provost collaborates with the campus and external communities to achieve the academic mission and vision of the University. Academic Affairs is the administrative home for all academic units and is responsible for the institutional academic mission, programming and policy implementation, support programs for academic personnel and students, and academic fiscal management.

Dr. Andrews completed her undergraduate degree in Geography from Worcester State College in Massachusetts and her Master’s and Ph.D. in Geography from Arizona State University. She has held faculty positions at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Boise State University, and now at Portland State University. She has held leadership positions in the Provost Office at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; was an American Council on Education Fellow; served as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Boise State University; and most recently was the Vice Chancellor for Academic Strategies for the Oregon University System.

Sona will participate in a panel on “Education for Impact” at the Elevating Impact Summit on June 21.

Leading up to the Elevating Impact Summit on June 21, we’ve invited event speakers and panelists to engage in a storytelling project. We believe that storytelling is an essential part of effective social innovation. How can we tell stories in a way that generates interest and creates connections? How can we listen to the stories of others with the empathy needed to achieve true understanding? We hope that by sharing stories of failure, transformation and success, you’ll learn more about our speakers and the promise and challenges of social innovation. 

John Shepherd answers the question, “What lessons has your work taught you?” with a story about the true value of business:

“It’s not about the money that’s made, or the cool gadgets that are created—it’s about, Does it make a difference in someone’s life? Does it make this world a better place to live in?”

Download: elevating-impact-story-john-shepherd.mp3

John is the Founder and President of M25 Ventures, a Kingdom-focused nonprofit helping former addicts and ex-offenders achieve economic sustainability and personal growth through entrepreneurship. He is also the founder of Western Accounting Services, Inc. which developed one of the first PC-based royalty accounting software programs in the publishing industry. Western Accounting Services later merged with a computer hardware distribution business and formed Avalon Technology Group, Inc. Under John’s leadership Avalon became a leading provider of accounting software, computer hardware, and IT network services in the Portland area.

In 2002 John began volunteering as a computer teacher for the LifeChange recovery program at Union Gospel Mission. He then became the volunteer Education Director for the program and designed a four-year life skills and discipleship curriculum. He later took a full-time position at Union Gospel Mission as the Services Director for the LifeChange program, where he was responsible for staffing and designing a case management system and designing a vocational training program for residents.

John will participate in a panel on “Re-entry Redefined” at the Elevating Impact Summit on June 21.

We’re excited to announce the finalists for our first annual Impact Awards, recognizing promising and noted changemakers in our region who are seeking bold ways to make a large and lasting difference. Winners will be announced at the Elevating Impact Summit on June 21.

Finalists for the Student Impact Award:

• Ahmed Abidine, Portland State University / Elkarti Morocco
• Glenda Alfaro, Mt. Hood Community College / CGI U Finalist
• Orion Falvey, University of Oregon / Oregon Mobile Medical
• Brian Forrester, Portland State University / Hands-On Philanthropy
• Simon Ngawhika, Portland State University / PSU Net Impact

Finalists for the Impact Entrepreneur Award:

• Shane Endicott, Our United Villages
• Michael “Luni” Libes, Fledge Incubator
• Tim O’Brien, Tropical Salvage
• Adam Reid, KOREducators
• Evan Thomas, SWEETSense, Manna Energy, Portland State University
• Ben West, EcoZoom

Finalists for the Corporate/Nonprofit Impact Intrapreneur Award:

• Catherine Ellingson, New Avenues for Youth
• Mark Holloway, Social Venture Partners Portland
• John Haines, Mercy Corps NW
• Kazi Huque, Grameen Intel
• Doug Stamm, Meyer Memorial Trust

The Elevating Impact Summit will gather hundreds of bold, creative thinkers and action-oriented doers. More than 25 panelists will cover topics including impact investing, education, media and startup life. Aspiring social entrepreneurs will pitch their innovations in a rapid-fire pitch session and the event concludes with a cocktail reception. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about social entrepreneurship in your community — buy your ticket before May 21 for an early-bird discount.

Leading up to the Elevating Impact Summit on June 21, we’ve invited event speakers and panelists to engage in a storytelling project. We believe that storytelling is an essential part of effective social innovation. How can we tell stories in a way that generates interest and creates connections? How can we listen to the stories of others with the empathy needed to achieve true understanding? We hope that by sharing stories of failure, transformation and success, you’ll learn more about our speakers and the promise and challenges of social innovation. 

