This February, I participated in the StartingBloc Boston Institute for Social Innovation at The Fletcher School at Tufts University. StartingBloc Fellows are young, emerging leaders from around the world, ranging from undergraduate students to experienced young professionals. Our class hailed from no less than 25 countries, including the US, India, Ukraine, Rwanda, the U.K., and Mexico. For five days we listened to lectures by more than 20 industry leaders and learned how to be more effective in driving social change by participating in the Social Innovation Competition and experiencing Tranformative Action firsthand.
Before attending the Institute, I reviewed the bios of the other 130 StartingBloc Fellows and felt privileged to be a part of such an esteemed group of young people. At least half of the Fellows are social entrepreneurs – they have started, or are in the process of starting, a social venture of some kind. What really blew me away was the Ideas Marketplace, where Fellows had the opportunity to pitch their ideas or ventures and the entire class voted for the best pitches. The Finalists were:
- Maria Springer : Kito International – creating entrepreneurial opportunities for street youth in Kenya
- Karim Bishay : Better Means – encouraging collaboration and creating access to life-affirming work
- Letecia Jauregui : Crea – creating entrepreneurial and employment opportunities for migrant Mexican women
- Aparna Kothary : Karma Kitchen – encouraging generosity and human kindness through food
- Varvn Aryacetas : Sassy Cab – making transportation safer for women worldwide
In addition to the Ideas Marketplace, the Institute sought to develop leadership and presentation skills through the Social Innovation Competition, an intensive case competition, where Fellows unite to solve a real challenge facing a socially responsible business. We were divided up into 17 teams to develop a communications strategy for a multinational company’s sustainability initiatives. I was delighted when my team, Team 17, developed the winning solution, “The Ripple Effect” campaign! We’ll be working with the company’s executives in the coming months to implement our recommendations – stay tuned as I report on the experience.
The most memorable part of the Institute for me was Day One. Houston Spencer led us in setting goals for the Institute and beyond. One of his comments really resonated with me: “If your dreams don’t scare you, they’re not big enough.” As individuals committed to true social change, we need to ask ourselves “Are my goals big enough?”. Monthly, weekly, daily. And it’s important to join communities, like StartingBloc and so many others, that push us to the next level.
Jerryanne Heath is the CEO and Founder of ConceptLink Consulting, a firm which helps global social-mission organizations connect with their stakeholders through special events and strategic communications. She is a 2010 StartingBloc Fellow.
