About Event

#SocEnt Weekend is a one-weekend, 50-hour, hands-on meetup, where you can meet like-minded social entrepreneurs, dip your toe in the water of entrepreneurship, try building upon an idea that you’ve always wanted to look at more deeply, or simply to have fun helping others build new companies.

All this may sound daunting, but in practice it will be an incredible amount of fun, and for some attendees, a life-changing experience. Please bring your amazing ideas and your experience, and see what we can all create together!

The Competition

At the end of the weekend, the judges will choose the best team, based on: customer validation, business model, social impact, and innovation. The winning team will go home with a series of useful prizes and some bragging rights.  In addition, prizes will be awarded for biggest local impact and biggest global impact. Everyone will go home with new contacts, new ideas, lessons, and excitement, and hopefully, the confidence and experience to turn their plans into operating social enterprises.

Come prepared to pitch!

Friday evening will open with a rapid-fire pitch session. Our hope is for everyone who attends to take advantage of this opportunity to pitch an idea. Attendees will vote on their favorite pitches and those with the most votes will continue on through the weekend. Even if your idea isn’t chosen, it is still a quick, low-risk way to practice sharing your ideas. Pitches are limited to 60 seconds!

Some additional tips on crafting a good pitch from The Founder Institute

Suggested pitch format

  • 5-10 secs – Who are you?
  • 10-20 secs – What is the problem you want to solve?
  • 10-20 secs – What is your idea for a solution?
  • 5-10 secs - Who (i.e. what skills) do you need on your team to make your idea a success?
  • Last 5 secs – Remind us of your name and Name your idea!

Schedule

FRIDAY

18:00 – Networking and pizza
19:00 – Introduction & idea pitches
20:30 – Vote on ideas, form teams
22:15 – Start working!

SATURDAY

09:00 – Breakfast
10:00 – Mentors arrive
10:00 – Topic #1
12:00 – Lunch
14:00 – Topic #2
18:00 – Dinner

SUNDAY

09:00 – Breakfast
10:00 – Mentors arrive
11:00 – Pitch coaching
12:00 – Lunch
17:00 – Dinner
17:30 – Presentations (5 min each!)
20:00 – Voting and awards

Speakers

While the focus of this event is on action, there will be a few short (under 20 minute) educational sessions throughout to help support teams in the process.

Speakers will be announced soon!

Permanent link to this article: http://socentweekend.org/about/