Jacob Sherman answers the question, “What are the most important lessons you’ve learned in life?” with a story of why we should all dare to fail:

“One of the other important life lessons I learned comes out of a William Carlos Williams poem where he talks about no defeat being made up entirely of defeat, because it always opens a place formerly unsuspected.” (Read the entire poem here)

Download: jacob_sherman_story.mp3

Jacob Sherman works for the Institute for Sustainable Solutions at Portland State University, where he promotes a stronger integration of sustainability into the curriculum. He has been advancing sustainability at PSU since 2009, providing leadership in the university’s nationally recognized Take Back the Tap campaign, President Wim Wiewel’s Sustainable Drinking Water Task Force, and the University Studies Peer Mentor Program. In 2011, Jacob was awarded both the PSU and the State of Oregon Student Employee of the Year awards. In 2012, Jacob spoke to more than 25,000 people as a student speaker at PSU’s commencement ceremony.

Jacob holds a Master of Science in Educational Leadership and Policy with a concentration in Leadership for Sustainability Education from Portland State, and has a B.A. in English as well. An avid believer in the adage that a small group of dedicated people can change the world, Jacob actively involves himself in efforts to enhance the community. He currently serves on the PSU Alumni Association and is the Chair of his neighborhood association. A fifth generation Portlander, Jacob enjoys gardening, backpacking, and calling the Pacific Northwest home with his wife and son.

Jacob will moderate a panel on “Re-entry Redefined” at the Elevating Impact Summit on June 21.

Portland has embraced the Startup Weekend, a 54-hour sprint to design and prototype a new tech startup, with a series of local and regional events. Now Mercy Corps is hosting a first-of-its-kind Startup Weekend for social entrepreneurs at their Portland headquarters this June 7-9, building on their experience running similar events in Iraq, Palestine, and Haiti.

Participants can pitch an idea and form a team to prototype a technology-based social enterprise, or work on a team helping Mercy Corps address some of the world’s biggest challenges. Whether you’re a software developer, graphic designer, social entrepreneur, businessperson or aid practitioner, there’s a place for you at this event. Visit the website to learn more or register.

What: Tech4Change, a social entrepreneurship Startup Weekend hosted by Mercy Corps

When: Friday, June 7 through Sunday, June 9

Where: Mercy Corps global headquarters, 45 SW Ankeny St., Portland OR

How much? $75 (with early-bird discount)

About Mercy Corps:

Mercy Corps is a nonprofit disaster relief and development organization with operations in over 40 countries. Its mission is to alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression by helping people build secure, productive and just communities. Mercy Corps strives to catalyze community-led and market-driven solutions to global poverty issues. Increasingly, Mercy Corps is employing technologies which have the potential to give millions of people new access to financial services and information, enabling them to grow businesses and improve their livelihoods, health and communities. Mercy Corps is also increasingly using startup technologies to streamline operations and meet compliance needs, freeing up human and financial resources to benefit those in need.

About Startup Weekend:

Startup Weekend is a global grassroots movement of active and empowered entrepreneurs who are learning the basics of founding startups and launching successful ventures. It is the largest community of passionate entrepreneurs with over 400 past events in 100 countries around the world in 2011. The nonprofit organization is headquartered in Seattle, Washington but Startup Weekend organizers and facilitators can be found in over 200 cities around the world. From Mongolia to South Africa to London to Brazil, people around the globe are coming together for weekend long workshops to pitch ideas, form teams, and start companies.

All Startup Weekend events follow the same basic model: anyone is welcome to pitch their startup idea and receive feedback from their peers. Teams organically form around the top ideas and then it’s a 54-hour frenzy of business model creation, coding, designing, and market validation. The weekends culminate with presentations in front of local entrepreneurial leaders with another opportunity for critical feedback.

Marlynn Schotland, founder of Urban Bliss Media and an expert in small business marketing, recently ran a workshop for the members of our Social Innovation Incubator Circuit Program. In this post, we share some of her advice on creating an effective online presence for your brand.

“Every part of your business should live and breath your consistent message.”

Your message grows from a clear understanding of your company’s 4 Ps: Product (what you sell), Price (for how much), Place (where you sell it), and Promotion (how you get people to buy it). You also need to be creative in understanding your customers and competition. Everyone has competition; something only slightly similar to your product can still take away your sales. Your customers also may not be what you expect; don’t assume they all look and act like you.

Once you know what makes your brand distinct, and to whom you should communicate this message, you need to develop a marketing budget. Make certain to include your time (the most valuable resource most entrepreneurs have). This will help you determine the best way to invest your limited time and money, and can serve as a guide for web developers, consultants or staff.

Speaking of limited time, develop a marketing calendar that includes website updates and social media posts. Scheduling when, and how long, you’ll spend writing, posting, and tweeting will keep you disciplined and prevent marketing from becoming a time sink or distraction.

“Educate, engage, and entertain.”

