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Comment by Jo Painter 23 hours ago

Hi all,

Really interesting free lecture in Oxford next week, if anyone is interested...

‘An Entrepreneurial Journey: Thriving on the Unexpected’

Jessica Jackley, Cofounder of Kiva will be talking about her entrepreneurial journey on 30^th May, at the Said Business School in Oxford:

http://pearsbusinessschoolslecture2013.eventbrite.com/#

Comment by David Floyd yesterday

Latest thoughts on Big Society Capital's first year and reactions in the world of social enterprise: http://beanbagsandbullsh1t.com/2013/05/21/social-investors-can-lend...

Comment by Sarah Tucker yesterday

Hi all

Interesting bit of news about a Fellow in Scotland, Bruce Newlands who is in the running to win Google's Global Impact Challenge. Every vote counts so please see more below:   

 

"Scotland's MAKLAB, a social enterprise founded by Bruce Newlands is a finalist in Google's Global Impact Challenge, an initiative that invites social enterprises to propose how they would use technology to transform people's lives. MAKLab is Scotland's first open access digital fabrication workshop and already offers access to some very extraordinary technologies to ordinary people so that they can realise their ideas through 3d printing. MAKLab has been supporting young entrepreneurs, inventors and startup creative businesses from Glasgow's Lighthouse building for over a year now but winning the Global Impact Challenge would mean that MAKLab could expand their concept across the UK to four other cities including London, Newcastle, Edinburgh & Aberdeen.
 
This will mean training up to 600 young people to use advanced creative digital fabrication technologies helping them to start their own businesses over the next three years, we think this is crucial given that unemployment rate is almost one milion amongst 16-25 year olds.
 
From today, the public are invited to vote for MAKLAB at the Global Impact Challenge Website (https://globalimpactchallenge.withgoogle.com/ - it is the Micromanufacturing for young entrepreneurs video).
 
With one of the awards being decided by the public, every vote counts.
 
The ballot closes on Friday 31st May at 11:59 p.m. BST. A panel including Sir Richard Branson, Sir Tim Berners-Lee and Jilly Forster, as well as Google’s Matt Brittin and Jacquelline Fuller, will choose three awardees and also reveal the public’s fan favourite choice at an event at Google’s UK headquarters on Monday 3rd June.

Cast your vote now at https://globalimpactchallenge.withgoogle.com/ and spread the word!"

Comment by David Floyd on May 13, 2013 at 9:14

Latest blog post on what new social tech accelerator Wayra Unltd means for the relationship between social enterprise and the private sector: http://beanbagsandbullsh1t.com/2013/05/10/appy-together/

Comment by Jo Painter on May 10, 2013 at 9:48

Hi all,

For those that would like some free HR advice, the team at Give What You're Good At, are holding a phone in session on May 15th.

Details are here: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/event/6525500949

Thanks,

Jo

Comment by Maria Ana Neves on May 6, 2013 at 9:21

Finally a little report from our discussion on 26 April 2013 breakfast...

the theme was Growing your social enterprise abroad. The question addressed was how to manage growth at the right pace. And here are the 7 principles we shared: 

1. Plan - well and carefully

2. Find the right partners – and be clear about what each partner brings to the table
3. Discipline (yourself)

4. Say no more often than you say yes

5. Focusing on your mission (but review and challenge the mission, things may change)

6. Have an external board – who advises, challenges and holds you accountable

7. Be clear about your principles (and the non-negotiable principles too)

 

From these principles, which seem so simple and easy to be unnoticed, I personally find the 3rd and 4th most challenging.

 

How do we find the right balance between discipline and a our wild nature?

 

Principle 4 is so challenging at the early stages!

with very limited resources and loads of enthusiasm, aren’t we easily distracted by “false opportunities”? This is a game with no certainties, trying, failing, discovering and reframing our quests, we often say yes to alliances that are irrelevant or even negative to the mission… and sometimes a bit influenced by a cocktail of generosity, unrealism, insecurity and vanity that gets on the way and we say yes when we should have said… no!

what are your views?

Comment by David Floyd on April 29, 2013 at 12:50

Latest social enterprise blog post on 'disruption': http://beanbagsandbullsh1t.com/2013/04/29/imminent-disruption/

Comment by Alice Dyke on April 26, 2013 at 14:36

Hey all,

For any of you interested in pitching ideas or learning more about RSA Catalyst (with easy access to Reading), on the evening of 15th May we're running an event - all welcome!  http://rsacatalystsouthcentral.eventbrite.com/

Thanks,

Alice

Comment by Sarah Tucker on April 25, 2013 at 12:16

Hi all

Hope you will be able to join us at the Friday Social breakfast tomorrow morning starting at 9am - 10.30am at the RSA House (we'll be on the Ground Floor). We'll be looking at social enterprises overseas and asking:

1) how can you develop effective local partnerships 
2) how can you assist people to develop their own solutions
3) how you can ensure you are not just shifting dependencies 

The breakfast will be led by Steve Ralf, Fellow and RSA Spotlighter who runs an enterprise in Kenya, Hakuna Matata Inklusive.

As a warm up, please see a blog below following an event we ran with the Skoll Centre last year asking 'how do you take a social enterprise abroad?':

http://www.rsablogs.org.uk/2012/fellowship/place-sun/

See you tomorrow!

Sarah

Comment by Sarah Tucker on April 17, 2013 at 13:36

Thanks to those who came to the RSA Spotlight event at OxfordJam last week. We heard from RSA Spotlighter Becky John (@beckypants) from Whomadeyourpants? about the women she helps and from Steve Coles (@steve_coles) on his top five tips on impact measurement. Read Steve's tips (PDF file).

You can read the Storify of our Spotlight session here.
 

Next breakfast:     

As usual this will take place the last Friday of each month at the RSA House – the next one is Friday 26 April starting at 9am and will be about social enterprises overseas. This will be led by Steve Ralf FRSA who has an entrerprise in Kenya, Hakuna Matata Inklusive.

If you know someone who might like to come please pass this on and let us know if you intend to come here.

http://rsafellowship.com/events/friday-social-entrepreneurs-breakfa... 

See you then

Sarah

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