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Infographic on Impact Entrepreneurship: Mapping 8 Businesses that Change the World

This infographic by Impact Engine, a 16-week accelerator program that supports for-profit businesses making the world a better place, provides a visual map of the social enterprises that were accepted into its first cohort in 2012.Where are they now? You can find their websites here:

1st Cohort of Social Enterprises in @TheImpactEngine:

http://www.theimpactengine.com/content/rise-impact-entrepreneur

 

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Meet Tumml, A New Urban Innovation Accelerator Program: Interview with Co-Founder Julie Lein

Accelerator programs have emerged as a popular way to experience the startup process, especially within the social innovation context. One of the most visited pages of Innov8Social is the expanding list  accelerator and incubator programs for social entrepreneurs.The ingredients for an effective accelerator program for social innovators appear to be:

  • a balanced combination of resources (in-kind and seed funding),
  • a focused purpose or social innovation niche,
  • a robust panel of mentors and supporters, and
  • a non-intrusive take (i.e. limited equity hold or monetary stake in the startup).

Meet Tumml, A New Urban Innovation Accelerator ProgramTumml

Tumml is a new social enterprise accelerator program that seems to fit the bill for success. Its focus is supporting urban innovation—that is, harnessing entrepreneurship to address issues related urban development. Tumml is poised to become a platform for meaningful social impact addressing the unique problems and issues that arise in city settings.

Tumml is structured as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and has received funding from sources including a grant from the Blackstone Charitable Foundation and sponsorship from Accela.

 

julie and claraMeet Julie and Clara

Innov8Social had a chance to talk to one of Tumml’s Co-Founders, Julie Lein about the accelerator—which is a startup itself gearing up for its first cohort of startup teams.

Julie hails from a background dedicated to social innovation. After her undergraduate degree at Stanford, she pursued social impact through local politics and gained experience in polling and political consulting. She furthered her interest in social innovation through pursuing an MBA at MIT Sloan where she received the Sloan Social Impact Fellowship and Peer Recognition Award and served as Co-Chair of the MIT Sloan Women in Management Conference in 2012—where is also where she met her future co-founder and Tumml CEO Clara Brenner.

Interview with Tumml Co-Founder Julie Lein

Julie Lein
Q1 | Innov8Social:  What is Tumml?


A1 | Julie Lein, Tumml President and Co-Founder:  Tumml is an urban ventures accelerator, with the mission of empowering entrepreneurs to solve urban problems. As a nonprofit, Tumml’s goal is to identify and support the next generation of Zipcars and Revolution Foods. Through a four-month program, Tumml invites early stage companies into its office space to receive hands-on support, seed funding, and services to help grow their businesses and make a significant impact on their communities.


Q2 | Innov8Social:  What is the problem that the Tumml accelerator program is addressing?


A2 | Julie:  From growing obesity levels to a less competitive education system, our generation has a huge number of challenges to overcome. And, in the current economic climate, we cannot rely on government alone to tackle these problems. More than half of US cities canceled or delayed infrastructure projects in 2011 and 2012 was the fifth straight year of declining city revenues. These cuts are having profoundly negative impacts on the safety, education, mobility, and health of the 81% of Americans who live in and around cities.


Q3 | Innov8Social:  What do you envision as the solution?



A3 | Julie:   Urban impact entrepreneurs can fill an important role in the current economy. From Recyclebank to Alta Bike Share, entrepreneurs start companies that are nimble and scalable – and we believe that there should be more of them tackling urban problems.


Q4 | Innov8Social:   What are the unique challenges that urban impact entrepreneurs face?


A4 | Julie:  

1) They have trouble securing seed stage funding – In a Tumml survey of 106 entrepreneurs, 33% of traditional entrepreneurs had secured venture capital or angel investment, compared with only 15% of urban impact entrepreneurs.


2) They’re more than twice as likely to want to connect with civic and government leaders – These entrepreneurs aren’t looking to get hired or embed themselves in government, but they need help when it comes to navigating the urban landscape.


That’s where Tumml comes in. Applications launch in March — look out for it on our website at www.tumml.org.

Q5 | Innov8Social:   What inspired the launch of Tumml?



