Anne Field | August 17, 2019
Accelerators have become a key tool in economic development and social entrepreneurship. Pioneered by Y Combinator a decade ago as a way to turbocharge startup ventures, they have become de rigueur in nearly every town, city and region around the world looking to spur new businesses and solutions to social and environmental challenges. But just […]
Anne Field | December 2, 2018
The world is grappling with a refugee crisis of massive proportions. More than 65 million people have been forcibly displaced from their homes, including 22.5 million refugees. One person is displaced due to conflict or persecution nearly every two seconds, according to the United Nations. As the Trump administration battles a caravan of migrants seeking a […]
Amy Cortese | October 22, 2018
Cooperatives are gaining renewed interest as an antidote to our winner-take-all society. But while tech startups have a rich ecosystem to tap into, from accelerators to seed funding to get-big-fast playbooks, new cooperatives are usually left to figure things out on their own. That, says serial coop entrepreneur Greg Brodsky, helps explain why most co-ops […]
Anne Field | June 12, 2018
You’ve heard of Bitcoin. But a growing number of social enterprises are also adopting blockchain-based cryptocurrencies to build safe, transparent networks and communities. One recent example is COMMON, a social entrepreneurship accelerator and collaborative community based in Boulder, Colorado. COMMON recently introduced a cryptocurrency called COMMON Cents, to be used by members of its community. The […]
Anne Field | June 5, 2018
A new initiative in Minneapolis is bringing the idea of mixed use development to social entrepreneurship. FINNEGANS House, a newly opened building in downtown Minneapolis that is part of a bigger development project, combines a brewery with a space for the local impact community to connect and grow. Finnegan’s House is the brainchild of Jacquie […]
Anne Field | October 30, 2017
When it comes to social impact entrepreneurship, it’s everyone into the pool. The idea of business as a force for good has been entering the mainstream, with Wall Street firms like Goldman Sachs and Bain Capital creating impact investment funds. Now Techstars, the Silicon Valley accelerator, is the latest high profile name to jump in. […]
Locavesting Staff | October 7, 2017
Hundreds of impact investors will converge on San Francisco’s Fort Mason Center starting Oct. 10 for the 10th annual Social Capital Markets conference, or SOCAP as it is better known. Like bees to honey, the pricey event also attracts social entrepreneurs seeking capital, including 140 entrepreneurs from around the globe who are attending thanks to […]
Anne Field | July 17, 2017
Central Florida’s economy depends a lot on tourism—think Mickey Mouse and performing dolphins. But a growing number of movers and shakers in the region are trying to diversify by turning the area into a social entrepreneur-ship hub. The latest step in that direction: a new Orlando-based accelerator for social enterprises. The Central Florida Social Enterprise […]
Lynn Freehill-Maye | June 17, 2017
On Bank Street in downtown Ottawa, Ontario, a stylish loft occupies the sixth floor of a nondescript building. The bright, open space teems with art, from splashy graffiti to elegant sculptures. A diverse crowd — including 20-something hipsters and business-casual boomers — gazes at laptops and clusters around tables, chatting and sipping from mugs. At first glance, this could […]
Anne Field | May 1, 2017
There is no shortage of accelerators, incubators and co-working spaces geared towards social entrepreneurs. But what about the person who wants to use a for-profit business model to do something that matters—and doesn’t quite have the right idea yet? There’s not much available for those pre-idea individuals. A new pilot project aims to fill that […]
