Recent SENO Events:

9/22/09

PitchNOLA

If you answered “YES!” to any of these questions, please consider submitting your idea to:

2009 PitchNOLA: Social Entrepreneurs for Change

PitchNOLA is an "elevator pitch" competition open to people with ideas for ventures that will effect positive change in New Orleans.

Entrepreneurs behind the ideas selected will have the opportunity to attend a short workshop on effective pitching, taught by Chris Schultz of LaunchPad and Tulane faculty, and will subsequently present to a large audience and a panel of judges who will offer constructive feedback and ideas for resources, contacts, and connections to be made.

The motivation behind PitchNOLA is to:
• Inform the community-at-large about great ideas both in the works and already being implemented locally
• Allow local social entrepreneurs to hone their pitch and presentation skills
• Facilitate connections between people interested in implementing similar ideas and/or people with resources or connections that will help make entrepreneurs’ ideas reality.

SPONSORS:

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Entrants need only submit a 500-word proposal to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it by August 21st, 2009, 11:59pm, and be prepared to pitch their ideas to the audience and a panel of "celebrity judges."

Although PitchNOLA is not a business plan contest, entrants are encouraged to put concrete thought into submissions, and should attempt to address the following in their proposals:

• The social problem their venture will address
• A description of the product or service they will provide
• Ideas for marketing their product or service
• An estimate of initial cost and revenue projects and/or sources of funding

KEY DATES

• August 21st: All entries must be submitted by this date.
• August 24th: SENO will announce the entrants/ideas that have been invited to present.
• September 1st: Selected presenters will receive coaching from Chris Schultz of LaunchPad and Tulane faculty to further develop their pitches.
•September 22nd: PitchNOLA takes place at Tulane University.

ELIGIBILITY

• The contest is open to individuals and teams from the New Orleans region; however, only one (1) individual from each team may present at the PitchNOLA event.
• Ventures/ideas can be at any stage: just an idea in the mind of the entrant, in start-up mode, or an established venture.
• Ideas must seek to create social value and impact in a sustainable manner. The model can be nonprofit or for-profit, as long as social impact is central to its mission.

JUDGING CRITERIA

Although there will be no monetary prize, judges will choose a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place pitch ideas. Pitch ideas will be assessed on:

• Innovation: the level of creativity of concept and model.
• Potential impact: the potential scale and influence of the project on the identified social problem.
• Viability: the potential for the idea to become a sustainable organization, practically and financially.
• Presentation: the clarity, uniqueness, and persuasiveness of written and/or verbal presentations.

MORE INFORMATION

Contact PitchNOLA/SENO with submissions, questions, and/or comments at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION

To participate in PitchNOLA as an audience member, please register here.

Audience members will play a key role in this competition since one of PitchNOLA’s aims is to better connect entrepreneurs with resources and contacts.

Audience members will be provided with feedback cards on which they can provide constructive criticism as well as ideas on funding, people to connect with and anything else related to the idea.

8/14/09

WATER TO THE WELL:
Transformational Practices for Social Entrepreneurs and Organizations:

Date: Friday, August 14th

Time: 12pm-6:30pm

Location: TBA

Registration Required: please register at www.watertothewell.eventbrite.com

Workshop Cost: $25.99 (non-members); $20.99 (SENO dues-paying member)

Workshop Description:

Almost by definition, the work of social change is stressful. And, the complexity of current reality calls for new forms of leadership. Throughout history, effective leaders from all traditions have understood the inextricable links between spirituality and social justice, between individual and social liberation. Transformational practice offers us a profound framework and set of tools to deepen sustainability and effectiveness. This daylong session will introduce practices that can strengthen our capacity to lead, create a deeper well from which to draw, and bring about concrete change on the issues we care about.

We’ll explore four gifts of transformational practice: the ability to understand and hold paradox, how practice deepens sustainability and our capacity for wisdom, how presence can shift the dynamic of any conflict, and how to speak with a voice of truth and compassion. Then we look at our organizational culture: what is the operating metaphor and languages that defines the culture, what sustains and depletes organizational life, where are the strengths and the “edges,” and how specific practices can transform meetings, space, communication, teamwork, planning, and programs.