A5 | Julie:   My partner Clara and I met at MIT Sloan and co-directed the women’s conference. We had such a good time working together that we decided to start a company after business school. Clara came from a real estate and sustainability background, and I came from a local politics and polling background, so urban challenges were very core to both of our passions. And then Tumml was born!

(By the way, the name is Yiddish for a “shake up”, which Clara’s grandmother came up with).

 

Apply for the Tumml Accelerator Program

Applications to be part of the first cohort of the Tumml accelerator program for urban innovation, taking place from June 2013 to September 2013, will be available in March 2013. You can find out more on the Tumml program page.
Participants of the Tumml accelerator program will receive a few key benefits to help launch their urban impact idea, including:
  • $20,000 of seed funding (in exchange for approximately 5% equity)
  • $10,000 of in-kind resources including legal support, mentorship, and access to a co-working space
  • An opportunity to pitch to VC’s, angel funders, urban policy, experts, and potential customers and gain valuable feedback, as well as an opportunity to scale their projects
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Learn About Imagine H20 + How to Win $200K for Your Social Innovation Business Plan [VIDEO]

 Did you know global water issues can affect education, health, deforestation, and can especially impact women and girls?Do you think you can create a business plan for unique, sustainable, and scaleable social innovations that address these kinds of issues?

Meet ImagineH20.org

If so, there’s a way to take your idea to the next level. In the video below, Brian Matthay, Program Director of Imagine H20 explains the organization’s creative approach to inspiring social innovation for global water issues.


Imagine H20 is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring and empowering people to solve water problems. It is based in San Francisco, California and hosts an annual competition for global water solutions. The prize baskets run upwards of $100K, with this year’s grand prize totaling over $200K.

Not just a one-time prize

Perhaps the best aspect is that the competition doesn’t end with a strong finish. Winners of Imagine H20 join a specialized accelerator program to further develop their ideas, seek guidance from experts and specialists, and put them in the running for cash resources, in-kind services, and global exposure.

Facts to inspire action

Imagine H20 highlights statistics that are startling and serve as a call to social innovation action. Here are a few eye-catching ones:
  • Water related diseases are the leading cause of child death, killing 4,500 children per day (UNICEF)
  • 1.1 billion people live without clean water today (World Water Forum)
  • 20% of clean water is lost due to leaks (EPA)
  • Water scarcity affects every continent and affects 4 out of every 10 people (World Health Organization)
  • Demand in the U.S. has tripled in the past 30 years while the population has grown only 50% (Goldman Sachs)
  • Up to $1 trillion is needed to rebuild America’s aging water infrastructure (Goldman Sachs)

How to Win $200K for Your Social Innovation Business Plan

Though the 2011 entries were due by November 15, 2011—here are steps to know about the 2011 process to help put you on track to compete in next year’s competition.
  • Be an individual or team comprised of members older than 18 years (who are not previous winners or finalists)
  • Focus on the year’s specific theme (i.e. the 2011 theme was wastewater) and consult the ImagineH20 competition guidelines to find out what kinds of solutions are being sought.
  • Teams must form a for-profit business entity before receiving any prizes.
  • Teams must submit entries in 1 of 2 tracks: A) Pre-Revenue Track or B) Early Revenue Track
  • Teams must submit an executive summary of a business plan for a social innovation venture (using a designated template) addressing the year’s specific water crisis theme. Along with resumes of each team member, and the designated entry fee.
  • 2011 applications were accepted from September 1st 2011 to November 15th 2011.
  • The top finalists from each track will be invited to participate in Round 2.
  • In 2011, 2 grand prizes and 4 runner-up prizes are slated to be announced at the ImagineH20 Showcase
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Building a Social Innovation IQ

When you are in the midst of an emerging field, there is often no shortage of related terms and buzzwords. Social innovation is a prime example. Associated words and phrases include:Social innovation IQ

