These are the must-attend social entrepreneurship conferences in 2014
Conferences are the best place to collaborate with potential partners, network with fellow professionals, get inspired by talks, learn from workshops, strike new alliances and feel a sense of community. We sifted through a plethora of social entrepreneurship conferences and compiled a list of must-attend events in India and around the world in 2014.
Mark your calendars and plan your travel in advance.
1) Sankalp Unconvention Summit 2014
When and where: April 9-11 in Mumbai
Why attend: SUS is dubbed as the world’s largest social enterprise focused summit. In 2013, 1,000 donors, startups, from 22 countries came together at SUS 2013. SUS2014 is will leverage its partnership with SOCAP to make the summit more global.
2) 2014 Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship
When and where: April 9 – 11 in Oxford, England
Why attend: The Skoll World Forum on social entrepreneurship is perhaps the most important social entrepreneurship annual event. Nearly 1,000 of the world’s most influential social entrepreneurs, key thought leaders and strategic partners gather at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School to every year to deliberate on the present and future of social entrepreneurship.
3) Social Capital Markets (SOCAP)
When and where: September 2-5, 2014 at Fort Mason, San Francisco
Why attend: SOCAP is an event at the intersection of money and meaning. This annual event brings together leading global investors, foundations, institutions and social entrepreneurs.
When and where: OCTOBER 12-17, 2014 IXTAPA, MEXICO
Why attend: Opportunity Collaboration is a four-day problem-solving, strategic retreat for nonprofit leaders, social entrepreneurs, grant-makers and impact investors that gets kickstarted on October 17th, which is World Poverty Day. The focus is on building collaborations and networking to jointly address poverty alleviation.
5) Social Enterprise Alliance- Summit 2014
When and where: April 13-16, 2014 at Nashville
Why attend: Since 2000, SEA has been a place to collaborate, network and get inspired. The intensive workshops and sessions are geared towards promoting partnerships and alliances.
When and where: March 21-23 at the Arizona State University
What’s it about: Ex-President Bill Clinton established the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) in 2005 to turn ideas into action. From presidents to academics, from the boardroom to the classroom, CGI members from all walks of life are creating positive change around the world.
When and where: Not announced. Normally held at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford
Why attend: Emerge engages and connects university students and young professionals aspiring to drive transformational change, with current global change-agents leading entrepreneurial ventures, businesses and sector-defying organizations. Emerge is about “what’s next”: the big ideas, the future leaders, the driving forces challenging the status quo. It brings to the forefront that which is emerging: new models, markets and movers of transformational change.
8) Social Enterprise Conference 2014:
When and where: March 29-30, 2014 at Boston
Why attend: The Social Enterprise Conference is one of the world’s leading forums to explore the intersection of business and social impact. The Conference is entirely student-run, jointly hosted by students from the Harvard Business School and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
9) The SRI Conference on Sustainable, Responsible, Impact Investing (formerly SRI in the Rockies)
When and where: Date and venue not confirmed
What’s attend: The SRI Conference is a gathering of investors and investment professionals who invest for a sustainable future. It will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2014.