With all of the social media platforms and online tools available, where should you focus your energy? According to a recent study in eMarketer, the largest driver of traffic for small businesses is their website — and the second largest is their blog.

You may not think you have time to blog, but short posts are often most effective. Something as simple as a customer FAQ, some behind-the-scenes info on your latest product, or even a few photos of new items are a good way to build an online audience and drive traffic to your website.

Websites are faster and easier to create than ever before, thanks to platforms like Weebly and WordPress. Ecommerce integration is simple using Shopify, Big Cartel or Woocommerce, and linked email marketing through Mail Chimp or Constant Contact helps you manage outreach to online customers. Keep in mind, though, that fast and cheap aren’t the same as effective — make certain to  watch focus groups or new customers using your website to make certain it’s intuitive and appealing.

Whatever platforms and channels you end up using, keep your message consistent. Remember to educate, engage, and entertain your audience, and the sales will follow.

Leading up to the Elevating Impact Summit on June 21, we’ve invited event speakers and panelists to engage in a storytelling project. We believe that storytelling is an essential part of effective social innovation. How can we tell stories in a way that generates interest and creates connections? How can we listen to the stories of others with the empathy needed to achieve true understanding? We hope that by sharing stories of failure, transformation and success, you’ll learn more about our speakers and the promise and challenges of social innovation. 

Ed Blackburn answers the question, “What lessons has your work taught you?” with a story of the importance of compassion:

“Compassion wasn’t just about feeling sorry for people; it was developing the skills to be able to actually do something about a situation.”

Download: ed-blackburn.mp3

Ed Blackburn is the Executive Director of Central City Concern (CCC), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency in Portland, Oregon. CCC’s mission is providing comprehensive solutions to ending homelessness and achieving self-sufficiency. Ed began at CCC in 1992 as Director of the Hooper Detoxification Center. In 1997 he became the Director of Health and Addiction Services, and in 2007 moved into a Deputy Director position. Ed assumed his role as Executive Director of the agency in 2008. He has been a leader in developing a comprehensive approach to ending homelessness at CCC, which includes several nationally and internationally recognized program models. In 2009, Ed was honored by the Dalai Lama as an Unsung Hero of Compassion.

Leading up to the Elevating Impact Summit on June 21, we’ve invited event speakers and panelists to engage in a storytelling project. We believe that storytelling is an essential part of effective social innovation. How can we tell stories in a way that generates interest and creates connections? How can we listen to the stories of others with the empathy needed to achieve true understanding? We hope that by sharing stories of failure, transformation and success, you’ll learn more about our speakers and the promise and challenges of social innovation around the world. 

Kazi Huque answers the question, “What lessons has your work taught you?” with a story of designing technology services for the poor in Bangladesh:

“You come up with creative solutions when you’ve internalized other people’s perspective.”

Download: kazihuque-importantlesson.mp3

Kazi Huque is the CEO of Grameen Intel Social Business Ltd. He has more than 12 years of experience with Intel Corporation as a Finance Controller based in the US with worldwide financial and strategic investment responsibilities. Prior to Intel, he worked as a technology consultant and program manager for EDS. In 2009 he was tasked to lead the formation of the Grameen Intel company and Intel’s first investment in Bangladesh. Kazi Huque has a bachelors in applied mathematics, computer science and an MBA from the University of Rochester.

What would it look like if, instead of looking at young people as victims or perpetrators, we understood them as problem solvers?

We’re excited to announce that Eric Dawson, creator of the Peace First Prize, will keynote the Elevating Impact Summit on June 21. Eric is an Ashoka Fellow who created Peace First, an organization engaging children in conflict resolution and bullying prevention through such innovative approaches as the Peace Games and Peace First Prize, called a ”Nobel for young people.”

Learn more about the prize in a recent Huffington Post article, watch America Ferrera introduce the concept below, then buy tickets today to see Eric Dawson talk peacemaking and social innovation at the Elevating Impact Summit in Portland, Oregon June 21.

Click Here to Get Tickets

Don’t miss the Women’s Business Summit on Wednesday, June 12 from 9 a.m.—2 p.m. at Mercy Corps.

Hosted by the Women’s Business Center at Mercy Corps NW, home of the Business Foundations courses, the event will focus on the journeys of successful women entrepreneurs in Portland. Learn from women business owners about the challenges they overcame, the resources available to other women entrepreneurs, and how to create an effective work-life balance.

Women business owners are encouraged to reserve a booth to sell their products and services directly at the event. Summit registration is only $20, and a vendor booth costs $35.

Check back soon for a link to the event registration page. For more information, please contact Women’s Business Center Manager Randhi Wilson.