  • social entrepreneurship
  • social enterprise
  • impact investing
  • conscious capital
  • double bottom line
  • triple bottom line
  • social accounting
  • benefit corporations
  • flexible purpose corporations
  • low-profit limited liability companies (L3C’s)
  • hybrid corporations
  • blended value
  • social ventures
  • maximizing stakeholder value
  • doing well, by doing good
  • corporate social responsibility
  • and more….
Terminology, a Social Innovator Does Not Make
Through Innov8Social or various other blogs and resources, you may be (as I am) building your familiarity with key buzzwords in the field. But, as I begin to read books, listen to podcasts, and become more familiar with questions that those outside of social innovation have about the field—I realize that terms and buzzwords may not be enough to achieve the overarching goals of building new kinds of businesses that generate monetary profit while positively benefiting society & the environment.
We Need to Collectively Build Our Social Innovation IQ
What makes social innovation an intriguing prospect is also what makes it complex: it blurs the traditional distinctions between sectors such as financial, government, social, and environmental and seeks to connect them in new ways that align with mainstream business.
Judging by the burgeoning number of social innovation fellowships and accelerator programs available, it looks like more people and institutions are seeking connect with and expand the social innovation arena.
If we are putting out time into engaging and investing ourselves in this emerging field, it may be helpful to build our collective social innovation intelligence.
Components of Social Innovation IQ
Full disclosure, I am not an expert in this field. But as I learn and grow into it, I find myself developing more focused questions about what it will take to succeed as a social innovator and what it will take for the field of social innovation to succeed in impacting the way business is done. Here is my (evolving) understanding of components that can make up a social innovation IQ:
  • Financial intelligence
  • Social & environmental cause intelligence
  • Adversity intelligence
Much of it, I suspect, will begin with understanding the flow of money. Even though capital is one element of the triple bottom line, it is the one that is often most identifiable with mainstream business. Currency is like the electric current that powers machines. Though causes and action often eclipse capital in their reach and karmic importance—to understand that even the most compelling projects will require steady, consistent, and adequate funding is to understand the important role it plays.
Additionally, if we do not have a clear understanding about the history, root, and context of the social and environmental causes we aim to address—we may not be addressing issues in the most effective ways possible. Worse, we may not realize future problems that we are seeding with our best-intention ‘fixes’.
Finally, any start-up entrepreneur will tell you that there can be a fair dose of adversity required to launch and succeed. And, this likely only multiplies when your business is focused on maximizing a triple bottom line (people, planet, profits). We have to be able to identify re-frame our problems, dwell in resilience, and connect with the social innovation community for support and guidance.
What to Read
I am in the process of trying to build my social innovation IQ. I would love to connect with others interested in doing the same. Here are a few books I thought could get the ball rolling:
If this topic interests you, and you are also seeking ways to build a social innovation IQ, connect through the comments below, on the Innov8Social Facebook page, on Twitter, via email.
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Start-Up Accelerator and Incubator Programs for Social Entrepreneurs

Accelerator programsWith the success of Y Combinator there has been a steady rise in the number of accelerator programs available for start-up entrepreneurs. Social entrepreneurs can now seek assistance from accelerator programs specifically designed to help build cause-based businesses that generate profit and seek to operate beyond a single bottom line.
Here are a few we came across. Feel free to add others in the comments section. Also, you can find a list of 50+ fellowship programs for social innovators here.
Start-Up Accelerator and Incubator Programs for Social Entrepreneurs

1. Matter Media Entrepreneurship Accelerator.  Matter invests $50k to give four months of runway to do needfinding with customers, prototype media solutions, and build traction with an audience.
San Francisco, CA
Apply by January here.

2. CHANGE Accelerator. The CHANGE Accelerator provides needed business support to social entrepreneurs who are developing innovative solutions to unmet social needs. 
Rhode Island.
Apply by February (Newport) or April (Providence) here.

3. Startl Accelerator. Startl Accelerator is a three-month immersion into Product design, market strategy and business development for early stage learning enterprises. 
New York City, NY.
Apply by March here.

 

4. Tumml Urban Ventures Accelerator. Tumml Accelerator is a three-month program supporting early stage companies developing innovative urban living solutions.             
San Francisco, CA.
Apply by March here.

5. StartX Accelerator runs three times per year, takes no equity, and is aimed at propelling startup founders out of Stanford through mentors, resources, and networks. 
Apply here.

6. GoodCompany Ventures. Accelerates the growth of early-stage ventures that generate profit and have a positive social impact.
Philadelphia, PA.
Apply by April here.

