How to succeed as a social entrepreneur and change the world in 12 steps

Student teams from universities in 49 countries submitted a record number of applications for the 2012 Global Social Entrepreneur Competition (GSEC).  If you were one of those teams, you might be thinking “what now?”  You research, plan, build and practice your pitches so that you can become the next GSEC winner in 2012! Follow the next 12 blog posts in November and December to get expert advice on building your winning social venture.

Photo: Paul Gibson -- Team Sanergy

On October 22, the UW Foster School of Business held the Social Ideas to Global Ventures Workshop with seven high powered panels designed to help you, the entrepreneur, succeed. During November and December, I will dig into each one of the seven topics and include interviews with previous GSEC winners and finalists. If you stick around for the December posts, I will even provide my inside tips and tricks as a GSEC judge and startup veteran.

The blogs will post in the following order:

November

How to succeed as a social entrepreneur and change the world in 12 steps

Session 1 – Want to change the world? Where Good Ideas Come From and How they Evolve Into Social Enterprises

Session 2 – Does Your Idea Have Legs? Assessing Your Customer & Determining Your Value Proposition

December

Session 4 – How to Build a Great Team

Session 5 – Role of Patents/Trademarks in Social Ventures

Session 6 – The Perfect Pitch: Slide Show and Elevator Pitch

Session 7 – Funding

2010 and 2011 Finalist Interviews

GSEC From a Judges Perspective

2012 Finalist Interviews

Whether you ultimately get selected as a GSEC finalist or not, you can still take advantage of this social venture “crash course,” launch your business and change the world!

Guest post by Sam Rosenbalm who fuels his passion for startups and social enterprise as a director in Microsoft’s BizSpark program, a GSEC advisory committee member and a GSEC judge. @rosenbalm