Event Details
What: Women’s Business Summit
When: Wednesday, June 12, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Where: Aceh Room, Mercy Corps headquarters, 45 SW Ankeny St., Portland OR
How much? Only $20!

The Elevating Impact Summit, brought to you by Impact Entrepreneurs at Portland State University, is a celebration of new approaches to generating social impact across business, social, public, and academic sectors. This event features a dynamic day of interactive discussion and learning sessions, inspiring speakers, first-hand accounts from social entrepreneurs and innovators, and opportunities to connect with a diverse audience of business professionals, cutting edge entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and students all working to realize the full potential of business for positive impact.

Sample Topics and Speakers:

• Impact Journalism with Christina Williams, former founding editor of Sustainable Business Oregon
• Resilience Uncensored with Rick Turoczy, founder of PIE, and Franklin Jones, founder of B Line
• Education for Impact with Mark Holloway, executive director of Social Venture Partners Portland
• 2013 Impact Award recipients announced

Stay tuned for keynote speaker announcements!

Friday, June 21
Registration and light breakfast at 9 a.m., event starts at 10 a.m. Cocktail reception at 4 p.m.
Gerding Theater at the Armory

REGISTER NOW for an Early Bird Discount >>

By Jacen Greene, Ames Fellow for Social Entrepreneurship at Portland State University

Impact Entrepreneurs at Portland State University approaches social entrepreneurship education using three pillars: leadership effectiveness, social innovation, and business fundamentals. Whether working with university students or startup entrepreneurs, nonprofit managers or corporate intrapreneurs, we’ve found that cultivating those three areas of competencies within each individual we serve helps develop their capacity for impact. In this post, we share our favorite tools and resources for each pillar, shaped by our experience teaching social entrepreneurship to students and professionals around the world.

Leadership Effectiveness: Seldom can a single individual or organization acting alone achieve transformational change. For social entrepreneurs committed to solving the world’s most pressing challenges, the ability to lead — effectively managing the self, working with staff and employees, coordinating with stakeholders and partners — is essential to enacting real change. Ashoka.org, a global leader in social entrepreneurship, has identified empathy as one of the most effective traits of a successful leader and changemaker. Their website on empathy provides research, tools and approaches to help cultivate empathy in students of social entrepreneurship. Likewise, Daniel Goleman’s work on emotional intelligence underpins a number of widely-accepted approaches to personal development and leadership.

Members of the 2011 Social Innovation Incubator Circuit Program discussing how to measure their social and environmental impacts.

Social Innovation: Design thinking is increasingly recognized as an important skill for those in any field, but for social entrepreneurs attempting to address seemingly intractable problems, it becomes an incredibly powerful tool. IDEO’s Human-Centered Design toolkit draws on a number of proven approaches to provide a comprehensive, concise guide to inclusive innovation, covering everything from interviewing best practices to rapid prototyping. The Stanford Social Innovation Review and New York Times’ Fixes column provide excellent coverage of successful models and emerging best practices.

Business Fundamentals: Within the growing field of entrepreneurship education, a pair of closely-linked tools are increasingly being used in conjunction to launch startups: Steve Blanks’ customer development process and Alexander Osterwalder’s Business Model Canvas. Both are hands-on, highly practical approaches that provide a clear path to starting and refining a new business or project. Organizational skills in human resource management, finance and accounting, business/nonprofit law, marketing, fundraising and impact measurement are also needed for successful social entrepreneurship, and best provided by professors or subject-matter experts.

Mercy Corps staff using the Business Model Canvas at one of our Entrepreneurial Leadership Program trainings.

Entrepreneurship is a profoundly risky endeavor. Social entrepreneurship, even more so. The field still lacks much of the supporting frameworks and early-stage capital available to traditional businesses, but expectations are often higher, with social, financial and environmental returns targeted in tandem. Because of the perseverance required for any social enterprise to achieve success, it’s important that founders align their personal and professional purpose. If they can address a problem deeply meaningful to them through their social enterprise, it becomes much more than just a business — it becomes a tool for social change and personal fulfillment. We hope that by teaching social entrepreneurship, you can do the same.

Curriculum Resources:

The Sullivan Foundation is working to create a recommended set of courses for an undergraduate social entrepreneurship minor or concentration. The curriculum, still under development, is open for comment and collaboration. 

The Ashoka U Education Resource Handbook provides a comprehensive listing of university programs, books and case studies, conferences, business plan competitions, and faculty focused on social entrepreneurship education.

University students learning from social entrepreneurs in India as part of our Social Enterprise Field Studies.

By Amelia Pape, Portland State University MBA ’11 and Founder, My Street Grocery

“Life is about finding where your passions meet the world’s greatest needs.”

