Category: Tips and Resources

I just finished reading Startup Communities: Building An Entrepreneurial Ecosystem In Your City by Brad Feld.  This book codifies the steps aspiring leaders need to take to create a startup friendly community anywhere. Several years ago when I was living in Northern California, I was engaged in a debate with a startup veteran on why… Continue reading Book Review: Startup Communities: Building an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Your City

Amicus is a new startup that recently came out of Y Combinator, a well known and highly regarded startup incubator based in Silicon Valley. They’ve recently raised $3.2 million in venture capital to launch their product which uses the social graph to improve non-profit fundraising. Description from TechCrunch: > Fundraising phone calls from strangers make… Continue reading Amicus Uses The Social Graph To Improve Non-Profit Fundraising

Benefit corporations are new legal structures that we should know about.  It is one of several new legal structures to emerge alongside the rise of “social entrepreneurship” in recent years.  The interesting thing about these structures is that they shield the board from investor lawsuits.  In a regular corporation, any actions other than those taken… Continue reading What are benefit corporations?

WSJ outline some innovative legal structures designed for entrepreneurs who are driven as much by mission as money. The cost of using one of these new legal structures will vary depending on lawyer fees, but generally those fees shouldn’t exceed more than $10,000 for a start-up with fewer than 10 employees. Here’s an overview: L3C… Continue reading WSJ: New Legal Structures for ‘Social Entrepreneurs’

The Tech Awards is an international awards program that honors innovators from around the world who are applying technology to benefit humanity. The Tech Awards program inspires global engagement in applying technology to humanity’s most pressing problems by recognizing the best of those who are utilizing innovative technology solutions to address the most urgent critical… Continue reading The Tech Awards 2010 Call for Nominations

Good Intentions are Not Enough. hat tip to Marginal Revolution

The Legatum Center is now accepting applications for the 2010-2011 Fellowship, with a deadline of February 10, 2010.  Led by Professor Iqbal Quadir, the Center administers a competitive fellowship program for incoming and current MIT graduate students, across all academic and professional disciplines, who demonstrate the potential to create innovative, sustainable, for-profit enterprises that promote… Continue reading MIT Legatum Center Accepting Applications for 2010-2011 Fellowship

The Mind Trust’s Education Entrepreneur Fellowship is a nationally  unique incubator for transformative education ventures. The Fellowship offers  promising education entrepreneurs the opportunity to develop and launch their break-the-mold education ventures and the support necessary for success. Fellows  receive two years of salary, benefits, a stipend for travel and professional development, and more. With this… Continue reading The Mind Trust Education Entrepreneur Fellowship

After 22 years inspiring a community of 500 entrepreneurs, investors and nonprofit leaders working together to build a more just and sustainable economy, Social Venture Network (SVN) is looking to honor and support the “next generation” of social entrepreneurs with the 2009 SVN Innovation Awards. Winners of the 2009 Awards will be honored during a… Continue reading CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: 2009 SVN Innovation Awards