Claudia Horwitz works at the intersection of practice, community experience, and social change. She founded stone circles in 1995. Her previous work includes developing youth leadership, supporting struggles for economic justice, and strengthening social change organizations. Claudia practices walking a yogic path of awareness, on and off the mat. She lives on the land at The Stone House in Mebane, NC with her dog, Zak.

7/18/09

LEADING ENTREPRENEURIAL LIFE:
A leadership and personal development workshop for social entrepreneurs

Featuring leadership coach Christopher Gergen, highly acclaimed author of Life Entrepreneurs: Ordinary People Creating Extraordinary Lives and Co-Founder of New Mountain Ventures

Date: July 18th, 2009
Time: 10:00am-5:00pm
Location: New Orleans location to be determined. Stay tuned!
Price: $25.99 (includes breakfast, lunch, and a copy of Life Entrepreneurs); SENO members receive a discount; workshop cost subsidized by Echoing Green
Register Here: http://christophergergen.eventbrite.com

Workshop Objective
To provide New Orleans social entrepreneurs with a dynamic and engaging workshop that fosters personal development and entrepreneurial leadership development.

Workshop participants will benefit from the following:
• Exposure to the entrepreneurial mindset and how to apply it in the social context
• Opportunities for professional performance acceleration and transformation
• Mapping out a personal path for sustained community impact
• Strengthened sense of fellowship and accountability within the New Orleans social enterprise community

This dynamic workshop is a systematic approach to leadership development, drawing on research and interviews with leading entrepreneurs and thought leaders including Mike Feinberg and David Levin (KIPP Schools), Kim Smith (New Schools Venture Fund), Gary Erickson (Clif Bar), Seth Goldman (Honest Tea), Billy Shore (Share Our Strength), Steve Ells, (Chipotle), Howard Schultz (Starbucks), and Randy Komisar (Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers).

What people have said about Life Entrepreneurs:

“Pick up this book and read it. It might change your life.”
--Stephen Covey, author, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

“An intriguing, challenging guide for the next generation of leaders”
--Wendy Kopp, president and founder, Teach For America

“Buy this book, read it, and then do it!”
--Alan M. Webber, co-founding editor, Fast Company magazine

“Belongs on the nightstand of every thoughtful businessperson in America.”
--Daniel H. Pink, best-selling author, A Whole New Mind

5/07/09

GROUP THINK:
Social Entrepreneurs Reforming Public Education

This event will be held in conjunction with a Tulane University class on social entrepreneurship. The panel will feature a panel discussion by education social entrepreneurs--Aesha Rasheed (Parents Organizing Network, Founder), Duke Bradley (Benjamin Mays Academy, Founder) and Leslie Jacobs (Educate Now!, Founder). The break-out discussion groups will allow the social entrepreneur to meet in small groups to discuss and receive feedback on high-priority challenges the entrepreneurs are facing.

Date: Thursday, May 7, 2009
Time: 6:30-8:00pm
Location: Tulane University, A.B. Freeman School of Business
Room 151 in GWH 1

*parking is free and available after 6pm.

To Register, please visit: www.educationentrepreneurs.eventbrite.com

3/20/09

KNOW YOUR NUMBERS:
A Finance Workshop for Social Entrepreneurs and Executive Directors

Register Here

Are you baffled by balance sheets? Intimidated by income statements? Social entrepreneurs launch their creative ventures to bring about real and lasting social change - not to wrestle with spreadsheets. But the number one reason why organizations fail is undercapitalization; they can't raise the money they need to deliver or grow their programs or they struggle with identifying the most effective use of the resources they have.

As the leader of an emerging social change venture, you are responsible for the financial health of your organization. Echoing Green fellow Daniel Tellalian will lead this full day workshop. We will cover financial basics and the most common challenges that derail your organization's success.

Daniel is the Director of Emerging Markets, Inc., an economic development consulting firm that assists financial institutions pursue business opportunities in low-income areas of Los Angeles. In partnership with Emerging Markets' team of social entrepreneurs, Daniel leads client engagements with the firm’s regional banking initiatives, strategic grantmaking initiatives, market expansion strategies, and inner-city investment recommendations. Under Daniel’s direction, Emerging Markets leads place-based community development initiatives for several of Los Angeles’ largest commercial banks in eight of the region’s most identifiable low-income neighborhoods.