If ever there were a single sentence that could sum up an event so brimming with energy, inspirational content, and brilliant minds, this may be it. The event is the 2013 Ashoka U Exchange, and the above was only one of the many quotes I scribbled into my notebook in an attempt to absorb every bit of the world’s largest global conference intersecting higher education and social change.

Ashoka U is a program of Ashoka that recognizes leading institutions in social innovation education. The Changemaker Campus designation represents a vision that higher education can become a global driver of social change by providing students with the tools they need to change the world. Last fall, after a rigorous selection process, Portland State University became one of only 19 institutions to receive the Ashoka U Changemaker Campus designation. The Exchange provided a forum for connecting current and potential changemaker campus representatives, Ashoka Fellows and staff, and incredible innovators from across the globe who share Bill Drayton’s vision of an Everyone a Changemaker world.

The University of San Diego provided a warm and sunny welcome.

The agenda was packed to the gills with interactive workshops, presentations, site visits, and even its very own TEDx event, centered around the topic of “Find Your Place in the Universe.” Here we had the pleasure of hearing from a variety of social entrepreneurs, including one very surprising and delightful inventor, Eden Full. Eden is the Founder of Roseicollis Technologies Inc., inventor of the SunSaluter, Ashoka’s Youth Social Entrepreneur of the Year, and among other accolades, only 21 years old. If this isn’t an inspiration to act on your passions, I don’t know what is.

Portland State was lucky to have a number of wonderful representatives at the Exchange. Below are some highlights from PSU team members’ unique perspectives:

Provost Sona Andrews:

One of the conference highlights for me was the session for university presidents and provosts. It provided an opportunity to learn about some trends and initiatives, but most importantly it was a venue for intimate dialog and exchanges of ideas. Phillipp Schmidt from MIT’s media lab gave us the most food for thought. There were certainly differences of options on the future of higher education, but no differences in the role that leaders need to take to be change makers.

And of course the major highlight was Portland State University’s induction into the circle of Changemaker campuses!

Professor Evan Thomas:

Ashoka U was an excellent opportunity to mingle with other aspiring and accomplished social entrepreneurs and students. In particular, the overlap between engineering, innovation, global health and entrepreneurship is clearly taking off at universities around the country.

Cindy Cooper, Impact Entrepreneurs Director:

Cindy Cooper presents Impact Entrepreneurs’ own Social Innovation Incubator at the Exchange

The Ashoka U Exchange was both humbling and a jolt of inspiration. The resounding takeaway for me is that a surge in student demand underpins much of the tremendous growth of social innovation and entrepreneurship offerings in campuses across the U.S. and the world. We’ve experienced this at PSU as well. “There is a cultural shift,” observed Kaitlyn Fitzgerald, a student from Arizona State University who leads their Changemaker Central Student Leadership Team and won a 2013 Cordes Innovation Award at the conference. Students want to put their values and passions to work, and they want their universities to be their bridge to future professions that make a difference.

Getting to hear Ashoka Founder Bill Drayton was also a highlight. He spoke about the shift from a world of repetition to a world of change. In a world of change, we need fluidity and the ability to respond and adapt quickly. One way to do this is through “teams of teams,” as well as teaching empathy, leadership, and innovation to our youth.

There were countless incredible keynotes, including Eric Dawson, an Ashoka Fellow who launched the Peace First Prize for youth, and Marc Freedman who works on the other end of the age spectrum enabling those in the encore generation to launch new, meaningful careers. We hope to bring them and other standout social entrepreneurs to campus soon.

Provost Andrews with Ashoka U Changemaker Campus Director Michèle Leaman and Ashoka Founder Bill Drayton

I also enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with several colleagues in attendance: Provost Andrews accepted our Changemaker Campus Award and impressed the audience describing our culture of social innovation and the Provost’s reTHINK Challenge; professor Kristi Yuthas from the School of Business is researching impact measurement and replication strategies, two topics of huge interest to us at Impact Entrepreneurs; social entrepreneur and engineering professor Evan Thomas has developed monitoring instruments that improve the efficacy of cookstoves, water filters and other tools for international development; our alumna and social entrepreneur poster woman Amelia Pape is exactly why we do what we do; and new friend Jacob Sherman from our Institute for Sustainable Solutions and Undergraduate Research, Engagement and Creative Activities is helping to make PSU’s social innovation and sustainability curricula even more fantastic in the near future.

Memorable moments also included any time I looked outside and saw the Sun and blue skies. The University of San Diego was a fantastic host and inspiration for all of us working to create an “Everyone a Changemaker” campus. With billboards and light post flags welcoming changemakers, a hilarious and compelling student body president (Morgan Schwanke) who wowed everyone with equal parts wit, heart and sensibility, and stories about USD changemakers  everywhere we turned, USD did a wonderful job.