7. Social Entrepreneurs of New Orleans (SENO). The purpose of the Accelerator program is to significantly accelerate an early-stage social venture’s impact and financial sustainability. 
New Orleans, LA.
Apply by April here.

8. Dasra Social-Impact. Dasra Social-Impact is an executive education program, which provides successful non profits and social businesses with transformational skills necessary to build sustainable and scalable organizations to accelerate their impact. 
Mumbai, India.
Apply by July here.

9. Praxis Accelerator Program. The Praxis Accelerator is focused on four distinct areas: mentorship & customized expertise, action-oriented education & planning, peer networking, and access to capital sources. (note: faith-based)
New York, California, Washington D.C.
Apply by July here.

10. Agora Accelerator. Agora’s Accelerator is an intensive, 6-month program designed to give outstanding small businesses poised for expansion access to the social, human, and financial capital needed to accelerate their growth. 
Nicaragua.
Apply by October here.

11. Unreasonable Institute. Accelerates the world most unreasonable entrepreneurs and their ventures. Unreasonable Institute unites 25 entrepreneurs from every corner of the globe to live under the same roof for six weeks. 
Boulder, CO.
Apply by November here.

12. Greenstart Accelerator. Greenstart focuses on cleantech companies that are expanding the use of clean energy or reducing the use of dirty energy and can validate their business model quickly. The goal is to help more than 500 cleantech startups launch more successfully over the next decade.
San Francisco, CA.
Apply by November here.

13. Imagine H20 Prize Competition and Accelerator. Imagine H20 hosts an annual competition for global water solutions with prizes of upwards of $100K. Winners of Imagine H20 join a specialized accelerator program. (note: full post here)
San Francisco, CA.
Apply by November here.

14. Hult Prize. In partnership with the Clinton Global Initiative,  thousands of college and university students pitch their social impact ideas at one of six regional events in Boston, San Francisco, London, Dubai, Shanghai, and online. The winners receive the Hult Prize–an opportunity to spend the summer at the Hult Accelerator in Boston, MA.
Boston, MA.
Apply by November here.

15. Santa Clara University Global Social Benefit Incubator. The GSBI empowers socially-minded entrepreneurs to build sustainable, scalable organizations that solve problems for people living in poverty around the world. It is a combination of online, experiential, and skill-building offerings in an eight-month program.
Apply by December here.

16. Hub Ventures. Hub Ventures is a 12-week evening program providing funding and resources to a community of 16 entrepreneurs building for-profit solutions for a better world. San Francisco Bay Area, CA.
Apply by December here.

17. Investment Accelerator Fund (IAF). The Investment Accelerator Fund (IAF) helps accelerate the growth of new technology companies being established in Ontario and positions them for further investment by angels and venture capitalists.
Ontario, Canada.
Apply here.

18. NYC Acre. The New York City Accelerator for a Clean and Renewable Economy (NYC ACRE) helps clean technology and renewable energy companies in New York City grow, advancing the City as a role model for environmental sustainability and smart growth.
New York City, New York.
Apply here.

19. Canadian Cleantech Accelerator. The Canadian Consulate will select high potential companies from Canada to grow at the San Jose Environmental Business Cluster.
San Jose, CA.
Learn more here.

20. Social Innovation Camp. Social Innovation Camp brings together ideas, people and digital tools to build web-based solutions to social problems – all in just 48 hours.
Multiple locations.
Learn more here.

21. Ogunte Make a Wave Pre-Incubator Programme. Make a Wave provides learning and co-mentoring opportunities related to women angels and impact investors to 12 women social entrepreneurs through 6 lunch-time visits. (note: for women)
London, England.
Learn more here.

22. The Impact Engine. Impact Engine is a 12-week accelerator program that supports for-profit businesses making the world a better place. It provides $20K seed funding in exchange for 7% equity. 
Chicago, IL
Learn more here.

23. Sustainability Innovation Lab at GSVlabs. Powered by the Cleantech Open, the Innovation Lab provides focused content designed to help Sustainability companies grow and thrive. 
Redwood City, CA
Learn more here.

Other lists of Accelerator Programs:List of Global Start-up Incubators [Robert Shedd]
15 U.S. Startup Accelerators and Incubators (Ranked) [Tech Cocktail]*Updated on July 2015

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