Daniel holds a degree in Economics from the Wharton School of Business, as well as a JD/MBA from UC Berkeley. He is a licensed California attorney and certified public accountant. In previous capacities, Daniel has worked as part of a real estate and land use law firm, a major public accounting firm, a commercial real estate developer, and several community development agencies. Daniel lives, works, and plays in Los Angeles.

3/5/09

HOW TO ACCESS AND LEVERAGE THE MEDIA FOR SOCIAL CHANGE:
A Panel Discussion and Networking Event for Social Entrepreneurs

Echoing Green and Social Entrepreneurs of New Orleans have teamed up to co-host a distinguished panel of communications experts to share strategies and best practices to access and leverage the media for social change. This panel will help social entrepreneurs gain a better understanding of the following:

• How accessing and leveraging the media can help social entrepreneurs further their mission
• How to access media
• How to pitch a story to the press
• How to build relationships with members of the press
• What counts as news-worthy
• How social entrepreneurs can better market their organizations and gain media attention

Date: Thursday, March 5th
Time: 6-8pm
Location: Loyola University, 6363 St. Charles Avenue
Octavia Room (Second Floor of the Danna Student Center located on Loyola’s main campus)
*If you are facing Loyola's main entrance, the Danna Student Center is two buildings directly behind the main building. Click on the link below to see a map of Loyola:
http://apply.loyno.edu/maps-directions
Parking: We recommend that you park on the streets surrounding Loyola--St. Charles Avenue, Freret St., Calhoun, or Broadway.
Refreshments: Beer, wine, and light refreshments will be served

To Register, please visit: www.media.eventbrite.com

3/4/09

HOW TO WRITE TO CHANGE THE WORLD:
A Workshop for Social Entrepreneurs Featuring Catherine Orenstein from the Op-Ed Project

The Op-ed pages of major newspapers are read by diplomats, businesspeople, scholars, and those in the highest levels of government. They can sway public opinion and change the world. Op-eds also attract the attention of television producers, book agents, and policy makers. A single op-ed can make you part of a national debate.

This seminar is designed to help you hone the ideas and causes that you care about, and write about them to make a difference. You'll learn how to generate winning ideas, how to craft a powerful argument, how to use news hooks, how to address or preempt your potential critics, how to pitch an idea, how to build consensus, and how to frame an issue to make your point and persuade your readers. We will explore ways to write more broadly, to think bigger, and to make a bigger impact on the world. Participants will leave with a draft op-ed in hand.

The OpEd Project seeks to share the tools of powerful argument, and also to inspire and cultivate a sense of thought leadership by encouraging participants to see their potential impact on the world. This seminar is not just about writing op-eds, it's about empowering you to find your voice and make a difference-not only on the op-ed pages, but everywhere.

CATHERINE ORENSTEIN has contributed to the op-ed pages of the New York Times, Washington Post and Miami Herald. Her opinion pieces on women, power, popular culture, and human rights have been nationally syndicated and appear in anthologies. She has lectured at Harvard and appeared on ABC TV World News, Good Morning America, MSNBC, CNN and NPR All Things Considered. A graduate of Harvard (BA) and Columbia (MA) universities, she is the author of Little Red Riding Hood Uncloaked: Sex, Morality and the Evolution of a Fairy Tale, which explores stories told about women over 500 years.

Orenstein has lived and worked around the world and particularly in Haiti, where she traveled as a folklore student and journalist in the 1990s, during a time of political upheaval. As a result of that experience, she has reported extensively on Haiti; organized fact-finding delegations for journalists, scholars and lawmakers; and consulted with the United Nations human rights mission. In 1996 she worked with a team of human rights lawyers to assist victims of military and paramilitary violence in seeking justice. She investigated tortures, rapes, political assassinations and massacres; interviewed hundreds of victims, witnesses and alleged criminals; and coordinated lawyers' and victims' efforts to build cases against their persecutors. She has written about some of these cases and their aftermaths in Haiti and the United States. She is a fellow at the Woodhull Institute for Ethical Leadership, and winner of a 2008 Echoing Green fellowship for The OpEd Project.

Date: Wednesday, March 04
Time: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM (CT)
Location: New Orleans Convention Center and Visitor's Bureau - 2020 St Charles Ave - 1st Floor Meeting Room - New Orleans, LA 70130
\ Hosted by: Echoing Green // SENO

To Register, and for more information, please visit: http://oped.eventbrite.com

**Lunch and a light breakfast will be served.