PSU Team: Amelia Pape, Cindy Cooper, Sona Andrews, Jacob Sherman

It’s clear that a gathering of this kind has a profound and personal effect on each attendee. One of my favorite take-aways from the Exchange was the simple notion that our motivation to learn is to connect with others. Though seemingly straightforward, this concept struck me deeply. Why do we seek knowledge? Why do we innovate? Why do we strive to change the world? In some cases, we’re motivated by narcissism, but as Kiva Co-founder and CEO Matt Flannery noted, “the best passion isn’t narcissistic; it’s above yourself.” So, perhaps human connection is the differentiator. When we engage with others, we learn empathy, and through empathy we realize our deepest, most selfless passions. This, I think, is the spirit that drives true social innovation, and the heart of the changemaker world.

By Jacen Greene, Ames Fellow for Social Entrepreneurship at Portland State University

Impact measurement is important for any organization seeking to create positive social and environmental change. Without appropriate measurement, it can be harder for organizations to improve their model, to communicate effectively with funders, partners and beneficiaries, or to prove that they are creating desired outcomes. As measurement tools become more accessible and effective, anecdotal evidence alone is no longer considered sufficient to demonstrate impact. Although storytelling remains important, data-driven analysis is increasingly being adopted as an essential component of creating real and lasting change.

Impact measurement begins with a theory of change: in what ways are we creating the change we seek? One way to illustrate a theory of change is through a social impact value chain. This illustrates the basic ways in which your organization creates impact:

• What inputs are required for your organization to work (human, financial, intellectual, and physical resources)
• What activities the organization performs (design, manufacturing, sales, training, teaching, etc.)
• The immediate outputs of those activities(for example, number of beneficial products sold, people trained, or children educated)
• The final outcomes of the entire process (the resulting positive changes in society or the environment)

Your impact is measured by the outcomes that can only be attributed to your organization—outcomes that wouldn’t happen if your organization didn’t exist. Put simply, impact = outcomes – what would have happened anyway.

Social Impact Value Chain

Measuring change is the key to understanding impact. To do this, you need to select a few indicators that are directly related to your work, preferably from an existing and well-regarded framework (see below for examples). Use these indicators to establish a baseline—the current state of whatever you plan to measure—then track those items over time to see what change occurs. Separating the influence of your work from outside factors is difficult, especially when measuring social impact, but one method is to compare your organization’s beneficiaries to a similar group that doesn’t receive the benefits of your model.

Make certain that the data you collect are both useful and usable. Useful data relate directly to your theory of change, clearly reflect your impact, and measure something meaningful to the people you work with and help. Usable data are timely, accurate, and easily utilized by your organization and partners to improve your model or report your impact.

Not sure where to start? Check out the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s short Guide to Actionable Measurement. Another excellent resource is Stanford Social Innovation Review’s Measuring Social Impact blog. The post on “Real World Impact Measurement” is an especially helpful introduction to the topic and best practices in the field.

Common Frameworks

The Impact Reporting and Investment Standards (IRIS) have quickly become one of the most widely accepted impact measurement frameworks. Developed by a global network of private, nonprofit, and academic institutions, IRIS provides the reporting basis for B Corp certification and numerous nonprofit programs and investment funds. The indicator set is available for free and can be adopted by any organization, although certification carries a fee.

The Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol), developed by the World Resources Institute and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, is the most commonly used standard for organizations to measure and report greenhouse gas emissions. A variety of free tools are available at their website.

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is frequently used to prepare corporate social responsibility reports, but is also suitable for use by government agencies and nonprofit organizations. The framework is available for free, but users can pay for their reports to obtain a higher “grade” through external assurance or to receive better exposure on the GRI website.

Essential Resources

• PopTech has a collection of articles, videos, and links to books on measuring impact.
• The Roberts Enterprise Development Fund describes the process for creating a Social Return On Investment (SROI) analysis for job training and employment programs serving disadvantaged populations.
• seToolbelt offers an online library of social enterprise resources, including a list of impact assessment tools.
• The TRASI database, provided by the Foundation Center, has a number of tools for measuring social impact.
• The Triple Bottom Line Initiative at Portland State University lists tools for measuring social impact, with an emphasis on urban development.

Learn more: read our posts “An Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship” and “An Introduction to Impact Investing.”

Molly Lindquist is the founder of Consano.org, a medical research crowdfunding platform. In the midst of gearing up for the launch of the site, Molly was kind enough to answer some of our questions about Consano and discuss her personal journey as a breast cancer survivor and social innovator.

Impact Entrepreneurs: How would you describe Consano in a single tweet?
Molly Lindquist: Nonprofit crowdfunding platform that enables anyone to donate to a specific medical research project that means something to them.

What’s unique about the Consano model?
The Consano platform creates an easy way for people to direct donations of any amount to specific medical research that is important to them. Each project specifies exactly how the funds raised via Consano will be used, providing transparency to the value of each donation. Consano is one of the only crowdfunding sites that is nonprofit, and we do not take any percentage of a project donation to fund our overhead. We fund this separately via corporate sponsorships, foundation grants and individual donations. Donors receive ongoing updates from the researcher, providing a unique connection. Transparent, Directed, Connected.

What inspired you to create Consano?
I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 32. After enduring a bilateral mastectomy and chemotherapy, I wanted to fund medical research that might impact my 4 and 6-year-old daughters, who are now more likely to face breast cancer as a result of my diagnosis. When I couldn’t find an easy way to donate to specific projects that might help my girls, and given the popularity of crowdfunding in other areas, I decided to create a new platform that would give everyone the ability to donate to a specific project in a health category that matters to them. I felt very powerless during my cancer diagnosis and treatment, and I found it so empowering to feel involved in advancing medical progress by connecting with research that was important to me. It felt like I took my power back, and I hope Consano helps other people feel that way, too.

How will you select the research projects featured on the site?
We work closely with the development and research administration offices at academic and research institutions to source research projects that fall into one of the following areas:

1. Well-funded, well-published researchers with a compelling new project.

2. Intra-university seed money competition winners (peer reviewed projects). These researchers might be newer on the scene, just beginning their careers and have come up with a novel, ingenious idea to explore.

3. Ongoing or previously funded projects with additional financial needs (bridge funding).

4. Unfunded but promising projects that fell just below the National Institute of Health (NIH) pay-line (peer reviewed). The NIH has very rigorous standards, but the number of projects that are funded continues to shrink. As of 2011, only 19% of projects submitted to the NIH were funded (down from 33% in 1997). We believe there are a lot of good ideas on the cusp of receiving funding that deserve a chance.

What research project do you most look forward to funding once the site goes live, and why?
Personally, I’m most excited about the breast cancer projects given my own medical history. Given the feedback we’ve received from other patients and people touched by illness, I’m also excited to provide a platform where underfunded health categories or areas with less public visibility will have the opportunity to secure additional research funding.

What’s next for Consano?
Our launch! We are really excited to share www.consano.org with the world, and we’re in the home stretch of our website development process.

What single thing can someone reading this do to support Consano?
Spread the word! Crowdfunding is impossible to accomplish without a crowd, so letting people know about this new way of donating will be key to the success of our mission to advance medical progress. While we are launching with a handful of projects in several health categories, we also want to know what other health issues people would like to see on the site in the future.

Is there a question we didn’t ask that you’d like to answer?
It has been so rewarding for me to leverage my previous work experience in finance along with my experience as a patient, and channel that into creating this new platform to advance medical progress. I never would have guessed that my cancer diagnosis would lead me to my professional passion, but I’m so grateful that it did. It’s all about making lemonade out of a couple of bad lemons!

Cindy Cooper, Director of the Impact Entrepreneurs initiative at Portland State University, was recently selected by the Portland Business Journal to join their 40 Under 40 list of the most influential young Portlanders. Cindy is co-founder of the award-winning social enterprise Speak Shop, which connects language tutors in Guatemala to students around the world; founder and director of PSU’s Social Innovation Incubator, selected by Fast Company as one of America’s 51 brilliant urban ideas; and teaches entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship at PSU. After the 40 Under 40 awards, she was kind enough to share some of her tips for other social entrepreneurs.

What words of advice do you wish someone had shared with you when you launched Speak Shop?

Don’t be shy about asking for help.

What do you think is the most interesting new trend in business for social good?

In the past, we often heard about the prototypical social entrepreneur who came into being after experiencing an epiphany and being moved to act to change an injustice, using the best of business and social sectors. It was reactive. We find them, we laud them, we learn from them.

We need to continue to meet social entrepreneurs where they are and when they arise, but today we see the opportunity to inspire and teach people how to be innovators for change. We’re becoming more proactive about this. Leading social entrepreneurship supporters like Ashoka are starting earlier, looking at how to develop empathic thinking in children. Organizations like Encore.org are looking later at how the young at heart can choose social entrepreneurship as a rewarding encore career opportunity. We can encourage that process and not wait for serendipitous events to inspire action and great ideas.

What’s a good starting point for someone interested in learning more about social entrepreneurship? 

We have some great go-to readings on our website:
http://www.pdx.edu/impactentrepreneurs/resources

Ashoka is a global leader in this space and has lots of knowledge collected over more than 30 years of work: http://www.ashoka.org

Probably one of the best ways is to talk to someone who’s done it, or attend an event where social entrepreneurs are willing to speak candidly about their experiences.

Imagine knowing that for several months every year, your family will not have enough food to eat. This is the situation faced by more than 600 million people—70% of the world’s hungry—who starve not as the result of warfare or natural disasters, but because at certain times of the year they can neither afford nor produce enough food to feed their family. Worldwide, seasonal hunger is especially acute among small farm households, who often receive only one annual paycheck for their crop. Long before the next harvest, they have run low on money and stored food, with little opportunity for paid employment unless they leave their farm. [1]

Seasonal hunger is disturbingly prevalent among coffee farmers, even those paid higher prices for Fair Trade or organic coffee. The full extent of the problem only recently became known as a result of studies commissioned by coffee firms, and an awareness campaign was launched within the industry. However, the scale of the challenge was enormously daunting—what could a single business, no matter how innovative or dedicated, do to solve a problem that had foiled the best efforts of national governments and global NGOs? No single actor possessed the knowledge or resources necessary to end seasonal hunger, but combining the talent of nonprofit organizations with the funding and reach of multinational coffee firms offered a way to build on proven solutions.

Rick Peyser from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters had been working on seasonal hunger for a few years. He recognized the magnitude and complexity of seasonal hunger in the coffeelands, and knew it was an issue too big for one company to tackle alone. Rick personally reached out to a handful of colleagues in coffee and invited them to an initial meeting in Portland. The group quickly decided that there should be shared action on hunger in the coffeelands. Our idea isn’t to start a new “thing,” but rather to connect and support many of the efforts underway — there are so many good projects by coffee companies, nonprofits and other partners — that could benefit from broader industry support. — Shauna Alexander Mohr, Coffeelands Food Security Coalition Coordinator.

The resulting Coffeelands Food Security Coalition comprises five industry partners — Starbucks, Farmer Brothers, Green Mountain, Counter Culture and Sustainable Harvest — and two nonprofit organizations, Mercy Corps and Aldea Global. Mercy Corps, a client of the PSU Entrepreneurial Leadership Program, will manage global implementation. Sustainable Harvest, a graduate of the PSU Social Innovation Incubator, will lend expertise from previous food security projects they have developed and delivered around the world. The pilot program in Jinotega, Nicaragua will train 150 women and their families to increase their incomes and crop yields through better financial management, improved agricultural practices, and greater civic engagement. The goal is not only to help farm families overcome seasonal hunger, but also to help them become more resilient in the face of natural disasters and climate change.

Participants at a Sustainable Harvest food security training in Peru

Impact measurement will play a critical role in understanding how to create the best outcomes for participants and their families, according to Mercy Corps Senior Development Officer Jennifer Schmidt:

During the start-up phase of the program, the team will develop a detailed monitoring and evaluation plan to establish indicators to measure program success against an established baseline. Throughout the project, local collaboration will be critical — including local participation in monitoring and evaluation activities, whether they be surveys, focus groups or other methods. In addition to providing quarterly and annual progress reports, at the conclusion of the project Mercy Corps and Aldea Global will commission a final evaluation (endline) which will document the project’s impact and provide direction for how public sector, private sector and civil society actors can incorporate our findings into future food security programs.

Demonstrating effectiveness will be essential to launching similar projects in other regions. Equally important will be the work of helping potential industry partners understand that supplier food security is not only a moral imperative, but an inceasingly important element in the success of their own businesses. Pam Kahl, Director of Marketing at Sustainable Harvest, explains the link:

If farmers can’t adequately support themselves and their families, they will be forced to leave coffee for other income-generating opportunities. Farmers with enough income and food are able to reinvest in their crops to produce higher quality beans. Financially stable co-ops can invest in infrastructure that fosters greater traceability. And the combination of the two means a more reliable supply for roasters who — given the growth in consumer demand — are increasingly competing for the best quality product. Stable livelihoods among coffee farmers at origin are critical to the quality of product and ultimately the sustainability of the supply chain.

When coffee farmers and their families have enough to eat, the positive effects are felt not just in their own communities, but throughout the global coffee community. The Coffeelands Food Security Coalition is an important example of the partnerships necessary to create real benefits for some of the world’s most vulnerable populations, and a model for a more just and responsible relationship between supplier, business and consumer.

Notes:

[1] Vaitla B, Devereux S, Swan SH (2009) Seasonal Hunger: A Neglected Problem with Proven Solutions. PLoS Med 6(6): e1000101. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000101

By Jacen Greene, Ames Fellow for Social Entrepreneurship at Portland State University